Rolex 24 2002
I had talked to a few of my friends about going to the Rolex this year, but we hadn't really made any plans. I thought the race was still a week away or so. But it was Saturday afternoon, and my dad called me, and said him and my brother were going to the Rolex. I was pretty surprised, but hurried up to Daytona to watch. They had a 6pm - Midnight special where you could get admission to the grandstands for $5.
We arrived around 6:30-7:00, the drive was a breeze, parking was FREE (NASCAR events you typically park in the woods miles away, and have to pay $25 for a car), and the tickets were good for any grandstand seats. I never knew that Daytona had good seats, but when you go to the top of the Winston tower, there are some good seats. It was the first time I had ever even seen Lake Lloyd from the frontstretch!
As for the race. Awesome. The cars are sooooo loud. Even louder than the 40 car packs of Winston Cup. I just wish the Corvette C5R was here to cause trouble in the GTS ranks. I really really wish I would have made it to the 2001 Rolex 24 to see Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Andy Pilgrim, and Kelly Collins all race in the number 3 vette. Atleast I will get to see Andy and Kelly at Sebring.
I would definitly recommend anyone in the Central Florida area go to next years 24 hours. It's a great race, the price is great, and the crowds aren't nearly as huge (and painfully) as the big NASCAR races.
In the pictures below, I turned the flash off, and I think it makes the exposure time really long, and all the race cars blur. So you don't get to see the cars, but they look really neat anyways. You'll see a bunch of cars off course in the pics too.
--- Article last updated: February 5, 2002 ---
