Daytona here I come

[gatordad]

I understand the amount of history in these tracks. One of the reasons I picked Daytona. I've read lots about racing since the beginning, and now I get to go. Still, I think I'll have an easy time getting in with my stuff...and I usually get along with folks. Its all about the right attitude with those in charge!

PM sent to you.

[Canada Phil]

Hi Arthur,
             Have a good time at Daytona. 67 cars on the entry list so you should have some racing to watch for 24 hours.
when I was spectating this event; I would start by parking the car in the infield and head for Pit Lane for the build up to the start. They open a hole in the fence and let you walk across the track to get to the grand stand. you will ofcourse have packed your back pack with the essentials of rain suit and warm clothes. I would stay up in the grand stand for a few hours i like to wait until the sun has gone down then tear your self away from the action and exit the back of the Grandstand. cross the road to one of the restaurants and have a decent sitdown meal. Back to the track via the tunnel to the infield to view the action in the pits ( from behind) then out to the hairpin and carousel area. after midnight head for your car and a few ZZZZ before waking for the hour before dawn and watching the sun rise and counting who did not make it through the night. Repeat visiting the viewing spots you enjoy and end up for the last 2 hours in the Grand stand again. i used to move the car to the outside behind the grandstand but that may no longer be parking.
Take pictures and let us know how much fun you had. I will be watching on TV
Phil

[Kristof]

Entry list

http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/races/entry_lists/Daytona%20Entry%20List%201-15.pdf

[Kristof]

Spotter/fan guide : http://www.spotterguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014-IMSA-Viewing-Guide_1.pdf

[gatordad]

My favorite time is to go into the Tower after midnight with a good warm jacket and a bottle of Jack Daniels and watch the race evolve at night.  There you can hear the overnight announcer, a Daytona legend talk about all kinds of cool history and little-known stuff about the cars running and their drivers.

Try it, you'll like it.

As for rude staff, my experience is a balance between the two.  My best experience was when my son and I had a small bag of my dad's ashes.  He was born in Daytona (as was I) and had died the week before.  My son was a freshman at UF and came home for the funeral and the race.  My friend Jim went with us to the start-finish line to photo the event.  It was Sunday morning of the Rolex 24 about 8am.  As we approached the line from the grandstands a security guy came up on his scooter.  We told him we planned to dump my dad's ashes on the line and did he have a problem with that.  He said "i can't let you do that!" and then rode off on his scooter headed for NASCAR 1 turn never to be seen.  We dumped the ashes, got the photos, and shed a bit of a tear.  It was all good!

[Kristof]

Is it me, or is something wrong with the BOP between LMP2 and the turtles ?
Last year, a DP was merely faster than an ALMS GT car, now they are almost seconds faster than an LMP2. 

First decent prototype is 11th after qualifying, couldn't believe it when I followed the qualifs yesterday.

[clkgtrlm1]

Are there any channels live streaming the 24hour - Does anyone know?

[Boorish Grobian]

Hi Dottore,
Yeah, they've got things so screwed up with the equivalency regs.  It's seems pretty clear to me that NASCAR wants to see their DP's succeed come hell or high water.
Fax

[jimclark]

Are there any channels live streaming the 24hour - Does anyone know?

All I've got is:
http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/takeovers/01152014_Rolex24_HomepageTakeover_295x544.png

'Don't get Foxxports2 here either...

[Canada Phil]

Are there any channels live streaming the 24hour - Does anyone know?

Try this http://stream.speedtv.com/rolex24
or this http://www.justin.tv/nascar49speed

or just google IMSA Tudor and see what come up.
Phil

[Grand_Fromage]

I can't help wondering if Memo Gidley had been in a carbon tub rather than NASCAR style tube frame, he might have been in slightly better shape after his accident.

[jimclark]

'Don't know...that was one 'ell of a hit he made with the Ferrari. 

'Just glad it wasn't worse. 

[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed GF, I was thinking the very same thing.  Plowing into the heavy end of the Ferrari was going to be violent, but can't help but think a carbon monocoque would have protected Memo better than a spaceframe.  Gidley's facing a long recovery, I wish him the best.  He usually take's stab at qualifying for the Indy 500, won't be happening this year.
Big props to Barbosa, Fittipaldi, and Bourdais.  Terrific drive by all three.
Fax

[Nordic]

First race I have seen for a while with the DP's in. Was pleasantly surprised that they did not look like the sack of spaners they used too, hint of a Porsche GT1 in the corvette DP I thought.

Don't really know enough about the chassis to know if a carbon tub would have protected memo better, but I'm just thankful he will be okay and the year did not start with another death for a sportscar driver.

Close raced spoiled by the shocking penalty for the Ferrari at the end, how can you have a penalty for avoidable contact when there was no contact?

The P2's need a bit more reliability and speed, but Sebring will be more to their liking I hope. Looking forward to the next one.

[Grand_Fromage]

The P2's need a bit more reliability and speed, but Sebring will be more to their liking I hope. Looking forward to the next one.

The speed of the P2 cars is entirely in the hands of the regulators. They are well capable of leaving the steel framed dinosaur DP cars in a cloud of dust if their engines were not restricted (almost literally) to death, but that wouldn't suit the strategy of the new regime, who would prefer a DP in winners circle.

The new system seems to be: Adjust BOP until the practice times suit your strategy, then if during the race the final order doesn't please you, apply random time penalties until it meets with your approval.