DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Nodding out his window in a small, nondescript constructing inside Daytona Worldwide Speedway’s infield, Chris Baynes can smile about it now. However 20 years in the past, it was a critical matter demanding fast consideration, and it simply so occurred to be his first day on the job.
Baynes, DIS’ senior director of facility operations, is speaking about his first race working the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a twice-around-the-clock endurance race that is among the signature races on the motorsports calendar. The place he was in then and nonetheless holds now could be all-encompassing, liable for guaranteeing DIS’ infrastructure is totally operational every time internet hosting an occasion, together with the fencing and guardrails that encompass the three.56-mile, 12-turn street course.
On at the present time, a crash had severely broken a bit of guardrail, necessitating prolonged repairs, with Baynes overseeing the mission. The injury was so intensive the race wanted to be stopped fully, one thing that doesn’t usually occur throughout an endurance race. However this was an exception; a call that fell on Baynes’ shoulders.
“I used to be sitting on this workplace, lights out, headset on, and I obtained a name, and I regarded out that window proper right here,” Baynes mentioned. “There’s a Porsche sitting on prime of a guardrail, guardrail is (flapping) within the air and the Porsche is on fireplace.
“That was my first race being on my own in cost. In all probability essentially the most nervous I’ve ever been.”
So it goes when a monitor hosts any race, however notably one which requires near-perfect operations for 24-plus hours earlier than a crowd of tens of 1000’s. Accidents occur, issues break, the unthinkable happens — and all of it can occur at any time of the day.
All through the just-completed Rolex 24 at Daytona, The Athletic spoke to a number of key people on all the pieces that goes on behind the scenes to make sure a race of this scope goes off, navigating a traumatic high-wire act in a coordinated effort whereas operating on little sleep.
DIS is well-versed in internet hosting large occasions, and with the Rolex 24 now in its 63rd yr, there isn’t any scarcity of expertise and institutional data. Preparations start the earlier fall, then begin in earnest as soon as the calendar flips to the brand new yr, successfully triggering the countdown to race day. Every division head has an in depth guidelines, some over 100 pages lengthy, which they work by way of. Sure initiatives want to start nicely upfront, whereas others can wait till the week of the occasion.
From the massive (guaranteeing the monitor, fencing and guardrails are protected and the on-site care facilities are correctly staffed and outfitted) to little aspects (ensuring each mild bulb in each suite, restroom and public space are working effectively), the concept is nothing is neglected, a continuing means of checking and rechecking.
“It’s so much,” mentioned Paul Bender, senior director of venue operations. “The grandstands and meals service areas sort of sit idle for a number of months, so issues get shut down and issues go to hibernation, so to talk. And we sort of gear issues again up in January, so we don’t know what’s going to be damaged and what’s not.”
On Bender’s telephone, he can entry the temperature for practically each fridge and freezer on property utilized by the hospitality workers. Tthe comfort of expertise helps him to know whether or not one thing is awry as a result of any breakdown is doubtlessly cataclysmic contemplating the quantity of meals that should be ready.
Stocking these 100-plus mixed walk-in fridges and freezers plus two “big” fridges and freezers is the accountability of Ty Bittner, the regional operations supervisor for Levy, a hospitality firm that providers DIS. Within the weeks and days main into the Rolex 24 weekend, orders might be positioned with Levy, and Bittner is tasked with delivering 25,000 kilos of rooster, 15,000 scorching canines, 5,000 kilos of brisket and 5,000 kilos of quick ribs, plus a mess of different elements his 100 cooks on workers require to organize full, multi-course meals that might be served in suites or grab-and-go meals bought at concession stands.
The solar units over the grandstands at DIS throughout this weekend’s Rolex 24. The endurance race calls for so much out of race groups — and the monitor’s workers. (James Gilbert / Getty Photos)
And being this can be a 24-hour race, espresso is crucial. Tons and plenty of espresso. Bittner estimates they’ll undergo 2,000 gallons of espresso over everything of the weekend. (Forty-thousand non-alcoholic drinks can even be ordered.)
“We now have a (large) wall with simply sheets of paper of who’s getting what, the place, and it’s known as ‘The Timeline,’” Bittner mentioned. “We all know the suite is getting this at the moment — you understand this particular person has a nut allergy or doesn’t need gluten however needs this. We coordinate all that. … Everyone has their job. We rise up within the morning, have coffees and go over what we’re doing. Right here’s our plan, let’s go to it.”
Whereas the challenges going through DIS on the meals facet aren’t essentially distinctive in comparison with different large-scale sporting occasions, there’s a distinction, explains Bittner, who has intensive expertise in hospitality working for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers.
Many stick-and-ball sports activities get to ramp up and iron out any kinks earlier than internet hosting a “large recreation.” However for the Rolex 24, Bittner notes, DIS doesn’t get the prospect to carry an exhibition or regular-season recreation to organize for a high-profile occasion. His workers basically has to leap into the deep finish of the pool.
