24 Hours of Daytona

Anybody going?

Weekend after Cavallino. I know Italiafest is that weekend but want to check out Daytona this year.

Also - Can anyone suggest a hotel there where it's OK to bring and park a F-Car?

 

Italia Fest will likely have a more impressive entry than Daytona.

Parking your F-car inside DIS should be no problem as they've worked hard to get less than 2000 "non-traditional sports car fans" to show up there the past couple of years.

This should provide a wide open infield and of course 180,000 empty seats once again.

BHW

 

The I-Fest was not so impressive to me last year. About 12 F cars and 15 Lambos if I remember right. Not the same level of an event as a Winter Park (TSC) event.

I was asking about a Hotel where it's OK to park a F-Car overnight without worry... that's OK I'm sure I'll find something.


Still may do I-fest...depends on if I can get my ready in time.

Tim Stanford is going to Daytona and has some people...I may tag along with them...

 

At least I have a chance for a trophy with my raged out cars

Also it is about the track baby not the concourse. Concourse is for showing the public, giving back to the community nothing else.


MArtin

 

Seriously, finding hotels in Daytona during 24 Hours week shouldnt be too much of a problem. It may be difficult in the immediate area of DIS as the teams usually have them booked up well in advance.

When the 24 Hours was a real race, I used to have good luck finding rooms in Ormond Beach just up I-95 from the track which did not have minimum stays and reasonable rates.

Most of the hotels in the Daytona Beach area have 2 or 3 night minimums and jacked up rates which started in the mid-90's.

Another recommendation is the Italian deli in the KMart plaza just up Speedway Boulevard from the Speedway. Trust me on this one, the best
dinner in town is at this place where all the locals go.

BHW

 

didn' t they cut out scenes from the 24h last year because the stands were empty?

Sebring is the better race to go to. Daytona the better City to go to. I guess in 24 you can do some damage. Party at night slap at the track during the day

 

Thanks Bart.

Martin I think your right....takes me 3 weeks to get ready for a show and I'm thinking "less cleaning and more driving"

Well...I've never been to Daytona and since I live so close might as well. I also want to go in Feb for NASCAR...we'll see...

Much depends on status of my car...I may pull the bumper myself later today and take it to the body shop and see if they will speed up getting it done.

Frank

 

I bust Daytona b#%%s because the 24 Hours is a shadow of the event it used to be, there is little in the way of business there currently and of course the GrandAM represents NASCAR's rape of American sports car racing.

They may well have been very selective in their edits of how the 24 Hours was shown on TV last year. According to colleagues of mine who attended (for whatever reason) the stands, which in fairness were never full even during the GTP days but at least there were SOME people, were completely empty at the start last year.

The infield, where most of the specatating is done, holds upwards of 100,000 fans was dotted so colleagues of mine told me they had to really work to get images with fans in the background which (believe me) was not a problem until recently.

An interesting article in Porsche's in-house magazine "Christophoris" about the fact that their GT category 911s won overall last year included images made from inside the tri-oval and in the pits. The interesting thing about these images was that the grandstands were completely airbrushed out of the images so it looked as though the race was out in
Kansas somewhere with the blue sky kissing the retaining wall.

Of course, these 180,000 "non-traditional sports car fans" will fail to turn out to the 24 Hours again this year which makes one wonder what sponsor Rolex is thinking.

A much better event will be the Porsche Rennsport Reunion at DIS in April.

BHW

 

I'll be there Friday / Saturday / Sunday...

 

Owens - Did you know what hotel you will be at?

I will be there Sat for the start and will either stay Sunday or drive out Sunday to the Italafest...

 

I'll be at the Radisson on the beach. I'll have my mobile: 850-591-3941.

Last year, I was in the Ramada right across from the track. I could hear the cars from inside my room...it was pretty cool. The pictures over each bed were of Schumi!

 

Greg,

Email me your cell # number. I will be there Saturday and Sunday.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

oneother thing to note as well is infield parking.if you pay to park inside(last time i did it was $7-$8.00) my dad and i left to eat at outback in the car and when we went back to the tunnel they charged us another parking fee.also it seems the average intelligence level between all the workers outside the track and some inside are below the average household fly.

the days of watching the 333sp and the riley and scotts were worth going and watching.the cars at present are about as exciting as watching water evaporate.

sebring is a much better race.

just my $.02 worth.
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when you buy the superticket the parking is free for every day--in and outs included

 

Well said Prowler.

DIS is well known for their heavy handed tactics with regard to fans and media alike. Their famous rented security forces, little more than old geezers with badges on scooters are about the most contrary people you will ever encounter.

Rather than be helpful as they should be, it seems their jobs are to harrass and interrupt media and fan's good time. Typical incidents include walking through a gate, showing credential and being allowed through by gate guard. Two minutes later, exiting said gate and then being told by gate keeper that you cannot go through the gate. When you say, "But you just let me through this gate two minutes ago" they reply, "No, I did not. You must go through that gate down there" (pointing to another gate 200 yards away). This has happened to me more times than I can remember, the most maddening of which came at the 1996 IMSA Finale as I had to argue with this SOB in the pouring down rain while carrying all manner of expensive, heavy photo equipment.

At sports car races at Daytona, media are treated like dogs. The stories go on and on every year promting me to ask why my colleagues continue to return; the reasons sure cant be monitary.

There is the famous "Credential Witch" who accepts or denies credentials based on a whim. This is referred to as "The Donna Gauntlet". I've been through these gauntlets on numerous occasions but the best story involved a friend of mine from Boca Raton. His editor followed procedure,
FAXing his request for credentials to the DIS office. Unfortuntely, my
friend's name was mispelled (typo) on the FAX so upon my friend's arrival in the credentials office, showing his ID, he was told, "The names do not match, sorry I cannot help you".

The other more famous story involving noted motorsport writer Michael Cotton who in 2000 attempted to get an interview with the Earnhardts in the Corvette garages. Garages are open to credentialed journalists and photographers (and even fans) but at this event, a hulking security guard manhandled the elderly Mr. Cotton out of the garage, threatened to have his credentials confiscasted and was threatened with arrest and police were actually called to the scene to escort him off the grounds.

Little surprise Mr. Cotton's report from Daytona had nothing to do with the race, rather his shabby treatment by the overvealous security forces at the track and the stories go on and on and on.

Even GrandAM participant Hurley Haywood has stated "If it is Daytona, expect to be harrassed".

BHW

 

Jon...you've got mail.

 

looks like we have 5-6 coming down with atleast 1 RV for the race--we should pick a place to gather and cheer ferrari!!! oh but there are 2 porsches coming too--no fighting now

 

open cockpit cars are what the prototype class is all about.the premier class(the proto's) are supposed to be the meanest,fastest most groundshaking force ever to turn a wheel.the Grand Am series cars are,in my opinion, everything but that.

who remembers the deafining roar of the THETFORD V8 ro the scream of the Risi Ferrari?no answer me this.....is it still the same?

i think not.