Jesus - that was one tough event to spectate - so God knows what it was like to drive. Fax and I (and several other American friends) arrived at the track around 9.30am Saturday and did the usual sustained heavy drinking until the kick-off at 1.00pm. Even at that point the skies were looking somewhat threatening as we sat up in the main stands, above the tri-oval. The start was quite spectacular and the nature of the run into the infield course (track narrows by about 50%) provided some lunging overtaking moves - and the inevitable offs.
Excellent race credentials got us on the pit wall, where Fax had Tim Sugden making him coffee and discussing race strategy. The rain was relentless and heavy enough to put our campfire out, during a short trip to Daytona Beach for R&R and one of the best tit bars I've ever been to. The strippers outnumbered the punters - and it was a busy place (Lolipops, if you're ever in Daytona).
Got back to the Speedway about 1.00am and things were getting ugly. We had cautions off and on throughout the night. A return trip to the pits had us leaning over the wall and eyeball to eyeball with first Andy Wallace and later Tony Stewart in the Citgo car. Pretty special, despite the deluge. We also witnessed the one by one failure of the Multimatic DP's - each suffering terminal engine management failure. We saw both Brumos entries in bits and the relentless charge of the Flying Lizard 996.
By daybreak the place was silent - nothing on the track - slashing, sideways rain, everything f**k*ng soaked - very un-Florida. After several hours of bizarre nothingness, it all started again. The Wallace Earnhardt Stewart car was strong, but wounded and the whole thing eventually came apart at the seams. It was good that Andy Pilgrims car was positioned to pick up the pieces - but as Rick says was there by default. In reality the race should have been Johnny Mowlem's. MVP, for me, was Michael Rockenfeller in the Flying Lizard. He was fast and clean all race long and deffo one to watch.
Not the best 24 hour race I've attended, but certainly the wettest - and yes, that does include Le Mans 2000.
Roll on Sebring (I was going to say 'The 500', but I know you guys are somewhat scornful of NASCAR)
JPC - your Rolex 24 at Daytona 2004 shirt is secured - Dave will do the honours for Sebring.
