FYI WIRZ: Florida NASCAR Tracks Are Home to Grand-Am Sports Cars

Daytona International Speedway has been known for decades as a legendary home to stock car racing, and presently, the track often publicizes their slogan “The World Center of Racing” even though most stock car drivers are U.S. citizens. Still, the first big NASCAR race of the year, the Daytona 500, is huge and draws international attention.  Several weeks before Daytona Speedweeks, and the renowned 500, another type of racing, draws an international cast of drivers.

Grand-Am Road Racing features sleek Daytona Prototype race cars during a 12-race season often accompanied by GT sports cars. The Prototypes are built exclusively for racetracks, but sports cars with worldly street origin compete also. Fans can observe race cars with names like BMW M3s and M6s, Porsche GT3s and Mazda RX-8s as well as American brands like Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Corvettes. This worldly mix of sports cars attracts drivers from all over the Earth.   

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is Grand-Am’s first big race where each team has to have several drivers to compete around the clock, but that isn’t the only Florida race. The next scheduled race is at the other NASCAR track in Homestead-Miami in early March.

Not all races require the endurance of 24 hours at Daytona or the six hours at Watkins Glen in June, but unlike NASCAR, sports car racing has at least a pair of drivers sharing driving duties.    

For motorsports enthusiasts, the following fast information may be just the ticket for observing many international drivers compete on American turf.        

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway:

The Roar Before The Rolex 24, the tune-up session for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series teams in advance of the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, is set for Jan. 7-9. Tickets are $15 daily for the Roar Before The Rolex 24, with driver fan forums, tech talks and pit stop demonstrations slated for Saturday.  2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission.

While there will be 24 hours of sports car racing on the historic road course of Daytona International Speedway during the 49th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 29-30, there’s also going to be 24 hours of fun-filled activities inside the infield of Daytona International Speedway.

More info at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Courtesy of Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Jumping ahead two months, mark the calendar for the Grand Prix of Miami on March 5. Check out some of the world’s fastest sports cars (and maybe catch a glimpse of driver Patrick Dempsey—yes, that Patrick Dempsey) with a $25 ticket that INCLUDES access to the garages and Pit Road.

More info at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motorsports topics by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. 

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com