|
|
Daytona, 13 – 17 November, 2019
The 2019 running of the 2019 Daytona 24 Classic provided both participants and visitors with a packed racing programme between Wednesday 13 November and Sunday 17 November, with, apart from all the practice and qualifying sessions, a sixteen race programme. This ran surprisingly well, despite a number of full course yellows, and rather chilly and sometimes misty weather conditions over the main 24 race schedule on the Saturday and Sunday. These conditions at least helped to keep drivers cool in the heat of the battle. The main 24 Classic races started from lunchtime on the Saturday running through to lunchtime on the Sunday, comprising of four races, each of 42mins duration, for each of the six race groups over the 24 hour period. Thus all participants had plenty of track time, and a number of competitors also competed in the support races to fully immerse them in, and to maximise the unique Daytona experience.
... Galleries >>>
Each year since its inception the event has grown in stature with competitors and in popularity with race fans, as witnessed by the large number of motor homes and tents lining the infield section of the circuit this year, despite the inclement weather forecast. They were not disappointed as they had plenty of action spanning a wide variety of classic race categories, together with the finale of the Trans Am season with a pair of one hour races for each of the two groups, one on the Friday and the other on the Saturday preceding the start of the Daytona 24 Classic. Each of these races had 26 entrants, featuring a colourful array of Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers in the TA2 class race, whilst the TA/SGT/GT class race had a broader span of cars, including examples of the above, along with Porsches, Corvettes, Mercedes-AMG GT4s, and loan examples of an Aston Martin N24, a Dodge Viper and a Cadillac CTSV. Both races were real “Rolling Thunder” with plenty of close action, a number of incidents, which unfortunately meant that the TA2 race ended under a full course caution, with Thomas Merrill’s Mustang taking the race win from 16 year old Sam Mayer on the road, although the latter’s Camaro was disqualified in post race scrutineering for a non compliance. Victory in the TA/SGT/GT race also went to a Ford Mustang, this being the example driven by Chris Dyson, who finished just ahead of TA class season champion Ernie France Jnr. The season championship title in the TA2 category had already been won by Mark Miller in his Dodge Challenger at the penultimate round of the series at the Circuit of the Americas.
Within the Daytona 24 Classic entry list, which ran to some 180 cars, there was a wide span of models and types, ranging from a 1964 Jaguar E-Type to a 2017 Porsche 911 GT3. Within this broad span of years, there were examples of saloon cars, like a BMW M3 and a Subaru Impreza, GT cars including Ferrari 360 and 458 Challenge cars plus a 458 GT3, a veritable raft of Porsche 911 variants together with 962 sports racing models, one of which Derek and Justin Bell shared the driving with Gunnar Jeanette and Rodrigo Sales to win the Group C/D class. Then there were Daytona Prototypes like the Riley-BMW and Corvette Coyote, and further evocative sports prototypes like the beautiful TOJ SC204 from 1976, to more modern examples like the pair each of 2005 Audi R8s and 2007 Pescarolo 01-Judds, plus the rare chance to see the very attractive blue, black and chrome liveried Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, also from 2007, being driven spiritedly to take the Group E class win driven by David Porter.
Apart from the race activity there were the car corrals for various marques, which also did parade laps, an exotics display courtesy of Festivals of Speed, including a McLaren Senna in black and yellow, and the vendor area. Of the corrals, the most intriguing and interesting was the one for VW Kombi variants, with an amazing selection of restored, distressed, customised and original examples in virtually every form that it must have been supplied in, and then some – imagination knows no boundaries! These also did a parade around the infield portion of the track.
Race Podiums
24 Classic Group A
1st - #771, T. Seiler,Lola T70 Mk IIIb 2nd - #86, M. Lauber/N. Colyvas, Chevron B16 3rd - #29, G. Bryant/O. Bryant, Chevrolet Camaro Z28
24 Classic Group B
1st - #21, A. Ruede, Chevrolet Camaro IROC 2nd - #8, R. Blain/M. Devis, March 75 S 3rd - #26, G. Gregory/R. Buck, Chevron B26
24 Classic Group C/D
1st - #14, R. Sales/G. Jeanette/D. Bell/J. Bell, Porsche 962 2nd - #54, F. Barber/T. Borcheller, Doran JE4 DP 3rd - #19, R. Howe/R. Cox, Ford Mustang T/A
24 Classic Group E
1st - #7, D. Porter, Peugeot 908 HDi FAP 2nd - #18, J. Gonzales Moreno/B. Leitzinger, Pescarolo 01-Judd 3rd - #16, R. Johnson/R. Bradley, Pescarolo 01-Judd
24 Classic Group F
1st - #9, J.C. France/T. Jernum/J. Barbosa, Corvette Coyote DP 2nd - #20, D. Yount/R. Lewis, Oreca LM09 3rd - #33, J. Reisman/E. Curran, Corvette Coyote DP
24 Classic Group G
1st - #39, T. Napieralski/L. Saunders, Chevrolet Camaro 2nd - #99, D. Russell/R. Adalnahabi/S. Davison, Aston Martin Vantage 3rd - #151, A. Rogers/K. Wheeler, Porsche 911 RSR
BRM Vintage/GTC Enduro
1st - #441, T. Truffet/L. Keen, Porsche 911 IROC 2nd - #151, A. Rogers/K. Wheeler, Porsche 911 RSR 3rd - #82, E. Wilding/J. Wilding, BMW M3
BRM H/P/GT Enduro
1st - #8, M. Kvamme, Oreca FL09 2nd - #333, M. Schultis/P. Simon, Mercedes-AMG SLS GT3 3rd - #27, M. Montour/L. Montour, Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Daytona Historics Groups 2, 3 & 5
1st - #6, B. Hoyt, Chevrolet Corvette 2nd - #441, L. Treffort, Porsche 911 IROC 3rd - #13, M. Banz/K. Blaha, Porsche 911 RSR
Daytona Historics Groups 6, 7 & 11
1st - #9, J.C. France/T. Jernum/J. Barbosa, Corvette Coyote DP 2nd - #5, N. Leutwiller/M. Marateotti, Lola B07/18 3rd - #241, C. & M. DeQueseda/D. Morad/S. Gabel/B. Johnson, Riley-BMW DP
Daytona Historics Groups 8, 9 & 10
1st – #27, M. Montour/L.P. Montour, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 2nd - #333, M. Schultis/P. Simon, Mercedes-AMG SLS GT3 3rd - 28, C. & M. DeQueseda/D. Morad/S. Gabel/B. Johnson, Porsche 911 RSR
Sasco Sports International Cup
1st - #441, T. Treffert, Porsche 911 IROC 2nd - #13, M. Banz/K. Blaha, Porsche 911 RSR 3rd - #59, F. Beck, Porsche 914/6
Global GT
1st - #55, S. Pagliaroli, Porsche 997.2 Cup 2nd - #901, P. Gilsdorf, Porache 996.1 Cup 3rd - #22, S. Davison, Aston Martin N24
Classic RS Cup
1st - #158, B. Johnson, Porsche 911 RSR 2nd - #9, J. Lewis, Porsche 911 RSR 3rd - #28, B. Refenning, Porsche 911 IROC
Trans Am TA2
1st - #99, T. Merrill, Ford Mustang 2nd - #34, T. Buffemante, Ford Mustang 3rd - #77, D. Machavern, Ford Mustang
Trans Am TA/SGT/GT
1st - #20, C. Dyson, Ford Mustang 2nd - #98, E. Francis Jnr, Ford Mustang 3rd - #17, A. Andretti, Chevrolet Corvette
Keith Bluemel 11/2019 |