Gallery: a 24-hour race in 24 pictures

My job is all about using my eyes. I’m a photographer. I get paid to see things, and document them. Over the course of the last few years that I’ve been covering motorsport professionally, I’ve come to realise that not only do I have the best job on Earth, but that countless thousands, millions even, share the same passion for photography that I do at the races, and the same passion for taking photos at car races.

I have also come to realise that few, if any, of the fans that share my passions, know what it truly takes to cover a 24-hour car race. So, here is a brief look inside what the Rolex 24 at Daytona is like from my perspective.

Words and images: Jamey Price

Before we begin, the best place to start is to tell you who I’m providing images to. I am working as the Lamborghini Squadra Corse photographer, covering Lamborghini’s effort with their eight cars, as well as for two of the other teams running Lamborghinis.

I am also covering the race for Aston Martin Racing, and of course taking photos of the other cars in the race for editorial publications (like Top Gear!) and for future sales. You never know when it will be good to have an image of the Corvette #4 car from the 55th Daytona 24 in the future. I own all my own images, so I cover the race form a variety of different needs and perspectives.

So click through and as well as my diary from the race, you’ll get a gallery of some images from Daytona…

Saturday 27 January, 2017. 6.50am. Alarm goes off. This will be the last time I see a comfortable place to rest for the next 38 hours.

8:00am. Arrive at the track and set up my work station, which will serve as a place to edit, eat, and rest my feet for the day. We’ve bought snacks at the local grocery store, some of which are junk food purely to keep our spirits up, and some of which are healthier option to keep our bodies and brains functioning in the long night to come.

8:30am. A friend and I go for a wander through some of Daytona’s campgrounds. The sun is shining and the air is crisp and cool. You can smell the fires burning and grills cooking breakfast. Everyone’s spirits are high in anticipation of the race.

9:18am. I have quite a few clients this race weekend, so I go and wander to the garages to check in on them and how the car prep is coming. I’m thankful to have some amazing people I’m working with and for, so I wander through the garages and see how everyone is doing before the race.

10:30am. Photographers’ safety briefing. The track and series photographer gives us the ins and outs of where we can go and not go. Important to follow this…

10:40am. Catch the end of the Daytona historic race cars parade. Some amazing machines from the past are roaring around the speedway banking.

11:15am. I head over to the VIP area to meet up with Lamborghini and their clients who are getting hot laps in the production car around the speedway. They need photos of it, so I happily oblige.

11:40am. The cars are starting to be rolled out to the grid. I love seeing the masses of fans swarming around the cars as the mechanics push through the sea of people to get the car where it needs to go. Sadly, it was as this point the sun disappeared and wouldn't return again until 26 hours later.

12:00pm. Drivers autograph session starts. The heaving mass of fans flows along the backside of the garage getting drivers to sign die cast cars, posters, prints, t-shirts and everything else they can find. All the drivers are required to be there, so it’s a great chance to see the heroes before they're tucked away behind a steering wheel.

12:45pm. Last trip into the media centre before the race to grab a few bottles of water, all of my gear and a quick bit of food from the snack bar I have assembled behind my computer.

1:15pm. Driver introductions on the main stage on the pit lane. All the GTD (Daytona) and GTLM (Le Mans) drivers are introduced and pose for a quick photo.

1:37pm. The prototype drivers and cars roll down pit lane and toward their spots on the grid. Shortly after, fans are allowed to swarm the grid and see the cars up close and in person and talk to the drivers as they prepare for the race.

2:01pm. I take my last photo on the grid and head toward the grandstand as the announcer calls for the grid to be cleared.

2:05pm. Head up into the grandstands. I have to be on the grandstand side of the track by 4pm, so I figured I would start over there since it is one of the better spots to shoot the start of the Daytona 24 hours from.

2:20pm. One last phone call to my fiancé to check in and say hi, and let her know all is well and that I’ll somehow survive the next 24 hours without sleep, proper food or any kind of significant break.

2:30pm. GREEN FLAG! 24 hours start now. From my position in the stands, there are four or five photo angles I’m shooting from that spot. It’s elevated so it provides lots of opportunity for creativity and some useful photos that my various clients will want.

3:29pm. I head toward the roof of Daytona speedway where the spotters are working from. (They communicate with drivers in each car to let them know where competitors are). It’s a nice wide photo of the speedway and banking. Though, without the bright blue skies and sunshine, it’s not nearly as nice as it normally would be.

3:55pm. Lamborghini is hosting a discussion for members of the press with the head of motorsport, Giorgio Sanna and head of Lamborghini R&D, Maurizio Reggiani, which I must photograph. It’s not all on-track action.

4:45pm. I head back toward the inside of the track and the media centre to dump my memory cards and do a quick edit from the action so far, for clients that need a race update. Again, it’s not all shooting cars on track – the 24 hours (plus!) of a race involve lots of chores, too.

