The smells of campfires, BBQ’s and cigar smoke in the cool evening air while some of the world’s most iconic endurance racing cars compete around the clock. The HSR Daytona 24 did not disappoint.

I have been bringing my family to the Roar Before the 24 for a couple of years and now we have made this event a tradition as well. That is a special thing, particularly for an overly obsessed petrolhead like me.

Elsewhere, Formula 1’s efforts to overhype their Las Vegas race to the point where it can only disappoint have been successful. Ticket prices are dropping and people are trolling; their attempts to shield anyone from any race action who does not have a ticket are being mocked. Lest we forget, F1’s original attempt at racing in Las Vegas was also a failure. Come to think of it, pretty much any street race there has been. That is not to say this one will follow suit, however, there are some issues that could use fixing.

Their attempt at true date equity is foolish and should have been avoided. They have tried so hard to avoid clashing with other automotive events in Vegas that they have played themselves out of attendance. There is no reason why they couldn’t have “coincidentally” merged with SEMA or Mecum, and perhaps they should have rode those coattails instead of letting their hubris get the best of them. All of this stacked onto a doubling of the amount of North American races in 1 year; that just doesn’t seem like it will work as well as they want.

I am sure next weekend will be framed as a success, and perhaps it will be. However, there are matters that could use addressing for seasons to come. I would consider this race and some others quite frankly, to be rotated in and out over the course of multiple seasons. That could give them the value they’re looking for and help thin out their crowded calendar. Perhaps they could also consider racing at proper circuits of which there are plenty, which they now avoid simply because they fail to meet a certain standard of posh.

Lately I have become more and more obsessed with Industrial and Farming vehicles. For example, this crane gives me serious 956 vibes.

Finally, for this week’s driving tune we go to one of the best love songs ever written.

Have a great weekend everyone!