24h Le Mans
Contrary to the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit, the Daytona circuit inaugurated in 1959 is permanent, but the infield is used solely during the 24-hour race, NASCAR content to use the oval and its famous banking, on which it is nearly impossible to remain standing.
Photo : Richard DOLE - IMSA
Originally, the Daytona race took place on...the beach. It was seemingly endless and allowed competitors to reach stunning speeds due to the highly compact nature of the sand. As a result, several speed records were established. Today it is still possible to drive on the beach, if you're willing to part with a few dollars.
The layout itself, 5.729 km in length, is not particularly interessting as it is a triangular oval with winding portion at one end. The setting, on the other hand, is very impressive, more similar to the Roman Coliseum than a motorsports circuit, with 167,785 seats. The 31° banking encourages remarkable speeds and allows for optimal viewing on the part of spectators who are able to see 90% of the track no matter where they are sitting.
Fans are all the more able to watch the event since the arena has been lighted since 1998. However, during the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the brightness of the lighting is reduced to force competitors to rely on their headlights. They will certainly need them since the race takes place in January when the nights are long, which is not the case for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
The Rolex 24 at Daytona is the opening round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the North American Endurance Cup (NAEC) and will take place January 22-25, 2015.
Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: DAYTONA BEACH (FLORIDA, U.S.), DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA, THURSDAY JANUARY 23 2014, FREE PRACTICE. At night, competitors must rely on their headlights as the lighting is brought down to a minimum.
