The 62nd running of the 24 Hours of Daytona provided great on-track racing, but it was even more personal for Mo Rehman, Motorsport Week’s sportscar reporter, as it was his first ever motorsport event.
The 24 Hours of Daytona – or the Rolex 24 at Daytona for sponsorship purposes – is one of the world’s most famed motorsport endurance races, and traditionally situates itself at the beginning of the year.
Attending the race, from the UK, encompassed several possibly intimidating firsts, such as flying for the first time, stepping on US (Floridian) soil, and being at a motorsport event.
Despite these factors, including the long-haul 10-hour flight out of the UK, it became a rewarding, phenomenal way to experience and report on sportscars first-hand in one of the world’s most iconic paddocks, at a venue heavily steeped in history.
With record-breaking attendance at the race, and some fantastic round-the-clock racing, 2024 could not have begun more spectacularly — especially for Mo, experiencing trackside racing for the very first time.
It was difficult to draw up any expectations, as there were several unknown aspects to the experience, other than years of watching and following through television and radio broadcast, and other sources of media.
Naturally, the experience of being trackside added a third dimension compared to watching the thrills and spills remotely.
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Stepping foot at Daytona
Picking up my first ever media credentials felt exciting, but seeing the Daytona International Speedway with my own eyes was a sight to behold.
As it took approximately 30-minutes just to get to the venue from our accommodation, the huge ‘World Center of Racing’ grandstand towered above and around.
The sheer size of it all — including the infield-camper’s RVs — was breathtaking and a reassuring sense of belonging prevailed with the automotive presence which surrounded you.
One foremost observation was how much access is shared, even for the fans with general access tickets, with the pit garages openly displayed with mechanics absorbed in their craft, managing the beasts in which would be pushed for 24-hours straight in the weekend.
With the spectacular mix of four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship car categories, and the visual diversity of liveries, it was a sight to behold in seeing the aggressive GTD cars, and the captivating LMP2 and GTP (LMDh) cars.
Within the group, the new Ford Mustang GT3s and Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs made it a fascinating realisation over what the new cars could achieve.
Amidst the media briefings, meeting some of the paddock’s many revered people working behind the scenes was yet another insight to appreciate, like speaking one-to-one with the drivers.
An example was the opportunity to speak with Richard Dean, United Autosports’ CEO and a respected former racing driver.
IMSA presented itself as a welcoming yet bustling environment for any level of fanatic.
One of the events in the supporter package – the BMW M Endurance Challenge – which set touring cars and GT4 competitors to a four-hour race, combined with the viewpoint from United Autosports’ hospitality suite, produced an immediate, breath-taking state of awe.
The unique four-cylinder turbo-charged displacement of touring cars enabled their buzzing engines reverberated around the speedway, as the GT4’s deeper grunt gave way to a harmonious backdrop.
To add perspective over the grandness of Daytona, the main grandstand consists of six stories, which made it easily possible to lose yourself out of wonder inside, away from the organised chaos in the garages and the paddock.
Raceday awaited for the first time
Waking up felt like any other day, as the tranquillity before the chaos awaited with the race commencing 1.40pm local time.
As a result, the morning mist gently settled onto the surrounding bodies of water en route to Daytona.
In the paddock, engines fired up ahead of an importance race, not only as the season-opener, but as an offering to the questions of how far will the only Ligier JS P217 LMP2 go, and crucially, who would win the 62nd edition of the race?
A delightful turn-out came at the sight of a bright and humid day, as being able to stand on the banked start-finish straight and on the lawn had an ethereal effect.
In a matter of hours, 59 cars would rumble across to complete nearly 800 laps. Though for that moment, it was for the fans to appreciate.
The banking on the start-finish is raked in at 18 degrees, as over in the Speedway corners, it reached 31. Music and the enthused voices of announcers blared from the speakers, as 220 drivers were introduced, car-by-car.
On the pitlane/grid itself, the aggressive-looking GTDs and the striking liveries across the field easily transfixed people who were blessed with standing up-close and personal to these aggressive machines.
