DreamCarrera

My brother and I purchased tickets to the 2012 Rolex Grand-Am 24Hrs of Daytona and I’d like to get some tips from those of you who have attended this race in the past. Our tickets include four-day race passes for the grandstands and infield areas, garage passes, infield parking, among other things. I guess my main questions are:

1.) What’s the best time to hit the garage area to see the cars? I assume it’s during qualifying and before the race.
2.) What are the best seating locations to sit and view the race?
3) Can you get up close to the pit wall?
4.) Can you tailgate with infield parking?

Any tips or hints would be greatly appreciated. TIA for any help.

Turb-OH Brad

1. There is a pre-race grid walk that you can get nice and close to them. You can also walk up on the bank at that time if you are so inclined. My favorite time to go to the garage area is about midnight. That's when stuff starts breaking, and there are tons of people in the garage. Leave the frenetic ones alone, they will just get mad, but the teams that are already resigned to the fate of staying there will usually chat a bit.
2. My favorite place to sit is start finish, the international kink, and the Budweiser party deck above the busstop on the back straight.
3. You can get close to the fence behind the team tents. You won't be able to see much unless you have a pit pass.
4. You can tailgate anywhere. Be sure to visit the GRM tent after dark, there is usually "deeply discounted" beer, because Tim always buys too much of it.

dave morris

PCA will most likely have a tent set up ... in the infield ... probably near the infield grandstands. Great place to visit. TV coverage of the race which can be helpful. They'll probably also have roped off Porsche parking there if you're driving down.

Wear your most comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk a lot. Daytona is really BIG.

Saturday morning ... you'll be able to do a fair amount of up close visiting in the garages. Most teams don't seem to mind as long as you're using common sense.

Infield grandstands is a good place to watch the race IMO.

Have fun.

Greg Phillips

Check out the Grassroots Motorsports page for other activities:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/events/rolex-12/


Greg

DM993tt

Rent an RV park in the infield. Bring beer. Know a team or driver pay up for a hard card pass for all access to the pits/track. Wear comfortable shoes be prepared to do a lot of walking.

MarkPcar

Daytona can be a LOT colder than the thermometer indicates. If the wind is blowing it can feel brutally cold, especially at night. Bring lots of layers including a knit hat and gloves.

TrackDays247.com

Stay out of the stands EXCEPT for the start of the race and the first 5 or so laps.
The place IS HUGE. Walking shoes, change out to another pair
If you can score a cart it helps a TON...but they do get "borrowed" and disappear
COLD

North Coast Cab

What he said. Zip across the track during the grid walk and watch the first hour from the grandstands. With the full field it is a great spot and then you only have to walk back instead of both ways.
Infield stands are all awesome, especially at night.

Mike K.

X 2
And I'm Canadian

ltusler

Also try to get back a bit before sunrise Sunday. If you don't stay up all night, that is.

DHI

At one point, try to get up against the fence where the cars exit the banked turn... A moving aural, visual and nearly bone rattling experience.

race911

One thing that REALLY helped when I went again a couple of years ago was having the SPEED feed piped into my Blackberry via Slingbox. You actually knew what the hell was going on. Until 10PM, anyway.

Has anyone mentioned earplugs?

J richard

+1 on the speed feeds, a race scanner will let you listen in on the team conversations as well...

Doc GTO

I went with Grassroots Motorsports 2 years ago. Great event and it included lunch on Saturday with David Hobbs and a midnight tour of the pits. They had a tent with included buffet food and beverages, ect. Other members included other good info.

DanS911

You REALLY need to get there early, the infield will likely close by 9:30,
+1 on the PCA tent...... if you are driving a P-car it is a real bonus to park in a closed environment.
Did I mention get there early?