DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Thousands of race fans are flocking to Daytona Beach this weekend for the Rolex 24, and the sunshine is finally here to greet them.
The 63rd running of the 24-hour race kicks off Saturday, testing the endurance of drivers, crews, and the fans there to watch.
It was a long, cold week getting ready for this, but now the cars are buzzing, and people are gathered for the race around the clock.
“Sixty-one cars competing, 241 drivers from all over the world,” said Frank Kelleher, president of Daytona International Speedway. “This is so special. We have Daytona 500 champions, IndyCar champions, IMSA champions, former Rolex 24 winners, WEC champions, Le Mans winners, they are all here.”
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Once again, the World Center of Racing is filled with energy. Kelleher said the cold won’t put a damper on the race.
“The cars actually run a little bit faster in these cold temperatures. Now, grip with the racecar, the tires can be a little bit of a challenge, but we saw during qualifying they were laying down some really fast times,” he said.
While all eyes will be on the track this weekend, a lot of the fun is had around the campsites in the infield. This week proved to test the dedication of keeping those traditions going for race fans in the Southeast, with some driving through the rare snow to get to Daytona.
“We were going to do it. We slept overnight in the parking lot in Alabama where the road was closed,” said Paul Waguespack from Louisiana.
They found a way—the campsites are full.
“We eat great. Saturday nights we do a steak and lobster dinner and sometimes we’ve also done a seafood boil,” said Sean Lyle from Orlando.
The food, the memorabilia, the viewing decks, and this year, campfires, all make for another unique Rolex 24.
“I will have this spot until I die, we will be here, I will never give it up and we will always be here no matter what we have to do,” said Lyle.
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