6:40pm. With the clouds not having dispersed at all, we were completely robbed of a sunset, which at Daytona can be absolutely stunning when the conditions are in your favor. But not this year. It was dark by 6pm or so. So I make the most of the darkness and lack of light with a wander around pit lane, catch a few pit stops and make sure to get a few candid shots of drivers and mechanics.

8:15pm. For the second year in a row, a few friends and I have rented a pilot and a Cessna plane to fly us around over the speedway, so we head to the airport which sits next to the track itself, and check in with our pilot and board our plane. This and the next three shots ought to explain just why we’ve done that…

9:15pm. Air traffic control notifies us that we are cleared to take off, and fly directly over the track, and have a bottom altitude of just 400 feet. Works for us!

The view as we circle overhead is truly amazing. You can see the cars working their way around the track in great detail. It’s really incredible as the entire track is lit up by the speedway lights.

9:57pm. The annual Daytona 24 fireworks show begins. We are still circling overhead and shoot it from a distance so we can capture the entire track and the colorful lights and colors from the fireworks exploding on the back stretch.

10:05pm. Back on solid ground. We head back to the track, grab a quick dinner on the way, head to the media centre and send images to our clients so they have some cool content to post on social media and in press releases.

Sunday 28 January, 2017, 12:51am. I head back out on track. It is pouring rain and very cold so conditions are far from fun. Much of Daytona is walking distance, so with all my rain gear, I head toward the NASCAR turn four, to catch the cars on the banking at night. With the added intrigue of rain, it makes for some unique photos.

1:52am. I head back toward the middle section of the track and shoot the cars through the International Horseshoe section of track. It’s a 180 degree turn that offers lots of opportunity and different angles to the cars.

With the lights in the background from campsites and from the speedway lights, and the spray coming off the cars, it all makes for some really spectacular images. For the first time all day, I’m really enjoying the race.

2:30am. We are halfway through the race: 12 hours down, 12 hours to go. It’s still raining and still cold, but so far so good. I feel good mentally and physically. But the hard part is yet to come.

4:03am. I am back inside the media centre to download cards, dry off, grab a snack and an energy drink. A friend wants to go to the grandstand and do some rainy night time photos. So we jump in a golf cart and head toward the main Daytona grandstand.

5:11am. The rain is getting heavier, and at around 5:15am, the race goes under yellow flag for poor visibility and too much standing water on the track. From our vantage point, there isn't much use in shooting during this caution period.

We wait it out under the roof of the grandstand. I decide to lie down on the concrete floor and close my eyes. I was almost immediately asleep. A few minutes later, I get kicked in the shoulder by my friend who wants to head back toward the media centre.

6:03am. We head back toward the inside of the track. With the last of the night-time running, I make one last lap of the pit lane.

6:50am. I have now personally been awake for 24 hours (save for those precious moments on the floor), but we still have nine hours to go in the race. When I say this is hard, I mean it.

7:03am. The race finally resumes. The rain has subsided a little bit, enough for the drivers to start pushing again.

7:29am. The sky starts showing a little color as the sun (remember that?) rises over the ocean to our east. The light is far from amazing still, so I head to the media centre (I spend a lot of time there, noticed?) to send images, and immediately realise how tired I am as I begin to nod off while editing images from the last few hours. Better have more snacks.

9:15am. I decide that if I stay in the media centre one minute longer, I will be fast asleep. So with a snack and a bottle of water, I head back out trackside. The best way to combat sleep and fatigue is to shoot more pictures. It may not be necessary, but there are always nice images to be made, no matter where and when you're shooting.

11:17am. I head to the media centre for one last download of images, a banana break, and a chance to sit down for a minute and catch up with some friends and colleagues. It has been a long, long day.

1:00pm. I walk out toward pit lane to spend the last hour or so shooting mechanics sleeping, cars covered in dirt and the final pit stops of the day. The sun is even starting to poke out again, after 16 hours of rain and seven hours of grey. It is a welcome sight.

2:20pm. Go watch the last 10 minutes of the race somewhere online, if you can find it. It still blows my mind that after 23 hours, 50 minutes of racing the cars can be nose to tail fighting for the overall lead. Failing that, read Top Gear’s race report here.

2:30pm. The checkered flag flies! We are done! (With the race anyway....) With a last minute pass for the lead, Ricky Taylor takes the win for Wayne Taylor Racing. His teammates Max “the Axe” Angelelli, Jordan Taylor and racing legend Jeff Gordon are over the moon, as you might expect.

2:39pm. The podium ceremony begins with lots of confetti and champagne. It’s always a fun atmosphere, and knowing the drivers and team personally makes it an even more enjoyable and special.

4:11pm. Podium ceremony over, It’s time to head to the media centre to finish a few priority edits and pack up my camera bags and head to the hotel for a hard earned and well deserved shower, dinner and an early bed.

9:30pm. When I finally climb into bed, I’ve been awake without sleep – save for that seven-minute nap at 5:30am or so – for 38 hours. Overall, it was a tough race, a challenging one for mind, body and spirit, but I survived another 24-hour race, and I have a few more to cover before the year is over. Better stock up on snacks.