Rolex 24 at Daytona: The Finish

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Once the sun came up and the fog lifted, everything went back to normal, or whatever "normal" is at a 24-hour endurance race. As you can see from the Foametix Porsche on the right, there's a lot of beating and banging that goes on during a 24-hour race. The #17 Porsche finished 10th in the GT class.

But in the end, the winner (or survivor as the case may be) was the 01 Chip Ganassi BMW Riley driven by Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Charlie Kimball.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Photo by Jennifer Thompson

From the top of the Champions Club, we had a birds-eye view of Victory Lane. I suppose kissing your car is a different way to express your joy, but if anyone knows how celebrate a win at the Rolex 24, it's Scott Pruett. He's now won the race five times and is tied with Hurley Haywood for the most wins in the 24-hour race.   And for even more fun in Victory Lane, just add confetti!

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The winner of the GT class was Alex Job Racing's Audi R8. The car took the lead with about 40 minutes left in the race. The drivers of the winning GT were Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis, Edoardo Mortara, and Dion von Moltke.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The winner of Grand-Am's brand-new GX class was the #16 Napleton Racing Porsche Cayman. The car, which started from the pole and which led the class most of the race, was driven by Shane Lewis, Jim Norman, David Donahue, and Nelson Canache.

And so the weekend came to an end, and we crossed the Rolex 24 off our motorsports bucket list. We such a great time that we're trying get up to Watkins Glen in June ... and back to Daytona next January.

Rolex 24 at Daytona: The Fog

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

From the moment we decided to go to the Rolex 24, Matt started making plans to capture sunrise on Sunday morning. We headed back the hotel about 11:30 p.m., with plans to get up at 4 a.m. Unfortunately, the alarm didn't go off at 4. Fortunately, I woke up at 5, and we were showered and out the door in 25 minutes (I didn't know we could move that fast). And we were back at the track with plenty of time to spare. So early that Matt was able to catch the moon as it was setting over the front stretch.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Matt set up on the roof of the Champions Club. And as if on cue, the sky over the superstretch started turning purple and orange.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And then the fog rolled in.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Within 20 minutes, the track was completely engulfed by the fog. From the top of the Champions Club, we couldn't see the superstretch, and the Ferris wheel had completely disappeared. There had been no forecast for fog, but the warm temperatures the day before and the cool temperatures overnight caused the heavy fog to roll in.

For safety's sake, the cars ran under caution. We waited patiently for the sun to come up to burn off the fog so the cars could run again. That wait ended up being an hour and 45 minutes.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Photo by  Jennifer Thompson

But the fog didn't deter Matt from heading down to the horseshoe to catch the cars in the fog. It's definitely not something that you see at the races every day. Above is the #6 Michael Shank Ford Riley, driven by A.J. Allmendinger, Oz Negri, Marcos Ambrose, Justin Wilson, and John Pew. The defending champion of the Rolex 24 made a run at the end, but they ended up finishing third.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Only a couple hours before, these two GT cars were probably battling for position. But the fog brought a caution, and these cars continued to turn laps while waiting for the fog to burn off. And it eventually did. And we, and they, headed to the finish.

Rolex 24 at Daytona: The Dark

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And then it was dark. For half of the race, the drivers rely on Daytona's lights and the cars' headlights to find their way around 3.56-mile road course. The race used to go from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. I think I might prefer that if I was a driver because, when the sun came up, I knew the end of the race was near. Now, with the 3:30 start, there is still a lot racing to go once the sun comes up. Once it got dark, we headed over toward Lake Lloyd and the superstretch, where Matt used the available light and a slow shutter to get this photo (which is now my desktop at work -- love it!).

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The dark reveals things that are not as easy to see in the light. Like the glowing rotors of a breaking car heading into the horseshoe. The #43 Sahlens BMW Riley finished 15th in the DP class.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Many of the images of the Rolex 24 include the Ferris wheel in the horseshoe. Here's the #50 Highway to Help DP zipping past the Ferris wheel. The car is owned in part by Brian Johnson, lead singer of AC/DC. The Highway to Help team sought to raise awareness for Alzheimer's disease. The car finished 12th in the DP class.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

 Just a few more Ferris wheel shots. Here's the #57 Stevenson Camaro, which was driven by John Edwards, Robin Liddell, Jan Magnussen, and Tommy Milner. The car finished 23rd in the GT class.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And then there's the AF-Waltrip Ferrari, driven by Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, Rob Kauffman, and Rui Aguas. Not a bad showing for NASCAR boys. They finished eighth in the GT class.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

One last Ferris wheel shot. Matt caught this from the roof of the Champions Club. Yes, you can also see this as my cover photo on Facebook (good thing I know the photographer). And I agree with Matt -- the cars totally look like toys! And it's almost as if there's a spotlight on the leader at the time (and the eventual winner).

