Wendy Wallenberg gave me a tip about sketching time trials at Daytona International Speedway. it is a long scenic drive to the speedway down the Beach Line Expressway. Wendy met me at the entrance and guided me to the bleachers being used to watch the race. This wasn’t a crowded day at the track. The few people in the bleachers were mostly friends and family of the drivers. Car 0158A crashed before I got to the track. The driver was female and she was unhurt but clearly the car is going to need lots of love and care. Since the crews catch phrase is “No Mo Money” it might be some time before that front end gets repaired. No Mo Money Race Engineering is a full service race shop. Now offering Race car rentals, Track day rentals, Enduro Racing, Chump car Racing, Track side service, and Coaching. Specializing in Mazda Miata’s.
Track side, I sat in the top row of the bleachers to get a view over the fencing. cars would scream by so fast that they were just blurs. Being an off day at the track, it was possible to park anywhere to see the race from any angle. I contented myself with these bleachers.
I never know who is in the lead of who is trailing. I suppose with time you can learn to follow the leaders. From my perspective it was a constant loud assault on the senses. The same effect might be achieved with a large crowd of competitors running with leaf blowers.
After the race, there was a small gathering with food and drink near the starting line. It offered a chance to mix and mingle with the racers.