Home Sports ‘We open with the Super Bowl’: the work behind the 24-hour endurance race of Daytona

‘We open with the Super Bowl’: the work behind the 24-hour endurance race of Daytona

by Eclipsnews
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Daytona Beach, Fla. – nodding out of his window in a small, unobtrusive building in Daytona International Speedway’s Infield, Chris Baynes can now smile. But two decades ago it was a serious matter that demanded immediate attention, and it happened to be his first day at work.

Baynes, senior director of Facility Operations, is talking about his first race that the Rolex 24 works in Daytona, a twice-round-the-clock-duration race that is one of the characteristic races on the Motorsports calendar. The position in which he found himself and still involves is now comprehensive, responsible for insuring the DIS ‘infrastructure is fully operational when hosting an event, including the screens and guardrails that are 3.56 miles, 12- Turn Road course surrounding.

On this day, a crash had seriously damaged part of the guardrail, so that long repairs were needed, whereby Baynes supervised the project. The damage was so extensive that the race had to be completely stopped, something that normally does not happen during a endurance race. But this was an exception; A decision that fell on Baynes’s shoulders.

“I was in this office, light, headset on and I got a phone call and I looked out of that window here,” said Baynes. “There is a Porsche on a crash barrier, crash barrier is (chattering) in the air and the Porsche is on fire.

“That was my first race that was only in charge. Probably the most nervous I have ever been. ‘

So it goes when a number organizes each race, but above all a job that requires more than a plus of the perfect operations for a crowd of tens of thousands. Accidents happen, breaking things, the unthinkable happens – and it can all happen at any time of the day.

During the newly completed Rolex 24 in Daytona, Athletics Speaked with several important individuals about everything that happens behind the scenes to ensure that a race goes off this scope, by navigating a stressful high-wire act in a coordinated effort while walking on a little sleep.


Dis is good at home in organizing large events, and with the Rolex 24 now in his 63rd year, there is no shortage of experience and institutional knowledge. Preparations start the previous fall and then start seriously as soon as the calendar browses to the new year, so that the countdown to racing day is effectively activated. Each department head has a detailed checklist, some more than a hundred pages, which they work through. Certain projects must start well in advance, while others can wait until the week of the event.

From the large (to ensure that the job, screens and guardrails are safe and the on-site care centers are well-manned and equipped) to small facets (make sure that every light bulb works efficiently in every suite, toilet and public space), The idea has not been overlooked, a constant process of control and checking again.

“It’s a lot,” said Paul Bender, senior director of location activities. “The grandstand and food service areas are inactive for a few months, so things are closed and things go to hibernation, so to speak. And we are a kind of thing again in January, so we don’t know what is being broken and what is not. “

On Bender’s phone he has access to the temperature for almost every fridge and freezer on real estate that is used by the catering personnel. The convenience of technology helps him to know if something is wrong, because every breakdown is potentially disastrous in view of the volume of food that needs to be prepared.

Saving these 100-plus combined walk-in refrigerators and freezers plus two “gigantic” fridges and freezers is the responsibility of Ty Bittner, the Regional Operations Manager for Levy, a catering company that serves DIS. In the weeks and days that lead to the Rolex 24 -weekend, orders are placed with tax and Bittner has the task of supplying 25,000 pounds of chicken, 15,000 hot dogs, 5,000 pounds of breast and 5,000 pounds of short ribs, plus a multiple of other ingredients are 100 chefs on staff require full, multi-course meals that are served in suites or grab-and-go food that is sold on concessions.


The sun goes under the stands of DIS during the Rolex 24 of this weekend. The endurance race requires many racing teams – and the staff of the track. (James Gilbert / Getty images)

And this is a 24-hour race, coffee is essential. Lots of coffee. Bittner estimates that they will go through 2,000 liters of coffee throughout the weekend. (Forty thousand non-alcoholic drinks are also ordered.)

“We have a (large) wall with only sheets of paper who gets what, where, and it is called ‘the timeline’,” said Bittner. “We know that the suite is currently receiving this – you know that this person has a nut allergy or does not want gluten, but this wants. We all coordinate that. … everyone has their task. We get up in the morning, have coffee and are about what we do. Here is our plan, let’s go there. “

Although the challenges with which DIS is confronted with the food side are not necessarily unique compared to other large -scale sporting events, there is a difference, explains Bittner, who has extensive experience in hospitality that works for the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings of the NBA , and MLBs and MLBs and MLBs Los Angeles Dodgers.

