| " | With no rest for the weary, the 24 hrs at Daytona is the ultimate make it or break it marathon." | February, 2000 |
| 24 Hours at Daytona 2000 Under a brilliantly blue, cloudless Florida sky, the kind one normally sees on those wish you were here beach scene postcards, the fastest GT race cars in the world started the 24 hours at Daytona race at Daytona International Speedway. These included the legendary racing teams of BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Porsche, Cadillac and Viper. Excuse me, did I say Cadillac ? Yes, Cadillac. It seemed only |
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At the starting line were 80 cars prepped and ready for one of the most grueling endurance tests of man and machine. One which tests the drive and stamina of its competitors, the function of its vehicles and components, and the efficiency of its pit crews. These were cars that would average well over 100 mph for the rest of the afternoon, evening and straight through until the next afternoon. No rest for the weary. The ultimate "make it or break it" marathon. In attendance were nearly 100,000 race fans |
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Keeping track of every
lap and every breakdown. Both the stands and the infield were a buzz of activity, fans
determined to see and be seen at this prestigious event. Additionally, there were seven
roadsters, and their seven owners, all of whom staunchly braved the chilly forecast to be a
part of Daytona. Mick Nudl, our favorite Aussie, came down from Georgia in his well driven ford blue FFR 1129. From the middle of the state came Gary Bogart |
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| and his mean green machine (FFR 1xxx) and Chris Broomfield (FFR 1802) in his steel blue show stopper. Richard Bailey couldnt have looked finer, even if FFR 1836 was still in primer. Taking time out from sun bathing in southern Florida, Luis Lopez FFR 1584 and John Phillips FFR 1152 made the trek north to Daytona. Mike Mack, too, decided a trip down from Pennsylvania with his Factory Five beauty was worth the effort, especially if he could see Mickey and the Disney gang after the race. |
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In an endurance test of their own, the FFROGs had to battle the persistently strong winds which cut through the 60 degree sunshine like a cold ginsu knife, in actuality, it feel more like a New England winter rather than a breath of Florida warmth. Still these brave, perhaps fool-hearty, men, battled the cold in style, driving their cars back to the warmth of their homes after the checkered flags flew.The rest of the FFROG contingency (including Floridians Jim Broom, Bill Durnell, Jay Hamilton, Jason Kempf, | |||||||
| Chuck West; and others from further north, including Tom Blank (Iowa), John Hannaford (Ontario), and John Host(Alabama), all watched as one race car after another fell victim to the challenge. By morning only a third of the starting field was still running. Many teams, in fact, were already packing their bags, ready to head home with worn out cars and crew. The FFROGs, however, were still out in force, waiting in the wings, hoping beyond hope that they might be called off the bench, ready to do battle with the big boys. |
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In the end, the new Roadster, the Viper, and the Viper Team, was the one that took the checkered flag. With an overall race winner, and a finish with four cars in the top seven, they brought racing respectability back to snake-dom. |
| FFROG attending members included: |
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| Jim Schenck | ||||||||
| FFR Engineer | ||||||||
| Mark Weber | ||||||||
| FFR Mad publicist | ||||||||
| Mick Nudl | ||||||||
| FFR 1129 | ||||||||
| Richard Bailey | ||||||||
| FFR 1836 | ||||||||
| Mike Mack | ||||||||
| Builder | ||||||||
| John Phillips | ||||||||
| FFR 1152 | ||||||||
| Chris Broomfield | ||||||||
| FFR 1802 | ||||||||
| Luis Lopez | ||||||||
| FFR 1584 | ||||||||
| Jason Kempf | ||||||||
| Jay Hamilton | ||||||||
| John Hannaford | ||||||||
| Jim Broom | ||||||||
| Chuck West | ||||||||
| John Host | ||||||||
| Bill Durnell | ||||||||
| Richard Chaney | ||||||||
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