Travis Engen, 05 Audi R8

HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hours (2015) – Recap & Photo Gallery

The Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 was not a vintage event. It was a historical recreation. Presented by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) on November 11-15, the race weekend recreated the history of endurance racing at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway.

In the span of 24 hours, those in attendance got to see cars from five decades, divided by age, not performance, race against their peers on the same venue they competed in period. From the Lola T70 and Matra MS 630 of the 1960s, through the Greenwood Corvette, BMW CSL and Porsche 935 of the 1970s, the Porsche 962 and Jaguar XJR of the 1980s to the 21st century’s Audi R8, Pescarolo LMP and today’s Daytona Prototypes, it was all there.

Some of these cars were driven by the drivers that originally raced them. Jochen Mass, Brian Redman, Bobby Rahal, Jim Pace and Shane Lewis were among the many drivers from different eras that competed at HSR’s 2015 Classic 24 Hour at Daytona. They signed autographs and participated in a symposium recounting races past. There was also a John Greenwood tribute to honor the late builder and driver of the awesome Greenwood Corvettes that raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona in the 1970s.

Along with seeing cars recreate history, there was the experience of living through 24 hours of racing. Participants — drivers, crew or spectators — felt the pageantry and excitement of the start. They saw day turn to night, and the cars morph from gaily painted to brightly lit. They sat, watching the cars go by, lap after lap, perhaps allowing the hypnotizing effect of this to overcome them.

Dawn brought its energizing quality. It was also when one checked to see who was still out there racing, and who did not survive the night. And though it felt like the end is in sight, there were still six hours of racing to go. Then the finish, the celebration of success (just making it to the end was success to many) and exhaustion overtaking body and mind.

One of the entries to this yearโ€™s event was a tribute 1969 Lola T-70 built by Broadley Automotive (think Eric Broadley, founder of Lola cars). It was painted the same Sunoco blue as the Roger Penske owned Lola that won in 1969 with Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons driving. The car at this year’s race suffered front end damage, and completed the race with duct tape keeping the damaged bodywork in place, just like the 1969 winner did.

That’s one hell of a historical recreation.

Similar to 2014, photographer David Ferguson also documented the Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015. We split up David’s pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of SCD, while the second gallery can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs.

Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery

 

Don Ahearn, 67 Porsche 911 being passed by 69 Lola T70Mk IIIB.
Father and Son โ€“ Trenery and Trenery in their 1964 Chevrolet Corvette
DeDantis/Moore 67 Alfa GT takes the low groove, giving room to the approacing Tom O’Callaghan/Bruce Ellsworth driven 72 Porsche 911
Old and new, big and small, fast and faster.
Scott Turner, 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350
Tape holding the bodywork in place, just as it did to the Lola T70 that won in 1969.

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Two

 

Olivier Bouquet, 99 Dodge Viper GTS-R leads the Cooper and David MacNeil 97 Porsche 993 RSR.
M. Elicalde/A. Chawhan/A. Rivera/J. Visir, 66 Porsche 906 VRC
Randy Beck, 64/07 Beck 904 GTS
Robert Blain/Ron Maydon, 75 March 755 (Can-Am)
Imagine the sound. It’s most special.
CH DeHaan, 73 BMW CSL

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Three

 

Robert Blain, 04 Corvette C6R
Randall Smalley, 88 Jaguar XJR-5
George Calfo, 92 Porsche 964 Cup leads the Frank Kovacevic/Anthony Walker 92 Porsche 911
Steve Cohen/Ray Snowdon, 92 Olds Aurora GTS
Higgins/Monk, 85 Porsche/Fabcar
Dreelan/Scott, 87 Porsche 962

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Four

 

Russell Gee, 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Coupe
John Machul/Mark White, 69 Porsche 911
Lopez/Wallenborn, 69 Lola T70 Mk lllb
Dean DeSantis/Ken Moore, 67 Alfa Romeo GT
Alex MacAllister, 71 Chevron B16
Richard Dean, 81 Porsche 935

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Five

 

