Photos and words by Vijay Sankar; press release info from Daytona Speedway
Endurance racing is among the best 24 hours you can spend as a photographer
Sportscar racing provides arguably the best motorsport fan experience out of all the various forms of racing, simply because there is so much to soak in during the races that usually last from several hours (6, 10, 12), up to an entire 24 hours. Add to that the (almost) unlimited access to all parts of the racetrack with no restriction on seating spots, the VIP-level paddock access, the stellar fan zone with every performance car brand camping out (and racing!) and the sheer variety of cars on track — prototype, GTE Pro and GTE Amateur — you have everything to look forward to. The overwhelming conviction was that Sportscar racing puts fans first. This was the first 24-hour race I witnessed live on track. 24 hours of sensory overload, in the best possible way for a motorsports photographer.
The 62nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona boiled down to a two-car race for overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class honors between the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R and the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.
The Porsche seized the advantage a little more than 19 hours into the 24-hour endurance contest that served as the season opener for the 2024 IMSA Championship, and Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr combined to build a 10-second lead. But Pipo Derani and Tom Blomqvist fought back in the Cadillac, culminating in Blomqvist making a daring pass for the lead on Nasr into Turn 1 with an hour and 20 minutes remaining.
The Daytona International Speedway offers numerous opportunities for fantastic motorsport photography with or without an official media credential. The most popular spot is the one facing the Ferris wheel fully lit up and changing shades through the night. It’s a great exercise to wait for the perfect moment to match the color of the lights with the passing race cars.
A full-course caution that flew with 52 minutes remaining eliminated Blomqvist’s 2.2-second advantage and reset the race for a final sprint. When the pits opened eight minutes later, the Porsche crew got Nasr out ahead for the green flag that flew with 32 minutes to go.
The vast grand stands at the main straight are also fantastic vantage points for cinematic shots, especially while the sun is low. It also offers chances to capture long exposure streaks of lights on the racecars at night.
In addition to the this, open paddock, grid walk and more are always great opportunities to capture the people in action. IMSA is perhaps the best platform for emerging motorsports photographers to cut their teeth, given the fantastic access and long format racing that allows time to experiment.
That clean air at the head of the field was all the Brazilian needed. He kept the No. 7 Porsche that he shared with Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell and Josef Newgarden in front through the final stages, crossing the line 2.112 seconds ahead of the No. 31 Cadillac, which was driven by Blomqvist, Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken. Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta and Jenson Button finished third in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06.
The victory was equally as satisfying for Porsche, which entered IMSA’s new GTP era featuring a hybrid-electrified platform in 2023 in a highly publicized resumption of the German marque’s relationship with the Penske organization, which produced major sports car victories in several different time periods since the early 1970s. But the Penske-Porsche partnership fell short of the IMSA crown last season, losing out to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac.
Porsche targeted increased reliability in the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events for 2024. That goal was achieved at Daytona International Speedway, as all four Porsche 963 hybrids in the field (two with Penske, one with JDC-Miller MotorSports and one with Proton Competition) finished in the top six.
Cameron competed for the Penske-Porsche program in the World Endurance Championship in 2023, and the American sports car ace was delighted to transfer to the North American-based IMSA program for ’24. He was in tears in Victory Lane.
Campbell and Nasr teamed to score a GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class victory at the 2022 Rolex 24 driving a Porsche, but this was the first overall win for each.