Another Bygone - Daytona Racing on the 4th of July
General
My July 4ths were like this most years. At the track by 3:30 to 4:00 ispections started at 4:30. All cars had to be on the starting grid no later than 9:00am. By that time you didn't have a dry thread of clothing on due to the heat and humidity you would be praying for a breeze to come your way.Take turns eating a dried out sausage bisquit or cold gravy and grits.I normally would just stay on pit road to watch the cars to make sure no one tampered with them them everyone would report to there prespective area where they were to work by then it was in the upper 80's normally and when the race started it was a real blessing because you knew in about three hours if all went well you would be heading to the beach. In the mean time if you were on pit road you could hardly breath and your shoes that were damp from the sweat were now burning your feet and when you walked up and down pit road the tar in the crevices of the asphalt was sticking to your leather bottom shows and adding to the burning of your feet. Some would get water out of the coolers and pour in your shoes or boots that would help until it turned to steam. Also when the cars would come down pit road they were blury coming at you do to the heat waves coming off of the asphalt.We sometimes would get a red rag and put ice in it and tie the four cornors and put it under your hat and that helped some.When the race was over and all cars were through inspection then you could go to the beach at about 3:00 or so by then you were totally spent that what ever you drank just came out as sweat almost as fast as you drank it. When you got to the motel if you made it to the bed you didn't go anywhere else till the 5th of July. That was a normal july 4th for me back in the good ole days.