Didier Andre/Jean Marc Gounon, 77 Greenwood Corvette
Scott Hughes/Brian Redman, 72 BMW CSL
Christian Zugel/Mark Patterson, 86 Porsche 962
Sparks flying at Daytona.
Dan Curry/Gunnar Jeannette, 85 Porsche 962
Jeff Lewis, 93 Porsche 964 RSR

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Six

 

This Greenwood Corvette did not finish.
Gounon/Gounon, 79 Greenwood Corvette
Martin Lauber/Mark Colbert/Wolfgang Kurth, 71 Chevron B19
Brian Redman, 72 BMW CSL
Bobby Rahal, 74 Porsche 911 RSR
Richard Dean, 85 Ford Mustang Cobra

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Seven

 

Traversone/Gomez, 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 โ€˜Daytonaโ€™
Mark Sandridge, 15 Porsche 991 Cup
Robert Boller, 63 Lotus 23b
A trio of Porsches.
Dean Baker, 98 Riley & Scott Mk IIIb
Ivan Vecoutere/Richard Mearden, 00 Dodge Viper GTS-R

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Eight

 

Dean DeSantis/Simon Gras in a Calder-ish painted 73 BMW CSL.
The green flag!
Trans-Am Mustang, aka eye candy.
William Newman, 1971 Triumph GT6
Shea Brown, 74 Fiat 128/SL
Two fast Porsche 914/6s, Jonathon Ziegelman (28) and Peter Schick/Brady Refenning (66).

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Nine

 

Racing into the night.
Dusk
Audi in the infield.
Richard Carlino/Derek Jones, 96 Riley & Scott Mk lll
Jim Cullen, 68/10 Lola T70 Mklllb
Terpins/Lara Resende/Aranha, 68 Porsche 911

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Ten

 

John Higgins/Charlie Monk, 85 Porsche/Fabcar
Randall Smalley, 88 Jaguar XJR-5
Zugel/Patterson, 86 Porsche 962
Bruce/Spencer Tenery, 64 Corvette and Josh Sadler/Paul Howells/Mark Henderson, 70 Porsche 911
Toni Seiler, 69 Lola T70 Mklllb
Gray Gregory, 71 Chevron B16

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Eleven

 

Byron DeFoor/Jim Pace, 12 Riley & Scott Mk lll
Josh Simpson, 12 Porsche 991 RSR
Dieter Quester/Andreas Bovensiepen, 09 BMW Alpina B6 GT3
Dean Baker, 98 Riley & Scott Mk lllb
The Rob Gewitz/Shane Lewis 03 Riley Mk XI kicks up a lot of dust at the Bus Stop.
Olivier Bouquet, 99 Dodge Viper GTS-R spins out on the dusty corner.

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Twelve

 

Frank DePew/David Murry, 93 Porsche 964 Turbo S
1969 Sunoco liveried Lola T70 Mklllb in victory circle, just like in the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona.
Dan Curry/Gunnar Jeannette, 85 Porsche 962
Frank DePew/David Murry, 93 Porsche 964 Turbo S
It’s for sale at Mecum’s upcoming Kissimmee auction
David and Cooper MacNeil, 97 Porsche 993 RSR

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Thirteen

 

Lopez/Moulin, 67 Matra MS630
Gerard Lopez/Florent Moulin, 67 Matra MS630
Hartmut Von Seelen/Kevin Wheeler, 74 Porsche 911 RSR
Jeff McKee, 66 SPF GT40
Travis Engen, 05 Audi R8
Travis Engen, 05 Audi R8

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Featured Picture Gallery Page Fourteen

 

Gunnar Jeannette, 86 Porsche 962
Moulin Florent/Gerard Lopez, 03 Saleen S7R GT1
Josh Simpson, 12 Porsche 991 RSR
Paddock at night
Dean Baker in the lovely sounding 98 Riley & Scott Mk lllb
Toni Seiler, 69 Lola T70 Mk lllb Coupe

 

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Classic 24 Hour Daytona 2015 – Main Picture Gallery (click image for larger photo and description)

 

[nggallery id=868 images=15]

 

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[Source: David Ferguson]