2012 DAYTONA 24 THREAD

FYI... I will be attending the 50th Ann. event with my March/Porsche 83G GTP car...the 1984 winning "KREEPY KRAULY" car..besides all the other festivities...the car and I will be doing the 24 Minute "exibition race" prior to the start of the main event...stop by and say hello... I'm really a Ferrari guy at heart... N BTW, I'm also considering selling the car..Any interest?

 

I remember seeing your car run at the '84 Sebring 12-Hours. Maybe it was 1985. What stuck in my mind was seeing the left door shear-off at speed due to it not being latched properly after a pit stop. The team borrowered a door from the Red Lobster March team and became the "Kreepy Lobster" car!! Think Sarel was driving at the time of the incident.

Man...those were the days. Really miss the era of the IMSA Group C cars!

KevFla

 

Great photos! i will be attending my first 24 this year, driving from NY. Im super pumped! any pointers for great photo locations, i hear the fences are around 8ft tall, I lost out of my photo credentials so i bought a step ladder that i can strap to my back in areas where its needed. Any other words of wisdom?

 

tell me more about the car...PM me

 

That would be a GREAT car to do Targa 66, Lime Rock, Monterey in...

 

The fence around the infield part of the track is about 6'. I use a short two step stool that gets me easily over the fence. You'll do a lot of walking so the smaller the ladder the better. I also get low and shoot through the fence for a different angle. Some of the pics I posted were shot through the fence.

The International Horseshoe is a great place to get pics but limited on your angles. The little horseshoe thats a bit further down the track has a lot more possibilities. You can shoot from the fence or get high in the stands. Go a little past the turn exit and get them exiting or going down the straight. NASCAR turns 1 and 2 are also there so its a short walk to get some shots of the cars on the high banks.

If you don't have the garage pass I highly recommend getting one for a few dollars more. There is so much to see and photograph walking through the garage and you will be able to walk out onto the starting grid just before the race for some really nice photo ops.

If your parking inside the track, try and park as close to the International Horseshoe as you can. Its a good central spot between the garage area and spots to shoot on the track. You can walk to the garage and get shots and then stop at your car to get your ladder on the way to your photo spots along the fence. When the cars come in, drop your ladder off and go back to the garage.

There will be a lot of photographers around so when you see a cluster of them against the fence you'll know you're in a good spot. To get a unique perspective you'll have to look around and think outside the box. Pay attention to the sun and try to have it on your back. As the sun moves across the sky it front lights certain parts of the track at certain times. For instance NASCAR turns 1 and 2 will have good light early in the morning and good for pics and its shaded in the late afternoon and not so great for pics. The same goes for many turns on the track. Once you get it figured out you can follow the sun around the track and have nice light at each location.

Get a track schedule so you can plan around it. The GT cars may have three practice sessions in a day. Note the time and then go to your favorite spot with consideration for the light for each session. The track is way to big to cover all the spots in one practice session so its best to concentrate on one at a time. I also try and be at the garage about 20 minutes before a practice session starts because the garage gets active and then you can shoot the cars leaving. Then I try and get back to the garage just before the session ends to get the cars returning and the drivers walking around.


I shot all the pics I posted with a Canon 40D and a 70-200 2.8 lens so you don't need a big lens however a 600 would certainly come in handy for some parts of the track.

This is going to be an awesome Rolex 24 especially with the 50th celebration and it's displays and everywhere you look there will be something to photograph. I hope these tips will help get your camera pointed in the right direction and when the dust has settled come back here and post some pics!

 

This is exactly what i was looking for! thanks a million. i bought a 21 dollar 2 step stool from home depot last weekend that weights less then 6lbs and will clip to the back of one of my harnesses. thanks for the parking tip, im staying less then 10 min away, and will be getting there as the gates open in order to get good parking! and i have the infield pass. What kind of walk is it to get to the outfield grandstands? i have a wide angle so i figured that would be a cool shot. I am also shooting with a Nikon d300s, d700, 300 2.8, 70-200 2.8, 1.7x converter, 17-70, and 10-16...so i hope between all that i should have most angles covered. This will be a 1 shot deal for me atleast for the next few years so i wanna make it count!

-John

 

I believe because of the infield camping and parked motorhomes, the entrance to the infield is open 24 hours for the duration of the event starting on Thursday. Unreserved parking is on a first come first served basis. Thur and Fri shouldn't be a problem if you get there in the morning. On sat the day of the race I get there about 8:00 am and parking is already pretty slim pickings. Once the infield is full they restrict access and make people park outside and walk in.

