24 Hours Of Daytona

24 Hours Of Daytona, There are 50 things you need to know about the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona sports-car endurance race (the golden race will be held this weekend, January 28–29), beginning with this one fact: This is the 50th anniversary, but not at all the 50th annual 24-hour race.

1. The first race that counts as part of the anniversary celebration, the 1962 Daytona Continental, was three hours long. Well aware of the already 10-year history of the nearby 12 Hours of Sebring—which itself will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year—Daytona founder “Big Bill” France decided to start out on the conservative side. The Daytona race was lengthened in distance in 1964, when it took just over 12 hours to complete. In 1966, it was finally lengthened to 24 hours. But it was trimmed back to six hours for 1972, with the global FIA sanctioning body insisting that only Le Mans should run 24 hours. It was back to 24 hours just one year later.

2. While the race’s length was increased back to 24 hours in 1973, there was no race at all in 1974 of any length, a capitulation to the gasoline crisis. So technically, this year marks the 49th running of a major annual sports-car race at Daytona International Speedway. But hey, who wants to spoil the party?

3. The 50 starters for that original race in 1962 may still be the strongest list of drivers from various disciplines ever to compete against each other. Jim Clark against Fireball Roberts? Innes Ireland against Roger Penske? David Hobbs against Joe Weatherly? Phil Hill, Stirling Moss, Pedro Rodriguez, Paul Goldsmith, Don Yenko, Jim Hall, Marvin Panch—the roster is amazing. Phil Hill’s run was crippled, incidentally, when he hit a seagull. The seagull’s day was reported to have been ruined entirely.

4. The above list of drivers doesn’t include the two wheelmen who finished first and last. A.J. Foyt led the first lap in, of all things, a Pontiac Tempest. But he only completed two laps, and finished 50th.

5. The winner, in a finish more unlikely than that of any Daytona race since, was Dan Gurney, in an underpowered Lotus-Climax 19B. Gurney was concerned the engine might not make the whole distance, with good reason: Traversing the third and fourth turns of the banking, the tired Climax engine threw a rod through the engine block. Gurney coasted to just a few feet short of the finish line with a two-minute lead, and he figured there were less than two minutes left in the three-hour race. So he sat and waited for the flagman, who was looking at his watch, to throw the checkered flag. When the flagman did, Gurney turned the front wheels in order to coast down the banking, and the car crept across the finish line just seconds ahead of Hill and co-driver Ricardo Rodriguez in a Ferrari Dino 246SP.

6. The winner of the 1963 race, Pedro Rodriguez, competed with a heavy heart. He and his brother Ricardo were considered among the best drivers in the world, and Ricardo had co-driven to second place in the inaugural Daytona race. But later that year, Ricardo was killed during practice for his home Mexican Grand Prix. Pedro soldiered on and won the three-hour race driving solo in 1963, and then won the longer event in 1964 with teammate Phil Hill.

7. One of the most amazing tales ever from Daytona’s sports-car race occurred in 1963, when Marvin Panch, who already had won a Daytona 500, was practicing in Briggs Cunningham’s Birdcage Maserati and something broke. The car flipped, caught fire, and landed wheels up with Panch trapped underneath. NASCAR journeyman driver Tiny Lund—so named for his enormous size—ran to the car and freed Panch. Even so, Panch was too badly injured to drive in the Daytona 500 a few weeks later, and asked his team, the Wood Brothers, if they would give the ride to the winless Lund. They did, and Lund won the Daytona 500. Lund was later killed in a crash in 1975.

8. In 1967, longtime Car and Driver writer Brock Yates and teammate Charles Krueger drove a Dodge Dart to 15th, nine spots ahead of the team of A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney in a Ford GT40 (they DNF’d).

9. Also in 1967, two all-female teams took to the track, including a Ford Mustang that Janet Guthrie, Anita Taylor-Matthews, and Smokey Drolet drove to 20th place. (Donna Mae Mims and Suzy Dietrich finished 25th in an ASA 411.) Guthrie said her Mustang had been someone’s street car just a week before.

10. Stunt driver Joie Chitwood, Jr. made his first of three starts in the 1967 Daytona race, finishing 46th in a Chevrolet Camaro. Presiding over the 2012 race as the president of Daytona International Speedway, is his son, Joie Chitwood III.

11. In 1968, local legendary car builder Smokey Yunick entered a Chevrolet Camaro for Bruce McLaren and Jim Hall. After inspection, though, Yunick was told to take the car back home, because the 27 “irregularities” were just too many to fix before race time. Among those irregularities were a body acid-dipped to thin the sheetmetal and lightweight Lexan windows, but the inspectors never noticed the supercharger powered by the clutch flywheel.

