Postcards from the Paddock - Rolex 24

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is complete! I'm sure it will come as no surprise when I say it was unlike any of the previous four I've covered. The Roar Before the 24 was held the week prior to the race, the grid was set by a qualifying race, attendance was capped, I was essentially sequestered in the media center the whole time, and a driver was pulled from his lineup due to a positive COVID diagnosis mid-race. Suffice it to say the 2021 edition of the Rolex 24 is one that I'll remember at least as much for bubbles and protocols and Zoom as for the race itself.

And that's saying something because what a race it was! Four of the five classes' winners were determined in the final hours and the nearly two-hour green flag dash to the checkered flag was full of unexpected twists and turns. From Wayne Taylor Racing's third-straight overall win (and fourth in five years) to Corvette Racing rebounding from last year's difficult debut at Daytona for their C8.R to score a dominant 1-2, to the star-studded field of stock car and open-wheel champions mixed with sports car racing's best, the on-track product met all expectations.

The on-site experience, however, was totally unique. Teams and drivers operated in their bubbles and my access to them as an accredited journalist was restricted to series-organized Zoom conferences and phone calls. These protocols were necessary for the race to take place and I'm grateful that IMSA, NASCAR, and Daytona International Speedway were operating with the health and safety of all in mind but it made it nigh impossible to do my job as I'm used to doing it.

There were two groups in particular that suffered most from this necessary physical distancing: the less prominent teams and the fans at home. The motorsports media corps, from my colleagues at Sportscar365.com to our counterparts at other outlets, thrive on casual conversations with members of the paddock. More often than not these are unscheduled and come by virtue of time spent walking around the garage area.

Such ambling, understandably, was not possible at Daytona this year. Casual strolls through the paddock were replaced by Zoom press conferences which tended to feature prominent names from IndyCar or NASCAR in order to get the attention of the mainstream racing media. Many of the small or lesser-known teams of the WeatherTech Championship were never afforded the opportunity to tell their stories. Those from IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge support series were hardly featured at all.

My greatest disappointment in the weekend was my inability to cover the Pilot Challenge paddock like I normally do. It's typically my beat for Sportscar365 during the Roar and into the days leading up to the Rolex 24 and I count many of the teams and drivers as friends. Without proper interviews or access to their paddock this year, I'm afraid their stories went largely untold.

As frustrating and disappointing as the arrangement could be, I'm grateful the race was able to take place and that I was privileged to be one of the few who could cover it on-site in these strange times. I particularly enjoyed the chance to catch up with my racing friends, the people who have become my family on the road, all of us a part of this traveling circus that is the motorsports industry. It was fun as well to try my hand at creating some YouTube content during the Roar and during the buildup to the race and I may do more with that medium in the months to come.

Finally I'd like to say a big thank you to Tom Moore and Porsche North America for arranging a visit to the incredible Brumos Collection in Jacksonville. Their collection of Brumos Racing memorabilia, plus a remarkable array of early-20th century open-wheel racing cars, is a can't-miss stop for any race fan visiting the area.

Thanks as well to all of you who read my stories, watched the YouTube videos, or listened to the podcasts, and especially to those of you who take the time to interact with me on social media. I love talking to race fans! So many of you have reached out with words of encouragement and helpful tips and even a useful correction or two, all of which is most appreciated.

I've got some down time between now and the next trip but the good news is the racing season has started once again and that brings a smile to my face, even if it's hidden under a mask!

—Ryan