Daytona 24hr 2017

Author
Discussion

DS240

4,675 posts

219 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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The GTLM class is superbly close.. Can't believe they have been going for nearly 24hrs.

Crafty_

13,296 posts

201 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Calado got the rough end of the stick there, the old man wouldn't be happy with a Ford sailing past like that.

Will be interesting to see how well the Porsches do in GTE Pro.

FourWheelDrift

88,549 posts

285 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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That's not going to go down well.

Crafty_

13,296 posts

201 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Bit harsh on the 5, but at the same time there wasn't much the 10 could do, he was at the limit on the brakes and the 5 moved across, nowhere to go - a difficult one but I don't think the 10 did it intentionally.

French chappie in the Porsche has cooked the tyres it seems.

Altrezia

8,517 posts

212 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Karma - 31 shouldn't have held the 10 up - if he hadn't he'd have passed the 5 earlier, without the 'panic' of the clock ticking down to single figures.

Great effort by the 10 - so many attempts without a win must be grating.

yellow cento tom

52 posts

99 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Despite the long caution periods the race was fantastic all the way through the field. Considering nearly all the prototype cars were brand new I thought all the cars and teams performed well. Hats off to the wtr boys thoughly deserving winners. GTLM or GTE just keeps getting better and better.

Allyc85

7,225 posts

187 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Which ever way you look at the incident in the lead battle, that was some fantastic racing. Just a shame the Americans throw a caution if someone even just breaks wind!

The last 16 minutes for those who didn't see it..

https://youtu.be/cKlZUuU62GM

Truckosaurus

11,322 posts

285 months

Monday 30th January 2017
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Allyc85 said:
Which ever way you look at the incident in the lead battle...
The cynic in me thinks that any car with Jeff Gordon in its driving squad is going to get 'the benefit of the doubt' at the very least.

Allyc85 said:
...Just a shame the Americans throw a caution if someone even just breaks wind!
It's the Full Course cautions or nothing attitude that seems odd to our European eyes. One assumes it is the NASCAR roots of the current IMSA organisation coming through.

ArnageWRC

2,066 posts

160 months

Monday 30th January 2017
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Truckosaurus said:
Allyc85 said:
Which ever way you look at the incident in the lead battle...
The cynic in me thinks that any car with Jeff Gordon in its driving squad is going to get 'the benefit of the doubt' at the very least.

Allyc85 said:
...Just a shame the Americans throw a caution if someone even just breaks wind!
It's the Full Course cautions or nothing attitude that seems odd to our European eyes. One assumes it is the NASCAR roots of the current IMSA organisation coming through.
How many races have been ruined by their ridiculous 'regs'? Even the most minor incident brings out a FCY; which is why I very rarely enjoy US racing. It's all too 'engineered'. Which is a shame as it could be proper exciting motorsport.

FredericRobinson

3,719 posts

233 months

Monday 30th January 2017
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I can understand the rule of no corner workers over the wall when the track is live, I don't understand though why the same rule doesn't apply when I'm watching bike races in the states, where the track workers charge out into the line of fire just as they would in Europe.
The wave-arounds and desperation to throw a yellow with half an hour to go are bloody annoying though, there's nothing wrong with cars being laps apart in an endurance race, it's about the whole 24 hours, not the last 30 mins.

Alex Langheck

835 posts

130 months

Monday 30th January 2017
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They have to have a 'Grandstand' finish - can't be having someone 1 or 2 laps ahead now. They want the "Game7 decider....."

Matt Harper

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 2nd February 2017
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NASCAR believes that the American audience wants a close finish, so that's what they orchestrate. For anyone less than a purist, it makes the whole thing more intense and exciting. Left to it's own devices, endurance racing can be a bit of a snore. The ACO do it too - though with a little more subtlety.

Oh well, Sebring next - my favorite race of the year - the track is a real car-killer, so it will be the usual real test of man and machine - and the best party at any track in North America.

vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

254 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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I am lucky that I get an IMSA season photographer hard card so I get closer to the action than most although Daytona is actually a pretty good track to shoot at even without credentials as long as you have a decent set up and a small set of steps to see over the 6ft high chain link fence.

It was proper wet and very cold at night 4C as I tried to grab some sleep in the Corvette!

Here is just a few of the pics a took.
















vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

254 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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A few more:












vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

254 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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Final lot!










swooshiain

377 posts

98 months

Sunday 5th February 2017
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Great photos, vetteheadracer - thanks for sharing!