There are two entrances into the infield. One is at NASCAR turn four and the other is NASCAR turn one. You can drive or walk in from either one. From the garage area the closest way out is through the turn four tunnel and nothing is a straight walk because of restricted areas. You'll have to zig zag your way around and that adds distance. From the garage area going outside and then double back to the stands by the finish line is probably 1/2 mile one way. Its a nice view from the stands late on saturday night.

You've got ample camera equipment. When walking along "our" fence there are several spots where there is another catch fence which the photographers with credentials shoot through. That fence has cutout " windows " for those photographers to shoot through and are prime angles. Keep your eye out for those. With your ladder you can get over the first fence and with your 300 and 1.7x you can reach through the window in the second fence. You'll find those around the two horseshoes. As the race goes into night, find the dog leg left between the two horseshoes for a good angle on glowing brake rotors and backfires.

You want to get the most you can out of your trip but approach it as an endurance race of your own. You're not sitting all day in the stands you're roaming the entire infield for great shots and if you don't stay too long in one spot you'll end up putting a few miles on your sneakers. Pace yourself and make it to the finish.

 

FWIW, Tifosi, I just got an email from FNA re: spots still available for their hospitality tent for the 24 hours. price is $795, which might be worth it depending on how much food/alcohol you can consume in 24 hours

 

From just a regular ticket to the VIP Ferrari experience-this is the 50th year anniversary. Also there is an FCA event going on as well, with full track day following the event.

In the past I have purchased the Champions Club and found that it is the only way to go if the other options are not of interest (but it is sold out!)

Check out the official Ferrari email below:

Join Ferrari at Daytona 24 with Exclusive VIP Hospitality Package

Join Ferrari for the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona as five Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am racecars hunt for the GT win. The Ferrari VIP Hospitality Package puts you in the heart of the action in an exclusive Turn 1 suite.

The VIP Hospitality Package also gives you the Ferrari Team Experience with Risi Competizione, the Houston-based team campaigning two 458 Italia Grand Ams with an all-star driver lineup. The number 62 Risi car will be driven by former F1 drivers and reigning European Le Mans Series champions, Giancarlo Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni as well as Indy car driver Raphael Matos. The number 63 vehicle will feature Ferrari GT car regular Toni Vilander as well as Ferrari test driver Andrea Bertolini and five-time ALMS champion Olivier Beretta.

Package includes:

• Track access with premium viewing
• Full gourmet catering, including breakfast, lunch, beverages and snacks in the Ferrari VIP suite
• All-night barbecue for the race day
• Closed-circuit TV race viewing from the suite
• Risi Competizione paddock and transporter tour and pit experience
• Driver meet-and-greet
• Ferrari Corral parking

Price: $795 per person.

Call the Ferrari Concierge at 866-551-2828 to RSVP or for more information. Or, register now at www.ferrarievent.com/gtracing/daytona

Below is the FCA poster for the event. Every wanted to drive the track at speed? Every wanted to see the race, but have just been putting it off? Is it in your bucket list? This is the year-Ferrari is back! (Will someone take the poster, open it and post it? For some reason it is appearing as a link rather than a poster)
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Probably b/c it's a PDF.

I converted it to JPG...
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Thanks!

 

It'll be here soon. Let's hope for mild temps and no rain this year!
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great pic!

 

And considering I had approx 20 minutes of practice the day of the vintage event....needless to say...I was very humbled that day..during the event...
But did have a great time!!! Hell YES...
I have driven the car at Pocono (the SCCA road course)..what a blast!!!! And at the New Jersey Motorsports park...what a trip...a 225 MPH ground effects car that sticks to the track like glue!!

 

Just booked my trip.

I might sign up for this Ferrari club thing but have to see if the GF is interested.

Where can I get a Ferrari Chat Tee shirt to wear while I am there?

 

That looks like it could be Chip G. in the Aventador?

The 24 is one of the few races I long to attend.

 

I love that Corvette DP...

 

No that's Nelson C. with the SunTrust Team

 

I did have reservations about the numbers on the transporter.

 

I'll be driving down from West Virginia in the Testarossa again this year. Planning on arriving Thursday some time. Am doing the Ferrari VIP package thing. Would love to hang around Monday and do the track event. Don't think the old Redhead is up for a full day but would love to get her on the track for a few laps.

 

Didn't want to start a new thread and my searches reaveled nothing.

Are FChat tee shirts available?

 

Yaaay, PT will be a participant.

 

C7 tail lights on the Vette DPs apparently.

 

Just thought I'd post this link to the 49 winning cars of the 24. Seeing all of the cars side by side shows just how ugly the DP's are.

http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Vanity-Pages/50th-Rolex-24/50-Years-of-Champions-Display.aspx