12. Also in 1968, George Waltman started last in the 63-car field in his Morgan Plus 4. He ran the entire race and finished 33rd, not bad considering he had no co-driver. Had he not needed to take a nap Sunday morning, he might have finished higher.

13. The 1971 race marked the 24-hour debut of what would become one of the most famous teams in endurance racing: Hurley Haywood, just back from Vietnam, paired up with his friend Peter Gregg in a Porsche 914 that didn’t finish.

14. Also in 1971, Pedro Rodriguez, who several times had thought of quitting after his brother was killed, won his fourth race at Daytona. It was his last: He was killed later that year at the Norisring, when his Ferrari 512M crashed and burned.

15. According to an account in J.J. O’Malley’s excellent book, Daytona 24 Hours: The Definitive History of America’s Great Endurance Race, Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood had the 1973 race well enough in hand in their Brumos Porsche 911 Carrera RSR that in the closing stages, representatives of the Classic Car Wax company offered Gregg $10,000 if he would pit long enough for company representatives to wax his car so it would shine properly as it crossed the finish line. Gregg refused, as he was afraid the Porsche might not restart.

16: The 1976 race was stopped when at least nine cars were sidelined, some permanently, with bad fuel. Apparently a fuel truck was dispensing contaminated gasoline. New fuel was dispatched from Jacksonville, and the race was halted for two hours and 40 minutes under a red flag, and teams were allowed to work on the cars, rare for red-flag conditions. Race officials also dialed back the official clock to before the fuel problems arose, so the total time of the race stoppage was nearly four hours. Peter Gregg, Brian Redman, and John Fitzpatrick won.

17. In 1977, actor Paul Newman, probably the most accomplished and dedicated celebrity to take up sports-car racing, entered the first of an eventual six 24 Hours, the last coming in 2005. Clint Eastwood was a car entrant that year, Bobby Carradine was a driver (but crashed in practice), and his brother David was an entrant of the car. Lots of star power.

18. The mercurial millionaire Peter Gregg finished 11th in the Brumos Porsche in the 1980 race. Later that year, he was injured in a road crash on his way to practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His injuries kept him off the track, and for a man nicknamed “Peter Perfect” and said to be manic depressive, that may have been too much. He died on a beach in Florida later that year of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Hurley Haywood,Rolex 24 Hours Daytona Live | UssPost.com

Hurley Haywood,Rolex 24 Hours Daytona Live | UssPost.com:Motor sports racing car driver who often legendary words have achieved greatness in his career are described. However, a true story too pleased, group shows, and Hurley Haywood, his way, the driver is described as one of the men, it is a legend, people are appreciated, not only won races but fellow contestants.

After four decades, are still active Haywood professional race driver, though he stepped down in 2008 led to full-time role. Chicago, Illinois resident, and currently Ponte Vedra, Florida and currently lives in Brumos cars, vice-president, and one company from Jacksonville. Rolex 24 at Daytona Grand Hurley where she founded in 2009, including third place in the patient, led to the Brumos Racing JC Florida to France, Haywood am a home final has intervened at the last moment, and, Joao Barbosa, with Take # 59 Brumos Porsche / Riley’s win. When it is at Daytona in 24 2010Rolex, all other breeds to take forward the race for the team will work on strategy and planning. He also serves as president of Koch test drive Porsche.

Rolex 24 at Daytona victory five times, 24 hours of Le Mans three times and two times of Haywood Sebring 12 hours of making the world’s most complete drivers. Was the first player in 24 hours of Le Mans 24 theRolex and Daytona to win in one year. , Haywood “In comparison with Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona and I think that’s hard to win” said. “Road and rugged, I run more hours in the dark, and banking services is difficult, and the difference in speed between different categories of cars more competitive. Passing all traffic that is a real challenge.” Rolex is only Testimonee Tom Christensen, a native Denmark and eight to 24 hours of Le Mans winner, and be patient with classic Haywood has won.

