The Classic 24 at Daytona races through the night, so of course beforehand all the drivers need to get used to hammering around the track in the lowest light conditions. That means night practice, and while the prototype cars look good, the mixture of headlight shape and colours mean that the GTs really hold the attention.
GT cars battle into the night at Daytona
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Historic Sportscar Racing uses the endurance lighting for the Classic 24. Meaning that while the circuit is definitely brighter than some tracks – Sebring’s inky blackness or Le Mans’ deep dark – it isn’t the daylight hue in which NASCAR races.
So a combination of yellow, white and even slightly blue lights pierce the Floridian night, sending shafts of colour across the track as these cars clatter the kerbs and ride the high banking.
The other thing that catches the eye, other than the sheer noise and performance, especially of some of the more modern machines, is the incredible liveries some cars arrive with. Take for example Samantha Tan’s stunning new BMW M4 GT3 car, which looks like it’s been sent through a paint factory.
Photography by Pete Summers and Ben Miles.
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