2020 Rolex 24!

[OldSchool+]

Yes, it's that time of year again! When a few of us are interested in the 58th annual Sporty Car Race at Daytona, aka the "Rolex 24", and the rest of the roundy-rounders presumably move on to the next thread (and no offense taken).

The starting time is listed as 1:40pm on Saturday, January 25, and unless something unusual happens, like say, rain (!?), or water in the gasoline, or Trump's hair blows the wrong way in the wind, it probably will end on Sunday @ 1:40pm.

https://www.daytonainternationalspee.../Schedule.aspx

The new C8 Corvette race cars will be there, and it will be the first time that many have actually seen the car, due to a UAW strike among other factors.

One would think they would be happy to work building automobiles in the USA period, but apparently not so much.

The sound of the car will be more Ferrari like due to it's flat plane crank and related firing order:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a2...e-c8-r-engine/

So, who is in this year? Our resident authority, Joe Jacalone? Bones? Garrity? Mr. Infield Party??

Got my tickets today.

[Boneman]

I wish I could go, but I will be out of town.
If I ever had stupid money, I would be IN the Rolex 24!

[Phil Jacques]

I'll be there for now my 15th year in a row.

Also spending 2 weeks in FL as well... Have some meetings planned with my realtor and lender

Big plans ahead haha

See ya soon OS!

[OldSchool+]

So, The South is going to rise again after all !?!

[Phil Jacques]

So, The South is going to rise again after all !?!

We will see lol

I am buying a Wheelman legal Sportsman next week officially though, so...

[OldSchool+]

https://youtu.be/BX3bN5YeiQs?t=3

[Phil Jacques]

https://youtu.be/BX3bN5YeiQs?t=3

More like this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQeezCdF4mk

Cause Ill probably be battling for 15th lol

[OldSchool+]

Racetime TODAY @ 1:40. I am heading out, Phil is theoretically already there and chilling. Mostly due to the cooler...

Also, "The Big A" has a 100 lap Sportsman event tonight:

https://www.auburndalespeedway.net/

[OldSchool+]

The Rolex has a light field this year. They are sports cars, but even for them ran single file and were not really close to each other--at the beginning of the event.

IMSA continues to double down on their current path however. After having got the last gen of "dippy", er, DPi, cars right, they are heading wide open to duplicate the "european model", including the the next-next-next gen of sporty cars in 2022. Unfortunately, Gen 3 of the France family does not seem to "get it".

If you like Keesh, Teslas, wine, and giving away your money to the government--you may like the current racing.

Auburndale was completely different, with LOTS of "incidents" in all three classes (mods, street stocks, & sportsman).

George Gorham started all three, and therefore had the opportunity to hit everyone in the place. I gotta give it to George though, as always, he drove tough and generally clean. In fact, he was on the losing end of several deals, including a LR flat in his sportsman car when Brooke Storer "moved" him (!!) after he led most of the event.

Way too much action to remember it all, Devin McLeod won the modified event in what was a mid pack car, but he was his usual "Mr Smooth" self and the other guys took themselves out.

Chad Rutherford won the Sportsman event and there were no less than four guys mad in victory lane. Some I were not (was not?) even certain what they were mad at.

Well, since I am a race fan and clearly have an issue or two left, am heading back to Daytona.

Phil's mileage may vary...

[OldSchool+]

Okay, the 58th running of the Rolex is in the books.

Wayne Taylor's Caddy (read GM powered & styled generic chassis) won the thing (again). I am good with that.

To his credit, Wayne has been quoted lately as saying NASCAR's, er, IMSA's "balance of power" (you know, the parity/they get to pick the winner) thing was "bullshit".

And the Corvette C8Rs were both running at the end, in 4th and 7th respectively. Not bad for a first outing with a new mid engine car with a new double overhead cam engine.

Interestingly, the second day seemed more "normal"--that is, they all just kind of rolled around and hoped they did not blow up. They just used to dice it up a little more on the first day.

Still, not a bad weekend overall.

A final footnote: Juan Pablo did NOT hit the jet dryer.