daytona 24 hrs 2005

[ian murat]

i want to combine a holiday with a visit to the above

so i would like to know what the weather is generally like at this time of year and a request from the youngsters what the length of the queues are at the attractions down the road, as in high season i undertsand they are quite lengthy
i.e disney, etc

 

[Canada Phil]

Hi Ian,
          Daytona 24Hr at the end of January : Weather is usually bright and sunny  during the day 65-70F but the nights are cool to cold (frost) if it rains it can be quite miserable. The racing is not as good as it used to be but it is a race and an interesting track to spectate.
Motels are readily available down at the beach and quite reasonable. Lots to do in the area.
The People Trap run by a Mouse is about 1 1/2 hours away. I have no experience of disney so will leave it for others to comment.
How about Sebring instead in March   Better Race
Better weather  Better Girls
Canada Phil

[Nobby Diesel]

Better be there!

[Fax]

I agree with Phil, Sebring is a hundred times better show and the weather is alot more predictable by then.  Haven't been to see the mouse in years and then it was in July, I almost died of f**k*ng heat stroke waiting in the queues.
Fax

[ian murat]

i have looked at sebring so will try there, not far from Orlando

It was just away of giving the wife and kids a holiday in the US, doing the theme parks and space centre (where ever that is) and seeing a race and getting some sunshine

thanks

Ian  

[Matt Harper]

With regard to the weather we've 'enjoyed' over the past 8 weeks, it's difficult to imagine why anyone would choose FL for a relaxing break - but the reality is that recent hurricanes are very, very rare and generally central Florida is untroubled by these severe storms.
Personally, I like the Rolex at Daytona - it's a great season-opener at an awe-inspiring facility - even though the race is nothing like it used to be.
Sebring is a half Le Mans - only you actually get to see the cars. The venue, albeit steeped in history, is basically a disused airfield in the middle of nowhere.
As stated above, Sebring is the more important race - but the superspeedway at Daytona is a wonderful place to visit - let alone take in a 24 hour enduro.
Kennedy Space Center is about 40 mins east of Orlando, Daytona beach is 1 hour 20 mins north east and the 'attractions' are 20 mins south west. Sebring is an hour and a half due south of O'town.

[Mr. Rick]

Weather is usually bright and sunny

Glad you added the "usually" there Phil! When we met up there in 2001 it was more than a tad moist remember!

Still didn't stop me having an absolute blast though although that might have had something to do with being team guest and photographer for those splendid peeps at Gunnar Racing. Shot the start from the pit box with my head adjacent to Paul Newman's arse (not up it though!). Even got my web address on the car's tail which has since been immortalised in 1/32 slot and 1/24 kit form!! My 15 minutes happened there and then and it's all been downhill since!  

Back to the post in hand, it's a must at least once even given the recent lack of real protos. I was lucky enuff to be there to witness the screaming 333SPs on the banking before they all disappeared in to the museums.  

[Fax]

I would agree that a trip to the Rolex should be done at least once, if for no other reason than to see the Daytona high banks in person.  However the Grand-Am cars are a poor camparison to the ALMS machines and look particularly slow and clumsy up on the banking.  On the plus side, the facility is state of the art and they start huge fields, usually in the region of seventy cars.  The garage and pit areas are very accesible to the spectators and some of my favorite racing memories are of being down in the garages in the wee hours of the night/earlymorning, after all the posers have called it a quits, watching the real drama of endurance racing unfold.
John