“Once you’ve obtained 20 to 40 video games, hopefully you’ve gotten it proper by your first one or two video games,” Bittner mentioned. “We don’t have that luxurious. We open with the Tremendous Bowl. We now have one probability to get it proper, so we be certain that we get it proper.”
Simply as these competing on the monitor should sacrifice sleep, so too do a lot of DIS’ workers. Probably the most beneficial commodity in the course of the Rolex 24 is the prospect to seize even a few hours of relaxation.
Having to stay on responsibility doesn’t apply to common workers or emergency service employees staff, as they’re rotated out in shifts. For a lot of others, nonetheless, that’s one other story. That is an endurance race for them, too. And it’s not simply the 24-hour period however the time earlier than and afterward, which might imply staying awake for 30-plus hours.
Among the many operations workers, radio chatter is fixed all through the race to make sure everybody stays awake and alert. A logistics crew is dispatched at numerous factors to all of the firetrucks stationed across the property to swap out batteries, convey espresso and verify in.
“It’s important to be certain that they’re hydrated, be certain that they’re fed, do radio checks and that sort of stuff,” mentioned Troy Willrick, DIS’ managing director of emergency and occasion providers. “With this race, it’s mainly a 32-hour day.”
These in cost aren’t required to remain awake all through, it’s simply that they admit they will’t solely pull themselves away and detach as a result of fixed trepidation that one thing will occur that requires their fast consideration. Jennifer Younger, DIS’ senior director of operations, whose duties embrace coordinating the grasp schedule all the way down to the final second, laughs and shakes her head when requested how a lot sleep she will get.
Certain, she tries to go residence and relaxation, although it’s basically futile. Sometimes, she lays in mattress, watches the race and displays her telephone.
“We had a windstorm come by way of (the weekend prior), and we misplaced a variety of our backstretch banners, so I had a panic second for our companions,” Younger mentioned. “And so this week was a little bit traumatic. I might like to sleep at evening, however once you see the wind and also you see these giant inexperienced jumbo banners, I sort of get a little bit nervous. I’d like to sleep by way of the evening, however I’m consistently fearful.”
An indication at DIS has some enjoyable with the 24-hour nature of the race. Protecting followers entertained across the clock is a part of the added problem for organizers. (James Gilbert / Getty Photos)
DIS president Frank Kelleher takes it a step additional, having accepted that he doesn’t really feel comfy leaving the power. Throughout the week main into the race and thru the race weekend itself, he strikes right into a motorhome situated within the infield so he’s consistently accessible.
“We now have an espresso machine in our infield ops (constructing),” Kelleher mentioned. “We now have a mushy serve ice cream machine. We’ve obtained a popcorn machine. I simply discovered a mushy pretzel machine that I believe I’m going to borrow and produce it into infield ops. This isn’t a weekend the place you’re counting energy, carbs or espresso consumption.”
The “zombie impact” is what Bender refers to it as. It’s that point of evening when sleep deprivation units in, one thing he typically encounters in followers attempting to remain awake for all 24 hours. It’s frequent for Bender to wander the concourse in the course of the wee hours and see somebody attempting to sleep wherever they will discover a spot to crash.
“Individuals are simply attempting to hold on, and so they’re in search of anyplace the place they may simply considerably lay their head down, one thing mushy,” Bender mentioned. “I’ll discover a few these individuals wandering round simply in search of a spot, or I’ll be strolling down the concourse and look over and somebody is tucked up in a nook with their backpack, simply ready for the solar to return up.”
Considerations prolong past tools like an elevator getting caught, an escalator breaking down or a pipe springing a leak. (Simply in case, DIS has a specialised service crew stationed on-site on standby for all 24 hours.) There may be additionally Daytona’s fickle climate to take care of that may vacillate between scorching in the course of the day to frigid chilly at evening, to not point out the persistent risk of rain.
Willrick doesn’t go greater than a few minutes with out checking essentially the most up-to-date climate report. Ought to a storm roll in bringing lightning, or worse, it’s his accountability to place occasions in movement to cease the race, clear spectator areas and ship out advisories instructing everybody to hunt shelter.
“I’m consistently checking, all day lengthy,” Willrick mentioned. “All day.”
The 2025 version of the Rolex 24 was extremely aggressive, culminating with Penske Porsche celebrating a second consecutive victory.
However it wasn’t simply Penske celebrating Sunday afternoon. So too have been operational of us whose work ensured the venue additionally efficiently accomplished DIS’ longest race of the yr.
“I’m the man behind the scenes that makes certain that everyone has a great time,” Bender mentioned. “I guarantee that escalators are working; I obtained 47 escalators and 16 elevators and a freight elevator. There’s a variety of shifting elements. (Daytona) is nine-tenths of a mile from one finish to the opposite, and 104,000 seats. That’s a giant gig. So I take a variety of delight in that.”
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(Prime photograph of automobiles racing below fireworks on Saturday in the course of the Rolex 24 at Daytona: James Gilbert / Getty Photos)