Who's going to the Rolex 24 in Daytona??

This has been an incredibly long, stressful year at work and I find myself with some extra vacation time that I need to use.  I've always wanted to attend the Rolex 24 and would usually do so with my wife, but the kids are in school etc.

So, I'm thinking of making a long weekend of it and flying down to attend the race on my own.  To my knowledge, I don't know anybody who is attending from my area (CT).  I'm thinking of just winging it, so to speak.

That being said no human being wants to spend 4 days on a trip without knowing anybody there.  Are there any events, meetups etc for GRM folks?  I don't want to be a third wheel on somebody else's trip, but it would be great to have some plans along the way.

I'll be there!  Come by site A205 in GEICO West and share some aged corn juice with us!

I've emailed several teams but they all seem to be unimpressed with my driving resume.

In reply to Tom1200 :

There's always 2026...

In reply to Tom1200 :

I used to take my helmet with me, just in case someone needs me to step in and rescue their program. But it seems that no one appreciates my towering skills. 

I'll be there!

In reply to Tom Suddard :

I'll bet you will!  I hate that I wasn't able to come when the GRM experiences were happening!  Now it looks like I'm going to bring my 10 year old with me!  Do you know anything about Carter's Motel in New Smyrna?  Looks like a great option for a trip on a budget.  I'm also looking at Turo for interesting rental car options.

Avelo only Flys down on Thursday and out on Sunday afternoon.  I'm thinking I'll grab a 2 day ticket (hate missing the MX5s!), take the kiddo to Kennedy Space Center on Friday and then we do the race on Saturday/Sunday.

We would love to meet any GRMer's in person for sure!  I've been on this board (under a few screen names) since I was the Managing Director of Mustangs Unlimited some 25+ years ago and would be thrilled to put some faces to some names from here.

10 year old thoughts...    KSC is impressive (we did it recently).  Do the highlights and the bus tour.   You won't be able to do everything without exhaustion.   It takes a bit of a drive from Daytona, factor that in.   Rent a car big enough for 10 year old to nap in at the track.   You might hit a walmart and buy blankets/throws you can leave behind when you fly.  Also, if GRM folks offer RV visits ,it might pay to take them up on them for a break.   A must is to see some night action.   Be prepared to walk a lot. Shoes and socks are important.  There is a Target basically across the street; its not a remote track like mid-Ohio, Mosport, etc.

The last time i did it with 10 year olds I had a RV in the infield.   But, have done it with youngsters on the fly... just have to acknowledge their pace for a good time.

I will be there (working), happy to meet up for a beer somewhere.

Last year i bought my FD RX7 in Orlando and used it as a rental car for the weekend (with the help of a member here for storage and logistics, thank you again!), no plans or money to do that this year haha. 
 

I haven't fleshed out this plan 100% yet, but I'm cooking up an idea...  I certainly can't accommodate the number of people that the GRM tent could hold, but I've got a bunch of tables and folding chairs that I could throw in the basement of the RV to host a GRM forum family dinner.  I could grab a few bags of salad and make up a mess of spaghetti and meatballs and get some garlic bread going for Saturday night.  Or would there be more interest in doing it Friday night after the BMW Endurance Challenge race is over and the track goes quiet? 

In reply to wae :

Because I'm taking kid #2 down to Kennedy Space Center on Friday, i only bought the 2-day pass so we will not be in the track until Saturday.  We would gladly contribute to a get together for sure!   I would have no issue using Venmo to send some cash your way toward beer/food/etc in advance or can do so on the spot (or hand you cash).

As i responded in the other thread I had about a Motel we are actually staying in Sanford.  I'm sure my 10 year old guy would appreciate a little refuge when it gets later into the evening Saturday.  I know he can't make it all night but I plan to hang in as late as we can both handle it.

In reply to Loweguy5 :

My friend, I'm trying to throw a party, not open a restaurant! 

Let me get to planning things.

In reply to wae :

I mean you're the guy promising salad, so...haha!

I’ll be at the Rolex, too. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

It would be great to meet you while we are there.  Maybe we will see you at the track!

In reply to Loweguy5 :

I’ll be the one wearing a GRM cap. :) 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

That will likely make two of us

David S. Wallens said:

In reply to Loweguy5 :

I’ll be the one wearing a GRM cap. :) 

Beanie or baseball?

In reply to TRoglodyte :

Good question. Depends on the weather. 

I'll be there Thursday through Sunday. I'll be wearing a white Porsche Motorsport cap and carrying a Home Depot five gallon bucket - so will my buddy, so if you see two guys carrying orange buckets, it will probably be us. We have the buckets because we are flying in to FLA, so it's just easier to swing by HD and buy a bucket for $5 than hauling something not as tall in our luggage. You can stand on the top of the bucket to see over the chain link fences for taking pictures, and carry stuff in the bucket. The downside is that last year the track gave all the temp labor guys that were cleaning the restrooms and emptying garbage cans HD buckets, so we looked like the temp labor guys (but with nicer clothes, backpacks, and nice cameras). Hmm, maybe we'll get Lowe's buckets this year...