Daytona 24 Hours
By J.J. O’Malley
In the world of professional sports car racing, only two events have universal name recognition—even among the most casual of fans—the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. While countless books have been written about Le Mans over the years, it is surprising that no definitive text has been written about Daytona, until now.
In Daytona 24 Hours author J.J. O’Malley has teamed up with Daytona archivist Buzz McKim, historian Janos Wimpffen and David Bull Publishing to provide a year-by-year look at America’s most spectacular sports car race.
When “Big” Bill France built the Daytona International Speedway, he not only intended it to be the crown jewel of his NASCAR race series, but also a track for international competition. As such, he also created an infield road course section, linked to the banked speedway, which in 1962 hosted its first sports car event, the Daytona Continental 3 Hour. Dan Gurney won this inaugural event, in spectacular style, by stopping his disabled Lotus 19 just short of the finish line, waiting until the checkered flag fell and coasting across the line to claim one of the most dramatic finishes in motorsport history.
In the following 40 years, equally captivating dramas have unfolded involving epic battles between Ford, Porsche, Ferrari and any manufacturer wanting to leave its mark on the international stage. At 400 large-format, richly illustrated pages, this book is a worthy tribute to this illustrious race. But what makes this book really outstanding is the fact that, rather than a dull narrative of “who passed who, when and where,” O’Malley has interviewed many of the protagonists and told the story through their eyes. This first-hand account, combined with 422 color and period black-and white-shots from the Daytona archive (many never before published), makes Daytona 24-Hours a must-have for any fan of the history of motorsport.
Available for $89.95 (U.S.) from David Bull Publishing (800) 831-1758 or www.bullpublishing.com
