IMSA and HSR Classic 24 Hours of Daytona

 

This classic 24 hour race would be an interesting one as we had finished 3rd in the last two years and expectations would be high.

 

Did not quite turn out that way as this year was a year of many challenges but yet a good time was had by all even through all the unique challenges.

 

Load in day and tech went well for both of our Rothman’s cars (Stan Fulton and his 008)

 

In practice on Wednesday we were going to enter the fastest Rothmans for the 24 hours and each race our own Rothmans in all the other races and in  practice and qualification sessions. Stan’s Rothmans was having turbo problems, so my Rothmans was the fastest and best set for the 24 hours.

 

We took Stans New (we call sticker as the sticker is still on the tires for a lap) two sets of slicks (two thousand dollars a set) to run with me going out on them first. Lap two cars fill up with tire smoke and blue tire smoke out from the rear of the Rothmans (not good as could not really see or breath).

 

Pull into garage to see what the problem was and both rear tires were rubbing on inner bolts in the high bank 31 degrees of banking as the 2and a half G’s in the turns made them rub. Turns out that Stan’s slicks were 16th wider under load than my Toya’s.  Crew through on two new back tires and back on the track I went. Well 4 laps later at 155 mph on the front straight at the start finish line with 18degrees of backing the left front tire is cut and goes flat all at once. Not Good at all as this meant car wanted to pull hard left and into the pits full of people over the wall working on other cars fueling and changing tires so lots of people in danger. Pull too hard to the right and then hit the wall just feet away and then go down to pit and hit people.  Can’t hit brakes as that would make the car go way left and out of control.   

 

This is where you just pull it all together and way you options and hope for the best. Knowing Daytona well my best option was to try to ride it out (no steering) and blow turn one and take it into the runoff area and hope for the best. It worked with just a few yards to spare. By the way all of this is on TV as the race was broadcast live.

 

After the fatal accident from the Audi race 5 days before and even though I was (as was Mark) in a safe area the rescue personal with ambulance and fire trucks were sent my way as no one but me knew what had happened.

 

Why did they not show? I thought after about 30 seconds of sitting there. Oh, there was another bad wreck in turn 5 with a Red (Ferrari) upside down and that was where they all went thinking that was me as only a tire wall separated my so far down in turn one that I came to rest right before turn 6 and the red Ferrari was in turn 5 and again with a tall tire wall separating us.

 

In other words, I got forgotten.

 

My pit crew sew that I did not come around in the next lap under the full course yellow and safety car and hearing that a red car had crashed in turn 5 thought that the red racecar upside down was me and so they all headed to turn 5 to help as well as all the great safety people and all the fans that were looking on.

 

Meanwhile back by myself and forgotten for about 15 minutes behind the tire wall far back into the runoff area of turn 1. I just sat there not knowing any of this until somebody in race control saw me and sent another safety crew with an ambulance, firetruck and a wrecker to see if I was ok.

 

Load the Rothmans on the flat bed and climb in and back to the garage where the upset worried crew found me.

 

Two new front tires and was ready for some more fun.

 

Well so I thought as then the clutch shifter fork broke on track and so no clutch. Hard to shift without a clutch.

 

Back to the garage and tried to fix it until about 6 in the morning when we just called it quits as we did not have the spare parts to fix the problem.

 

Changed into regular clothes and got to watch the rest of the race which was good.

 

See pictures as they are good ha ha.