Many stick-and-ball sports go on to rise and nods out before they organize a ‘big game’. But for the Rolex 24, Bittner notes, Dis does not get the chance to hold an exhibition or regular seasonal game to prepare for a controversial event. His staff must essentially jump into the deep end of the pool.

“If you have 20 to 40 games, you hopefully did well because of your first one or two games,” Bittner said. “We don’t have that luxury. We open with the Super Bowl. We have one chance to get it right, so we ensure that we do well. “


Just like those who compete on the circuit, have to sacrifice sleep, so also many of the staff. The most valuable raw material during the Rolex 24 is the chance to even take a few hours of rest.

Employees must be employed does not apply to employees of the general staff or care providers, because they are being played in services. For many others, however, that is a different story. This is also a endurance racing for them. And it is not only the 24-hour expensive, but the time before and after, which can mean that they stay awake for 30 hours.

Among the operational employees, Radio Chatter is constant during the race to ensure that everyone stays awake and alert. A logistics crew is sent at various points to all fire trucks stationed around the building to exchange batteries, bring coffee and check in.

“You have to ensure that they are hydrated, make sure they are fed, radio controls and do things like that,” said Troy Willrick, Dis’ Managing Director of Emergency and Event Services. “With this race it is actually a 32 -hour day.”

Those who are in charge are not obliged to stay awake everywhere, it is just that they admit that they cannot completely pull themselves away and release themselves because of the constant fear that something will happen that their immediate attention requires. Jennifer Young, Dis’ Senior Director of Operations, whose tasks coordinate the master schedule until the last second include, laughs and shakes her head when asked how much sleep she gets.

Of course she tries to go home and rest, although it is essentially useless. Usually she is in bed, looks at the race and monitors her phone.

“We had a windstorm (the weekend before), and we lost a lot of our backstretch banners, so I had a panic moment for our partners,” Young said. “And so this week was a bit stressful. I would like to sleep at night, but if you see the wind and you see those big green Jumbo banners, I get a little nervous. I would like to sleep all night, but I am constantly worried. ‘


A sign at Dis has some fun with the 24-hour nature of the race. Keeping the clock around the clock is part of the added challenge for organizers. (James Gilbert / Getty images)

Dis President Frank Kelleher goes one step further and has accepted that he does not feel comfortable to leave the facility. For the duration of the week that leads to the race and during the race weekend itself, he moves to a camper in the Infield so that he is constantly accessible.

“We now have an espresso machine in our Infield Ops (building),” said Kelleher. “We have a soft serve ice machine. We have a popcorn machine. I have just found a soft pretenting machine that I think I am going to borrow and bring it to Infield Ops. This is not a weekend in which you count calories, carbohydrates or coffee intake. “

The “Zombie effect” is what Bender calls it. It is that time of the night in which sleep deprivation starts, something that he often encounters in fans who try to stay awake all 24 hours. It is common for Bender to wander the hall of the early hours and someone tries to sleep where they can find a place to crash.

“People just try to hold, and they are looking for every place where they can simply put their heads down, something soft,” said Bender. “I will see that a few of those people wander around, just looking for a place, or I will walk through the hall and look down and someone has stopped in a corner with their backpack, just waiting for the sun to rise. “

The concern goes beyond equipment such as a lift that gets stuck, an escalator that breaks down or a pipe that produces a leak. (In case DIS has stationed a specialized service team on the spot on site for all 24 hours.) There is also the fickle weather of Daytona to compete that between the day you can get warm to be cold at night making, and not persistent threat of rain.

Willrick is not going to check no more than a few minutes without checking the most up-to-date weather report. If a storm role in bringing lightning, or worse, it is his responsibility to move events to stop the race, to interpret spectators and send advice that everyone instructs to seek shelter.

“I constantly check all day long,” said Willrick. “All day long.”

The 2025 edition of the Rolex 24 was very competitive, culminating Penske Porsche, which celebrated a second consecutive victory.

But it was not only Penske celebrating that Sunday afternoon. Those were also operational people whose work provided the location, also successfully completed the longest race of the year.

“I am the man behind the scenes who ensures that everyone has a good time,” said Bender. “I ensure that escalators work; I got 47 escalators and 16 lifts and a freight lift. There are many moving parts. (Daytona) is nine tenths from a mile from one end to the other and 104,000 seats. That is a big performance. So I am very proud of that. ‘

go-dick

Get deeply

‘It is never ending’: behind the scenes during a 24-hour race with an F1 champion

(Top photo of cars racing under fireworks on Saturday during the Rolex 24 at Daytona: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

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