Monday 1 February 2016

The 2016 24 Hours of Daytona in 40 Stunning Photos

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For a full 24 hours, the annual Rolex 24 endurance race at Daytona International Speedway bombards onlookers with the pungent scents of brakes, tires, and carnival food, as well as the roar of raging race cars and hoarse fans. Then there are your eyes and feet, stinging and sore from fatigue and campfire smoke. It’s all indelible, but nothing leaves a lasting impression like images from the track. Herein, the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona is immortalized through the lens of racing photographer Jamey Price.

Since the 1960s, this Florida motorsports staple has been the premiere international racing event of the winter. More than 50 cars in four distinct classes compete simultaneously on a course that uses almost all of the 2.5-mile high-banked superspeedway, as well as a twisting, flat infield portion, amidst fans wandering the grounds for varying vantage points and fresh scenery.

Naturally, there were numerous subplots to this year's race once the giant Rolex stopwatches started counting down from 24:00:00. These included the strong early run by the bizarre DeltaWing; the curious case of the superfast Lamborghini Huracáns that seemed deserving of more speed-stifling "balance of performance" measures from sanctioning body IMSA; the series of transmission, brake, electrical, and tire issues that crippled the lapping ability of the highly anticipated new Ford GT race cars; the challenges faced by Chip Ganassi's all-star lineup of NASCAR and IndyCar drivers; the host of crashes brought on by the extreme pressure on equipment and drivers over the grueling race; and, of course, the thrillingly close finishes. (For a full recap, you can visit our friends at Road & Track.)

In the end, a Honda-powered P2 machine defeated the strong Corvette prototypes for the overall victory, two Corvette GTLM teammates battled each other, NASCAR-style, in the closing laps, and Audi pulled off a valiant win in the GTD category after a rival ran out of fuel with three minutes left.

Now, on to the photos:

The #16 Lamborghini Huracàn on the pre-race grid.

The race's eventual winner, the #2 Ligier Prototype, on the pre-race grid.

A young fan with driver autographs on his face.

The field takes the green flag behind a Nissan BR01 prototype. Only 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds to go.

A pair of Porsche 911 RSRs lead the GTLM class to the green flag at the start of the race.

A pair of dashing new Ford GTs take the green flag, just ahead of the GTD (a.k.a. GT3) class.

A tightly packed group of GTD cars.

High on the high banks.

Ferrari versus Ford.

Corvette versus Ferrari.

Two Lamborghinis chase a Ferrari 458.

The Ford GT didn't complete nearly as many laps as this Corvette.

Team Star Wars enjoys racing. And Miller Lite.

The #55 Mazda prototype blazes through the infield.

An enormous, LED-lit Ferris wheel adds color to the night scene at Daytona.

The Rolex 24 after dark, from high above.

The #11 Lamborghini Huracán brightens the scene even more. The digital 17 behind the door indicates the car’s current position in its class.

A 3 a.m. pit stop for the #33 Dodge Viper GT3-R.

The wee hours of the morning at Daytona. Prototype cars have white headlights, whereas the slower GT-series cars are yellow-lamped.

Through the night.

The #63 Ferrari, about to be passed by the #01 Riley Prototype.

The #11 Lamborghini gets service around 6:30 a.m.

A Ferrari mechanic catches a few winks on pit road.

The #73 Porsche needs another refuel.

Morning has broken.

Around 7 a.m., the #66 Ford GT is on-track but running 10th in class.

The #100 BMW M6 GTLM apexes a corner in the infield.

The #31 Corvette DP shows lots of racing patina, more than 20 hours in.

Spencer Pumpelly readies for his next stint behind the wheel of the #16 Lamborghini.

Rest when you can, where you can. Even if it's 1:45 p.m. on a stack of tires with a helmet pillow.

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