Raging into the darkness, brake discs aglow in red, exhausts firing blue flames rearward as the hands of the clock spin past midnight and keep rotating through another 12 hours until 24 hours of endurance racing cruelty is complete.
Weeks before NASCAR fans flock to Daytona Beach for its storied 500-mile oval contest, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), holds its annual celebration of heartbreak and glory for two straight days at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It's one of one, a major event unlike anything else on the U.S. sporting landscape -- held this weekend, to be precise -- and it's on the rise.