When asked whether a particular race or event that stood in his memory as the most important, Hurley said, “I was very lucky and five-time Daytona 24 theRolex can win each of these five very special have won. This is my Rolex Daytona 37 or 38 to 24 times in each of those nations and private, to choose only one as being special in the race as very difficult.’s, on the map named, and the Republic of Srpska in 1973 Peter Porsche (Greg) with the win. It was totally unexpected, it certainly was the basis for my career. Then we have the host who gave us back the most important in the U.S. back with two wins in the endurance race was spring. So this led to only two players and it’s only achievement was a beautiful antique one. finished in 1977 because I won a lot of eight-hour shift at night is because My co-drivers as not driving at night. I pit, jump and want to come to switch helmets were rewarded, and back to IMSA. can meet known what I was doing, but I think it just kind of Sorry. All the special qualities that win, but when it comes down, it includes people who make it memorable. I have been out for teams because I got really lucky well. I other program, got along with engineers and crews. I have spent the ratio with the team Brumos very good links to the majority of my career has been. ”

Vik to see a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Daytona 24 win in the 1968 drive with Elford (United Kingdom)

When asked for any advice it up – the Rolex 24 at Daytona and coming drivers with the desire to win and said, “One of the things Peter has taught me a car if you better and better team if you commit the sin of being too aggressive and patient you can never lose time on track especially in this day and age, backup, when a very good car, reliable and caliber of drivers are doing. unscheduled Pit Stop shock death – even at that time you just can not do this race on track. You are a delicate balance between feeling that a good lap time and lap time is safe. When I run one in 70, 80 and 90 I know everyone on the decade of the race track was completed on time, but the game’s development and changes in the face with the game, and there probably 70% of people do not know. What this means is that every time a car , who is running so you can you any idea that any person with psychosis can not be trusted, and you are preparing for a disaster to see how well it works. Some people that is like a sixth sense for how interesting and adaptation when to display a warning about – and other programs do not seem able to understand it. ”

“When I announced several months ago that I was retired, no one took me seriously,” Haywood said of his impending retirement. “He said (yeah, yeah, yeah, I already heard it. Drivers [racecar], as a matter of playing with other people, that they will retire and then someone comes along and provides a great deal And they come out of retirement is prone to.’re I do not think this is the case with me. A high point in my career I want to retire. I have helped Homestead to win the last race and I to be honest with yourself. To be able to compete in this game, you make a time commitment on the way out for the physical training, dieting to be in the car all the time. this stage of my life What is going on with your program with all my other responsibilities, I can not commit time. and may still come from the race, but I still do not enjoy driving. I just crossed the line and can not be honest with myself because it would not be proper for me or something similar and not 100% serious about this subject first race of the people want. will be remembered for being me to want to be capable of Competition. ”

For Rolex 24 at Daytona, which can last race, Haywood # 59 Brumos Racing Porsche will be in / relay with fellow drivers and defending champion David Donohue (Malvern, Pennsylvania), Darren Law (Phoenix (Arizona), as well as Butch three times Rebersburg (Leitzinger Champion, Pennsylvania) and Rafael (Miami (Florida) Matos.’m not trying to, “Haywood said when asked whether he felt pressure than normal for the stage.” But the pressure of the pressure because I really want to win individual theRolex 24 at Daytona all players with a line drive over the deck like a sixth time. I am and I admire him, I know them personally and it is a good game . The team is well prepared and have done everything humanly possible. I leave it in God’s hands, and cooperation and we hope that lady luck will be a good result. If you have not received it, and embrace me must have felt and I will not say, well I will be back again next year and try again. because if I win this case and I, I will fool around must be 10 years is for, I do not intend to do so. It is to be 62 in May and the human body can only take so much. We had some incidents, like his body and slowly enough to tell you when they care for the rest have. ”

“I look back to the race when your 40 years, and it is closely associated with Porsche. I do not think that this long period of time for drivers who have a relation with a producer has a lot of racing. I represent and Porsche service was honored as the ambassador “.

Always smooth and fast, as well as racecar [to know] the ability to be, Haywood Chamber has developed a winner and it’s time again. Many of the record books with their names, all time great drivers always be remembered as the winningest sports car driver.

Career Highlights:
3 in Rolex 24 at Daytona 2009, won the final Grand Homestead am
Part in the 2008 race season three patient
Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2007 and six top-3 finish in 4th place finish this season
Hall of Fame in 2005 include U.S. Motorsports
2 and 8 stage wins in 2003, 3 grand am Rolex DP ‘inaugural season of the series in points overall operations
1994 North American GT Endurance Champion
Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and summer superhero
1991 Super Hero
Champion 1988 SCCA TransAm
1981 Indy rookie of the fastest
The motorcycle road triumph at Daytona International, Daytona, Sebring LE MANS and classical music in the 10 win total every time winner of endurance racing, four-time Cup champion and two-time IMSA GT Norelco Champion, 18 Indy car starts and three-time participant in IROC
Daytona wins with Porsche, the first five 1973 Rolex 24

Rolex 24 Hours Daytona Live | UssPost.com

Rolex 24 Hours Daytona Live | UssPost.com:Hey fans! Hope you all enjoyed the first 6-and-a-half hours of the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Speed. Coverage will resume tomorrow on Speed at 7:00 A.M. ET, and Speed will take us to the finish!