Along with the vivid sights, and the looks of fascination as these cars fired up, a moment of self-reflection could be taken as the very soundwaves which reverberated around the circuit gracefully vibrated the goosebumps on your skin – not as a side effect of fatigue, yet.
In a paddock of famed drivers and teams, it was a thrill to be recognised by none other than Connor Zilisch, who I’d interviewed over Zoom, a week or two before, a young star who would go on to make history just 24 hours later.
Witness to the race start
Despite the sun beating down on the spectators, a calm demeanour concealed the excitement not only to witness a race start for the first time, but the beginning to one the most iconic endurance races held annually.
In a two-by-two formation – prototypes followed by GTs – hearing the field of cars roar into anger was both brutal and incredible. And as noted by others, the Cadillac LMDh showcases a ferocious soundtrack which stands out from the other GTP competitors.
Myself and Motorsport Week’s sportscar editor stood on the roof of the garages — a great vantage point — and watched as the safety car pulled into the pitlane and the race began.
Another observation would be the fact that 59 cars within 3.560 miles means that throughout the race, the flurry of lapping race cars was continuous wherever you are positioned.
Taken away by the race start, work got underway in the media centre. After their stint, drivers visit the media to talk about their stint and be asked questions about the race, any incidents that happened during the time they were in the car, and so forth. It’s a great opportunity to be handed a microphone and ask questions to drivers who maybe 20 minutes before, were racing in America’s biggest endurance race.
One particular highlight later that evening, during which the circuit is substantially lit up, was the traditional fireworks display at 10pm. The fantastic display would not override any other sound due to the cars and the general background noise.
In the main grandstand, made up of six floors, it was possible for certain people – including myself, with a media pass – to access the seventh floor where the spotters stood on a platform overlooking the entire venue.
Determined by the unique viewpoint this would offer, and in the midst of not finding the service elevator, an exhausting walk upwards tested my fitness. But we got there in the end, and — as promised by my Motorsport Week colleagues — it was worth the climb.
From the spotters’ stand, you can see the entire track, including the bus stop chicane on the other side of the track. In the middle is the infield, and looking to your right you can see the cars braking into the first corner, slowing from 200 mph. It is, truly, breathtaking.
A moment of peace enabled the chance to appreciate the view, and how blessed I was to see everything: the drama, noise and action taking place underneath us.
The other thing a media pass enables you to do is access the fire lane, behind the pitlane, where the pit tents (as opposed to pit boxes) are stationed.
The pit stops are captivating up-close, carried out like choreography demanding sheer strength to carry out duties such as refuelling, driver changes, and minor repairs.
By this time, after 10pm at night, darkness had hit. This meant the intense Floridian humidity had abated a little, leading to the drivers turning faster lap times.
Daylight returns
As many drivers hinted beforehand, a race like the 24 Hours of Daytona is a sprint in the final hours – and that was what we saw.
Staying up for the whole race was a challenge, but one fuelled with motivation – and, impressively – no coffee.
LMP2’s young talented drivers provided great excitement in the final hours, with Malthe Jakobsen chasing down Zilisch and later teammate Christian Rasmussen, who’d cross the line to win LMP2 a few hours later, making Zilisch one of the youngest-ever winners in the race’s history.
It was the same in GTP, the race going down to the wire between Cadillac and Porsche, with the German manufacturer prevailing at the flag.
The 62nd running of this historic event was breathtaking to watch, and fascinating to observe from the media centre, situated slap bang in the middle of the infield, 30 seconds walk from the rows of garages.
When the chequered flag dropped, it was time for the press conferences with the winning drivers from each class.
A few hours later, a stroll outside the media centre showed a remarkable sight in which the teams packed up rapidly to sign off this race and move on to the next one, wherever that may be. Some drivers, such as Iron Dames’ Doriane Pin, had left even before the end of the race, in order to head back to the United Arab Emirates for the F4 UAE championship.
All was quiet, and the long walk to the car — the tram service, or land train as we British would call them, to transport anyone and everyone around the ginormous facility had long since ended — was a peaceful one, in which one could look back and treasure a thoroughly special debut motorsport event. Here’s to the next one!