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And to cap off our night? Fireworks over the superstretch, again captured from atop the Champions Club. This is where our night ended. As we drove out of the tunnel to head back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep, the drivers and crews continued on through the night. But we'd be back later to catch the sunrise.

Rolex 24 at Daytona: The Start

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

All Saturday morning I had to keep reminding myself that, when the race started, it was going to last 24 hours. A whole day. From 3:30 in the afternoon on Saturday to 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. I've been to a lot of races, the longest being six hours. This was going to be unlike anything I've done before.

By Jen Thompson

We started the morning by checking out the Champions Club, which were our digs for the weekend. Then we headed over to the Fan Zone for the driver autograph session. There were so many fans and so many drivers, but we tried to get as many autographs as we could. Matt got the photos he took signed by Michael Waltrip (he's only been carrying them around for two years). And I was glad to have my Boris Said t-shirt from Seneca Lodge signed by the man himself.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Then we took our position on the Champions Club roof for the start of the race. Right on the start-finish line. Doesn't get any better than that. Before the race, we were treated to a parade of vintage Rolex 24 cars. During the driver intros, a bald eagle flew over the start-finish line. I would have thought it was part of the ceremony itself if I hadn't seen the bird pluck a fish out of the Lake Lloyd the afternoon before. And then it was gentlemen start your engines, and the 24-hour clock started ticking.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And only a couple hours later, the sun started to set. The headlights started coming on, and we all started to settle in for long haul. As a side note, I was truly impressed by run by the two Sahlen DPs. For their first race in that category, they made a great run. Not easy when your first race is 24 hours long.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

 And then the darkness truly set in. It was time for the night portion of the race.

Getting to Know Daytona

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Today was our first full day at Daytona. We spent most of the day checking out some places to watch the race and for Matt to shoot some photos. And I think we're going to have some good options. Tomorrow, we'll also have access to the Champions' Club, so that will add some new places.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

We spent the morning watching final practice for the Rolex Series and checking out a few new spots in the infield. Here's the #59 Brumos Porsche. I think the driver's side is barely touching the track.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Here's the #22 Bullet Racing Porsche Cayman, which is running in Grand Am's new GX class. I'm curious to see how the GX class will run, especially SpeedSource's new Mazda6.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

In the afternoon, we checked out the Continental Tire Series race We walked along Lake Lloyd and found some bleachers in NASCAR turn 2. It was a great place to check out the high banks of Daytona. In addition to the photo at the top of the blog, Matt also caught the #88 Ranger Sports Racing Porsche. Thanks to the afternoon light, this Red Bull has wings and another set of horns (check out the shadow).

Hello, Daytona!

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

We've been talking about it for five years, and now we're finally here! Hello, Daytona! We're ready for the Rolex 24! We got into town late this afternoon and immediately hightailed it to the track for night practice. This was a good opportunity for Matt to scope out some shooting locations for the 24-hour race on Saturday and Sunday. And for the record, two were great and one was not so great. Above is the #61 Ferrari in front of the iconic Ferris wheel in the Daytona infield. Here are a few others.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Here's the pack coming through the horseshoe, led by the #50 Highway to Help DP car.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The #64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari running through the infield.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The #93 Turner Motorsports BMW.

Let the Countdown Begin!

As as sit here and look out the window at the falling snow here in the Northeast, my mind turns to Florida. Daytona, more specifically. Because Matt and I will be in Daytona in 26 days. While a place without snow is very appealing right now, it's the roar of the engines that's the most enticing to me.

As long-time sports car fans, the Rolex 24 has been on our bucket list, well, since forever. It's finally time to cross this one off the list. Our plans are in place, and I'll be sharing our trip on this blog and on Twitter (@4wheels_engine). We kind of "trained" for this race by doing the Six Hours at the Glen, but now it's time to do that race -- times four. And for anyone who has been lucky enough to go to the Rolex 24, please feel free to pass along any tips you have for the race!

Mini Book Review: Fast Girl

Photo  courtesy of Seal Press

For many years, my "hobby" has been driving a car fast on the racetrack. I don't race, but I do get to drive my car at high rates of speed on tracks throughout the Northeast. I mean how else am I going to find out where my limits (and the limits of my car) are? Needless to say, there aren't many women at these events. And I often find it difficult to explain exactly what it is I'm doing at the track on the weekend.

Well, author Ingrid Steffensen didn't have that problem. In her new book, Fast Girl: Don't Brake Until You See the Face of God and Other Good Advice from the Racetrack, Ingrid documents her first year of participation in high-performance driving events, from finally accepting her husband's invitation to join him at the track to, well, I don't want to give away the ending. (For those wondering, she started driving her everyday car (a Mini Cooper) before graduating to a Lotus Elise.) Throughout the book, she weaves her experiences behind the wheel with stories from off the track, proving that one definitely can have an effect on the other.

