That was my last Daytona 24 for a while
 

Had a good time as usual, but mostly because I was with good friends - the racing got us down. When we first started coming, we saw Ferrari 333s, Porsche GT-1s, 993 GT-2s, etc. Life didn't get much better than watching a 993 GT-2 come blasting down into the kink with turbos and brakes glowing orange. There once was a guy who headed over to the dealership, got a showroom 993, slapped a cage in it, and ran the 24. That is seriously good stuff.

Now, we have NASCAR's interpretation of sports car racing. The Daytona prototypes are a joke and the GT cars aren't much better. The 911 RSRs are banned, and the Cups that do run have to do battle with tube frame 'production' cars (we hate the Mazdas with a passion but I know the BMWs are guilty too).

The only thing I have enjoyed about Daytona over the past few years is the rise of what is now Action Express racing, and their Cayenne-based V8 program. I think that between their efforts and Ruf's new V8 program for their 911-based cars, there are probably some serious new board room discussions going on in Stuttgart. The Cayenne V8 victory last year (and 3rd place this year) reminds me of when Reinhold Joest pulled the GT-1's asses out of the fire years ago.

Anyway, we've had enough of Grand Am. We are done. From now on we're hitting ALMS and nothing else. Looking at Sebring, Baltimore, and Road Atlanta this year. So for now, goodbye to Daytona Beach, the Sun Viking Lodge, and the European Cafe. We will be back when Grand Am is hopefully swallowed up by ALMS and the France family goes back to focusing on NASCAR.

Byron - I saw that crunched car, didn't realize it was yours. Sorry to hear it, man.

Betty hurry, ALMS might not be around much longer as they lost their TV money.

Juan pabloooo montoya needs to be punted hard into the wall to teach him a lesson.
He was driving like ricky bobby out there, if I was a team owner and had two cars I would gladly sacrifice one to take JPM out.
His own co-drivers were joking about putting a big banner on their car so other drivers would know it's them and not JPM so they wouldn't catch retribution from his actions.

But hey when it comes to sports cars, rubbin is racin! At least it is now :rolleyes:

Grand Am will loose me as a viewer, it is only going to be broadcast on the internet. No more Speed TV coverage.

I first went to the 24 hour race in the mid-eighties, when the 935's were finishing their long careers and the 962's were the cars to beat. I also hated the Mazdas, for the ear-splitting racket they made. We pitted next to 3 of the damn things and at least one was in the pits all the time.

Anyway, I watched this race (on TV, mostly) for decades and haven't watched one since the DP cars were introduced. I can't stand to look a them, I hate the fact that the factories have been pushed aside and I hate the constant rules-adjusting that takes away any advantage from a team that is gained through hard work and a few good ideas.

You can bet that I hate NASCAR and anything they touch.

JR

That is ALMS not Grand-Am. SPEED is ASSCAR Central, so Grand-Am is there to stay

Thanks Dave, I have been saying the same thing about the Rolex & nascrap... They have been running the hard core fans out of the infield since they paved the roads and I was crewing on a team that got one of those "last minute" rule changes to "balance the field:mad: a while back.. And the way Daytona has been charging fees for everything, closing off areas of the infield, ect.. Now I only go if I'm working or comped tickets.. At least Sebring is still fun...

My favorite track, Road America, Elkhart Lake Wis. still has its ALMS race in August. I thought it was gone in favor of Grand Am, but their race in is June. I too hate Nascar and Grand Am. Why do you think they bring all those IndyCAr, Nascar racers in to race the 24, viewers and money. To the causual race fan, to hear the name Johnson, Montoya, gee, maybe I'll watch the race, and I'll get BillyBob and Cletus too. Those cars look terrible. Oh well, I still have my memories and pictures from the 60's and 70's and 80's. Would'nt you think a company like Rolex, which is the most intricate, serious, expensive watch in the world want to portray themselves with the most demanding serious racing, ALMS ? They should call the 24, the Timex 24, it keeps going and going and going.

Yep....
There don't race like this anymore..
<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DjdLYJWWAL8" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

I took this shot at the 24 in 1986. It doesn't get any better (well maybe when the 935's were running)


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296528416.jpg

Ok maybe this was better..............

I took this one in 1980:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296528624.jpg

Paul, you should start a Then & Now thread using your pix from the 70s, 80s & 90s.... If any one has pix of the cars from each era, you do.....

OK, here's one from the 1995....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296531419.jpg

1979 Winner.........

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1296531571.jpg

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/52yLkQASg0Y" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

Byron,

Thanks for posting the 1985 video. 1985 was the last time I saw "real" race cars (Prototypes, GTO & GTU) at Watkins Glen for the Camel GT (New York 500). Those to me were some of the best days of racing. Now with NASCAR and what the Grand Am series is becoming reminds me of championship wrestling.

Has there ever been a race series where fans and participants loved the competitions, the cars and the rules? Every thread I see *on every series* has someone unhappy about some aspect.

Yes, it was called Can-Am

Towards the end, the participants were most decidely not happy because Porsche was completely dominating.
They said, NOT FAIR! and eventually started leaving. Porsche even bailed, and they didn't even have enough cars or fans to finish the 1974 season.

There was usually one completely dominant team and as the technology went crazy the costs went through the roof too, and when the energy crisis hit it died.

The fans loved it, USRRC wasn't really crazy about it, but lots of the racers beotched and moaned like no one's business because of the lack of even competition.

BTW, Grand Am actually came to be because of can Am. it was intended to be sort of an evolutionation of Can Am:

There. Fixed that for you. I'm sure that's what you meant.

:D

JR

Close e-nuff