Red Bull Global Rallycross - Daytona

     I've been a fan of Red Bull Global Rallycross racing for a few years, so when I found out the series was coming to Florida for the first time ever, I had to go see it live. Round 6 of the Global Rallycross Championship was held at Daytona International Speedway on a purpose built track in the infield of the speedway. The 13-turn course is about 70% asphalt / 30% dirt, and includes a 70 ft. tabletop jump. Like all GRC tracks, there is a shortcut built into the course called the "Joker Lap". Each driver can take the Joker only once per race. The cars are 600 horsepower, all-wheel drive supercars built from production models off of the showroom floor. They can accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 2 seconds!  On race day, small groups of cars compete in 6-lap heat races where the top finishers move on to the main event, while the others battle it out in a LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) race for the remaining positions in the 10 car main event. 

Daytona Red Bull Global Rallycross Track Map

     Unlike some of the more popular racing series, Red Bull Global Rallycross has an open paddock policy. Fans can walk right up to the team haulers, watch the mechanics work on the cars, and interact with the drivers. This alone is worth the price of your ticket. Bucky Lasek & 3-time GRC Champion Tanner Foust took time to pose for pictures before going out for their first heat race.

How's this for a selfie?

     With a cooler full of drinks, and lots of sunscreen, I headed out into the scorching summer heat on Friday to check out all the action. Here are my pictures and videos from Red Bull Global Rallycross Day 1. Sorry, I forget to bring a camera, so all the pics/vids were taken with my cell phone.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Ovxt5ykSQ
Video of Red Bull GRC open practice

click on any of the photos to view them full-size

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO3my5mwkRc
Video of Global Rallycross final practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceWubjjdJ4A
Red Bull Global Rallycross Daytona - Heat 1C

     I had a great time at my first Red Bull Global Rallycross race!  I hope they come back to Daytona International Speedway again next year... If they do, DON'T MISS IT!

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Rolex 24 at Daytona - Tudor United SportsCar Championship (Photos & Video)

I had a hot pass for the first ever Tudor United SportsCar Championship race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona!  These are my views from the garage, pit road, the roof, the flag stand, the grandstands, and the infield. All video was shot with a GoPro Hero 3, so be sure to watch it in HD. Enjoy! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHSQdUTpuE4

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Also, check out my photos from the race here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.623982844244.1073741831.302300445&type=1&l=9e28d125c6

More information on the new IMSA sanctioned Tudor United SportsCar Championship racing series can be found here:

http://www.imsa.com/inside/united-sportscar

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2013 Rolex 24 @ Daytona

Racing season is here!  My favorite race of the year was last weekend, The Rolex 24 @ Daytona!  There were 57 cars in this years 24 hour long endurance race around the 3.56 mile Daytona International Speedway road course.  I took 568 pictures, 4 videos, and I even made an appearance on SPEED TV!  I'll get right to the pictures...

Tent Camping in the Geico Park West Lot outside turn 1 of the speedway. This was the first time Daytona International Speedway allowed tent camping outside the speedway. The cost was $20/car. I hope they continue to do this in the future. The weather was in the mid-70's in the day, and mid-50's at night. Perfect camping weather. It was an awesome experience.

(click to enlarge)

 Part of the historic Brumos Racing display in the Sprint FanZone

 The garage on race day

 The #99 Gainsco/Stallings Corvette DP car (Red Dragon)

17 semi trailers full of racing tires were hauled in for the race!

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson's 50+ Racing Highway to Help DP

 Rum Bum Racing is based out of Orlando, FL

Magnus Racing #44 GT car & Magnus Racing Drivers

NASCAR's Clint Bowyer & Michael Waltrip

The Rolex 24 Chili Cookoff!

You try chili from all 14 teams for $5 & vote for your favorite

My favorite chili of the day. It had HUGE chunks of steak in it!

Everyone knows you can't have chili without beer. The beer garden was right across from the chili cookoff

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Now that I'm full of chili & beer, let's go check out the cars on pit road...

Michael Waltrip's #56 Ferrari 458 Italia GT

I found these girls wondering around on pit road in their underwear, covered in body paint...

The #57 Stevenson Camaro GT... The last of the true American muscle cars left in the Rolex series.  I remember the first Rolex race I went to when I was 19 years old. The field was full of Mustangs & Camaros.

The first ever mother/son team to run in the Rolex 24.

I can't believe they let all these drunk rednecks get this close to their $500,000+ racecar!  ;)

Last years Rolex 24 @ Daytona winner Michael Shank Racing #60 DP car with a GoPro mounted to the spoiler.

 Looks like someone photo bombed SPEED TV Matt Yocum's interview with AJ Almendinger!
 "Hi Mom! I'm on TV!!"

Another one of my favorites, The #99 Red Dragon!

The #10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP

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Now on to the start of the Rolex 24 @ Daytona!

Lap 1 from the International Horseshoe (turn 3)

Turn 3, also know as the International Horseshoe

24 hours, 24 beers in a case...

Moving on from the infield to the grandstands...

DP cars going into turn 6 & headed towards the 31 degree highbanks of Daytona International Speedway

The carnival all lit up in the infield as day turns to night

Taking a break to head back to the campsite for dinner...

Caution laps

Restart

Fireworks in the middle of a race... Sure, why not?

That's all for tonight, I went to bed around 12:30 am in order to get an early start in the morning.

When I woke up at sunrise the race was running under caution due to heavy fog.

The #5 Action Express & #02 Ganassi Racing Daytona Prototype cars

(click to enlarge)

The #10 Velocity WW chases the #60 Michael Shank Racing DP & the #59 Brumos Porsche GT pits

Damage to the #94 Turner Motorsports GT

Flat tire on the #19 Muehlner Porsche GT from DeLand, FL

Only 11 minutes left in the Rolex 24

Pit stops & the race off pit road

White flag is out...

Checkered flag falls for Juan Pablo Montoya in the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sebates DP. The BMW DP cars had an unfair advantage due to the restrictions put on the Ford & Chevy DP cars by Grand-Am after last season. Hopefully the playing field will be leveled out by the 2014 Rolex 24.

 

... More pictures to come soon. I will update this post as I go through all the pictures...

I had a great time again this year at the Rolex 24. I can't wait until next year when the American LeMans Series merges with the Rolex Grand-Am series.  The 2014 Rolex 24 @ Daytona will have a huge field of 4 or 5 different class cars. I'm looking forward to it!

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