The Great American Festival of Speed & Endurance

Words: Robby Pacicco / Photos: Richard Kelley

For over 50 years music festivals have become a staple of fun, freedom and expression the world over. From Germany to Brazil or the UK to Canada, the sonic art of music is celebrated for several days over the course of these events. In the great country known as the United States of America, the very same land that provided us the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Woodstock in 1969 or more recently Lollapalooza and Coachella. There is another festival of sound, vision and little more than a dash of speed in the USA; The Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Ever since 1962 droves of racing enthusiasts have been making the pilgrimage to Daytona Beach, Florida in order to be a part of the annual tradition of fast cars, fast drivers, gourmet tailgate cuisine and pure adrenaline. For the better half of an entire week the motorsport stadium coined the World Center of Racing becomes the home to many. The very same sanctified ground that hosts the extremely popular and powerful NASCAR event known as the Daytona 500. Camper vans, trailers and RVs with full families living on premise at the Daytona International Speedway mingle with their new neighbors with set up canopies and tents as machines fill the air with roaring engines and whooshing winds.

The euphoric scent of outdoor cooking takes control of even the most disciplined gourmand, causing their mouth to water with the crackling wood, sizzling meat and buttery corn on the cob. “It’s the best place to be” says Russ, a fan in attendance. “Every year the atmosphere is just incredible. I can meet the drivers and teams then walk back to my tent and take a nap or play poker with my buddies!” The fans truly become fully immersed in the fun while their happiness and enthusiasm is contagious. The event and venue staff smile as they provide helpful information and direction to the spectators in attendance and children walk around doe-eyed and gape jawed in pure awe. Even pets in attendance get to enjoy the fun, some even wearing race team regalia. Admit it, the thought of a Cocker Spaniel in a yellow Corvette Racing sweater made you smile. The 24 hour race is what draws the fans, but it’s the overall experience that keeps them coming back. The Rolex 24 at Daytona is definitely one of those events that you don’t only attend for the headliner.

It is not just the fans that want to keep returning year after year. Drivers, team owners and automobile manufacturers considered regulars of the garage area put themselves through the grueling preparation and 24 hour race annually, voluntarily. Rolex who are the title sponsor and key part of motorsport culture provide the glamorous wrist worn bragging rights to the victors in each vehicle class.

Winners in the Prototype classes or GT classes are ensured an immaculate timepiece for their feat of endurance when it’s all said and done. The 2018 Grand Marshal for the 2018 event was none other than legendary team owner Chip Ganassi. When asked why the team owners keep coming back, “They all want a Rolex” said Mr. Ganassi. “When you are a team owner, all you get out of this business are rings and Rolexes. It’s also a small club to belong to and win at this place!” Spoken words by a man who would go on to secure his 200^th victory as a team owner hours later. Walking the paddock area brands like Porsche, Audi, Ford, Lexus, Ferrari, Acura and more fill the garage spaces and transportation vehicles. The January 27-28, 2018 edition marked the 56^th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona as well as the first race of the season for both the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Series and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

The Rolex 24 showcases familiar faces of series regulars as well as greats from Le Mans, NASCAR, Indy and Formula 1. Names such as the Taylor boys Ricky and Jordan, Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Katherine Legge, Helio Castroneves, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and many more. Every driver could be seen preparing, practicing and enjoying their time as they inched closer to the start of the race. The atmosphere is truly electric, Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire, electric.

What do the drivers have to say? “it’s the first race of the season and we start with a really big event” says Action Express Racing’s co-driver João Barbosa of the Prototype class number 5 Cadillac and eventual co-winner of the 2018 event. “It’s like the Superbowl of racing for us. There is no better way to start the year.” His teammate and co-driver Felipe Albuquerque agreed, “It’s really a classic, it’s the only 24 hour race happening in America. It attracts big names from the manufacturer and team world like Action Express, Penske and Mazda. Also you have great drivers coming from Formula 1 and all over the world. It’s very special, plus it does not clash with any other racing event or racing schedule in the world.” Barbosa, Albuquerque and fellow co-driver driver Christian Fittipaldi set a new record by winning the 24hr competition with the longest distance ever travelled during this race resulted an impressive total of 808 laps completed, which equals 2,876.48 miles (4629.25km).

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is much more than a motorsport event happening every January. It’s not only about the multiple classes of vehicles that are meant to compete, or the high level of skilled talent putting on the crash helmet. It’s multi-dimensional and eclipses being just fast cars with fast men and women behind the wheel. It’s a whole package deal. It really earns the right of being considered a true festival that happens every year, full of star power, events, people from all over the world and an incredible energetic ambiance. There might not be a stage with the Who playing live while blasting your ears through the amplifiers, but what you will hear, see and experience will rock your socks off… all that and the luxury of being able to take a shower.