Alfa Romeo Claims Endurance Victory at Daytona

Since 1962, racing legends from around the world have come to DAYTONA to compete in a grueling 24-hour marathon. The Rolex 24 Hours of DAYTONA is notoriously merciless on both driver and machine as sleep-starved crews perform mechanical miracles. From sunrise to sunset, fans will watch drivers battle an army of rivals that span the auto racing universe in the first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race of the season.

1. Start/Finish Line   Perhaps the most famous checkered-line in all of racing, DAYTONA's start-finish provides you with terrific views of the cars as they race for home.      

2. FANZONE FanDeck   A great place to watch the race is from atop the FANZONE FanDeck, which overlook all of the garages. In addition to an insider birds-eye view of garage activity, you’re in a great location to enjoy frontstretch track action.    

3. International Horseshoe   This famous turn has been a staple of DAYTONA's 3.56-mile road course since its inception. With a setup of infield bleachers, you can watch much of the early passing as drivers try to navigate the course’s first hairpin turn.  

4. Carousel Turn   Following the International Horseshoe, this turn  begins with a tight hairpin turns and ends with drivers having to negotiate a sharp left turn in order to get back on the high banks. You can also find plentiful bleacher seating in this part of the infield.     

5. Ferris Wheel   At 150-feet, the highest Ferris Wheel on the East Coast gives you unmatched views of the on-track action. You’ll have a beautiful 360-degree view of the entire track and will be able to see the Atlantic Ocean from your high perch.    

6. Pit Road Patio   Be in the heart of the action! This unique viewpoint is offered as a two-day admission package overlooking pit road and DAYTONA's frontstretch. Garage access, food and beverages on Saturday, giveaways and infield parking are included.   

7. Lake Lloyd   Nestled amid the high-banked turns and perpetual infield activities sits 29-acre Lake Lloyd. Grab some food at the concessions and take it out to Lake Lloyd to sit shore side and watch the cars blur over the horizon of the lake. The intensity of the race mixed with the placid atmosphere of the water surely makes for an unique combination unlike anything else in motorsports.   

8. Sprint FANZONE  By walking up to the gates in the Sprint FANZONE you are located a mere 10-15 feet behind the pits. Observe as teams fight fatigue in order work together to perform mechanical miracles on cars that need to race for 24 consecutive hours. This is the spot where you’re right on top of the action. You can hear the growl of the engines, see the track kick up rubber from the tires and feel the energy of race teams going all out for the win.    

9. The Kink   The infield kink is the part of the Daytona International Speedway course that connects the two horseshoe turns. As a driver exits the International horseshoe turn, the asphalt makes a slight kink to the left before the west horseshoe turn. Grab a spot on the infield grandstands and watch cars attempt bold passes as the infield course begins.   

10. Stadium Seating  The brand new seats, concessions and neighborhoods are NOW OPEN at the Daytona International Speedway! We have approximately 40,000 wider and more comfortable seats available along with two of the five injectors/entrances ready for use with breathtaking views. Don’t miss the opportunity to be some of the first fans to sit in our new seats and experience the brand new amenities.

Portable Radio  Tune into WNDB in Daytona Beach for the MRN broadcast. Hearing the action will help you to figure out who is driving in what cars and how to distinguish between classes. In addition, download the IMSA app for access live timing and scoring.  Twitter is another great place to get up to the minute information from the speedway, teams and drivers.    

Dress in Layers  Weather is always great for the 24; however, since you’re here for 24 hours the weather does fluctuate a bit throughout the day and night. Expect temperatures to move anywhere between the low-50’s and low-70’s. Recommendations are to bring clothing that can be easily removed or added in order to keep you comfortable during any time of day.    

Binoculars  While you will be very close to the racing actions and certainly don’t need them, a pair of binoculars will come in handy if you want to focus on a specific group of drivers on a certain part of the 3.56-mile course. As the sun sets, you’ll be able to use the binoculars to keep tabs on race positions via the LED panels on the front and sides of each car.    

Comfortable Shoes  With so much to do and so much to see a comfortable pair of shoes will be your best friend for this event.    

Ear Plugs  If you’re sitting in the front few rows, it’s a good bet that things will get rather noisy. Bring along a pair of ear plugs so you can enjoy the race at a comfortable decibel level.    

Sunscreen  Even in January, this is the Sunshine State. Sitting out and watching racing all day will definitely attract some rays and while you want a nice tan, make sure you keep your skin protected.     

Sharpie and Memorabilia  You’ll have a chance to meet all of your favorite drivers and collect signatures in a giant autograph session held in the Sprint FANZONE. Bring anything and everything you’d like to get signed as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

GRM Experience at the Rolex 24 Schedule Announced  

This weekend the Rolex 24 takes over Daytona International Speedway as IMSA kicks of its 2018 season. We will once again welcome all to our big Grassroots Motorsports Experience tent, right on the shores of Lake Lloyd. Look for it just west of the Ferris wheel.   The Rolex 24 weekend is pure sensory overload, so we made a schedule just for you that includes all of the happenings at the Grassroots Motorsports Experience. Note that our dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings on Friday night is open to everyone, whether they have a ticket or not.