As a woman participating in the same activity, I totally related to Ingrid's stories. As I read, I could picture the tracks she described and recalled having similar experiences and feelings. But this book is about more than just driving fast -- it's about stepping out of your comfort zone and finding out how that can affect your life. Join Ingrid on her journey -- from the pit lane, through the esses, and to the checkered flag. 

Grand-Am/ALMS Merger: Remember, It's a Job

When I first heard about the Grand-Am/ALMS merger, I had the same questions as everyone else -- what classes will run in the new series, what tracks will they run at, what manufacturers will be involved. But it was this tweet from Guy Cosmo that changed my train of thought:

If you don't like it, well, too bad. I plan to stay employed as a race driver & if I stay in Sportscars, this new venture is my ONLY choice.

As race fans, we see this as a merger of two racing series. But at the end of the day, this is a business transaction in which one corporation has acquired another corporation. Mergers and acquisitions of businesses affect the livelihoods of people -- me included -- every day. It's just that Grand-Am and ALMS are fun businesses.

Four years ago, I lived through rumors that a competitor was going to buy my publication and shut it down. Those rumors eventually became reality, but all the speculation can wear you down.

For at least the next few months, there's going to be a lot of speculation about the future of sports car racing in the United States. While I really want to know all the details, there are drivers and crew members in two racing series wondering about their jobs. I just need to remind myself of that every once in a while.

Monday Musings - 8/20/12

To quote my husband, "The racing the past couple months has been absolutely amazing." Much to muse about this week. So here we go!

Nationwide - Montreal always proves to be an interesting race. Sometimes it's racing the rain, but this year it was hard racing. I've always been a Jacques Villeneuve fan, but he's making it harder and harder to root for him. He always seems to be in the hunt when he runs a Nationwide road course race, but his aggressiveness always seems to bite him in the last couple laps. While Villeneuve's aggressiveness did not cause his last lap spin, I feel it was karma paying him back for spinning Alex Tagliani just a few laps before.

A note to ESPN -- I understand that Danica is a big draw for the Nationwide series and NASCAR. But there was a point in the middle of the race that you would have thought she was the only one running. There were other drivers who had mechanical issues (for instance, Michael McDowell had lost a couple of gears), but no one got the in-depth coverage that Danica got. ESPN was so eager to broadcast her radio transmissions that it let an expletive slip on the air. Like Tim Tebow and the Jets, ESPN is going to keep going to this well.  I guess I'm just going to have to live with it.

Sprint Cup - As a Carl Edwards fan, Brad K. has never been one of my favorites. However, over the past year or so, it's been kind of hard not to root for him. He's winning without being overly aggressive (OK, maybe he was a little aggressive at Watkins Glen last weekend). I was just as surprised as anyone when I found myself rooting for him to win his hometown race yesterday (and it's not just because I had him in my Yahoo! fantasy team). And him "challenging" Jimmie Johnson after the race makes things interesting. Also, the last three races before the Chase may actually be interesting because there are drivers actually racing for a WIN, not points.

ALMS - After four hours of racing, Guy Smith's margin of victory over Lucas Luhr was 0.083 seconds, the closest overall finish in ALMS history. This race wasn't just close on the last lap -- Smith and Luhr battled each other for the last 20 minutes of race. It was get another great finish at Road America this season.

Rolex - Congrats to Ganassi Racing for win number 150. Paul Tracy made the most of his time in the No. 5 Action Express, rallying from a first-lap incident to take the third step on the podium. And tough luck for Magnus Racing with a punctured radiator. Saturday was one of those days I wished Porsches were still air cooled.

Trucks - Congrats to Nelson Piquet, Jr. on his first Camping World Truck Series win. Maybe he should honor his dad on his car every week. Might be his good luck charm.

F1 - There's been a lot of F1 chatter in the New York metropolitan area this week about F1 and the race in New Jersey next year. David Coulthard brought the Red Bull show car to the area and drove the proposed course. He also took the car through the Lincoln Tunnel. Everyone in the area wishes they could go through the tunnel this quick Check it out below:

Best Finish in a Long Time

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

\After two awesome races on Saturday, it was time for the main event on Sunday at Watkins Glen. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this race, especially when the only thing memorable about the Sprint Cup season is a driver running into a jet dryer. But as you well know (and as the photo above shows), I was completely wrong. And I'm OK with that.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

We started our day early, staking out a great table at the Glen Club. We had an awesome view of Turns 1 and 2 and the Sprint Vision, so we could see what was happening on the rest of the track. As you can see, Matt enjoyed his morning coffee while checking out the views of the track and Seneca Lake.

While there are cars on the track almost every minute of the day on Friday and Saturday, Sunday is so different because there is not a peep out of the cars until the command to start engines is given. So it can be quite peaceful in the morning, and it is fun to watch the track fill up with fans.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

But eventually, the day got going. First, there was the flyover with the C-130 (and apparently a seagull too).

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

This is how most of the race went. Kyle Busch led the most laps. But then that spin that happened right in front of us (see photo above) changed everything.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

And it ended like this. With Marcos Ambrose celebrating in Turn 1. I'd fill in the blanks between what happened after the spin and how Marcos got to Victory Lane, but that could take a while. If you don't know what happened (or if you want to watch it again), check out one of the best finishes in Sprint Cup racing in a long time. (And sit through the commercial -- it's worth it!)

Rolex Watkins Glen 2 in Pictures

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Race number two of the weekend (and Saturday) was the Rolex Grand-Am Series. Because this was a two-hour race, it was a fun "sprint" race that also had a great ending. The race didn't end until after 8 p.m., so the light was perfect for my intrepid photographer (that's not him in the photo above). So rather than tell you about the race, I'll let the photos do the talking.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Scott Pruett finishing the race for the Telmex team at dusk.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

GT class winner Turner Motorsports with Bill Auberlen behind the wheel.

Photo by Matthew Lowell Thompson

Brumos #59 Porsche, driven by Leh Keen.

What Happens When Your Driver Doesn't Win?

Photo  by Matthew Lowell Thompson

The first race of the weekend was the Nationwide, and it was the first of three great races that weekend. Needless to say, I was pretty happy that my driver -- Carl Edwards -- won the race. Because the race is always better when your driver wins, right?

Which got me to thinking about racing and what sets it apart from other sports. If I go to a hockey game, it's usually to see my team play another team. At the end of the game, I'm either happy because my team has won or unhappy because my team has lost. And generally speaking, I have only one favorite hockey team. But's not so simple in racing, is it?

Let's use this past week's Nationwide race as an example. For me it was simple because Carl was in the hunt the whole race and he won it. But what if Carl had an issue and was knocked out early in the race? What's a fan to do? Give up on the race altogether because my driver isn't in it any more? Unlike most sports, there's more than two teams to root for. Is it OK to root for another driver? Is it OK to have more than one favorite driver?

Me personally? I seem to have more than one favorite in each racing series. So if they win, I'm happy. Then I have some not-so-favorite teams. I'm not happy when they win. (And no, I'm not naming names.) And then there are some winners that just come from out of the blue and make you smile -- like Marcos winning on Sunday.

WGI Infield: Where Fans and Drivers Come Together

Photo by Jennifer Thompson

I've been to my share of NASCAR races, but the one that the most fan friendly is the race at Watkins Glen. Unlike other tracks, everyone and everything are in the infield -- the garages, the drivers, the crews, the fans. So chances are pretty good that you're going to have a driver sighting during the race weekend. Matt and I have had the chance to meet several drivers during NASCAR weekend, and this year as no exception.

Our biggest sighting was Rusty Wallace. Rusty wasn't scheduled to appear at the Glen Club, our home for the weekend. Nope, apparently Rusty stopped by for the food and the view (the same reasons why we were there!). Rusty is Matt's all-time favorite NASCAR driver, so needless to say he was grinning ear to ear when he met him (see the photographic evidence above). Rusty liked the food so much, he had both breakfast and lunch!

Photo by Jennifer Thompson

Photo by Jennifer Thompson

One of the perks at the Glen Club is the driver appearances. We had visits from defending Watkins Glen winner Marcos Ambrose (left),  Marcos' teammate Aric Almirola (right), and Bobby Labonte.

For some reason, the Glen Club attracted NHL players this year. Dustin Brown of L.A. Kings, was the honorary starter, and rumor has it New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundquist was there. As Devils fan, I can't say was really excited to see either. (Oh yeah, and former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer was there too).

Photo by Jennifer Thompson

On Sunday morning, I attended my first Tweetup. Watkins Glen hosted the meeting of fans on Twitter in Gatorade Victory Lane. All you needed to get in was the password, which was "Follow Me to the Glen." Jeff Gluck, motorsports editor for SBNation.com, brought along Brian Vickers as his guest.

Brian answered the fans' questions, and he signed autographs and took pictures with everyone there.  I hope we see Brian back in a full-time ride next year.

Thanks to the Glen (@WGI) for hosting all of us fans who follow the track on Twitter.

Photo by Mike Meadows (ISC)

One of the things I absolutely about the Rolex Series is the access to its drivers. On Friday afternoon, we headed over to the team haulers for autographs. I had all the drivers sign a poster from the Sahlens Six Hours at the Glen -- a nice souvenir from our vow renewal.

On a side note, during the Rolex race on Saturday night, we spotted Jimmie Johnson, his wife, and daughter watching the race from their golf cart and talking to Jamie McMurray. Since it was family time, we stuck with a sighting from afar.