Learn me Rolex 24 hours of Daytona

I had some Southwest Airlines credit that was to expire in February so instead of letting it go by the wayside I booked a very brief trip to Florida to take in some of the 24 hours of Daytona. If things so to plan, I should be there from roughly noon on Saturday to 2:00 am Sunday morning. 

Is the garage pass a must for a race fan or will general admission and infield access give me enough options to see and hear most of the action? 

I am aware of the GRM tent and will certainly pop in there for a bit. If I get the garage pass, then the midnight tour seems like it could be a good option. 

Any "must do or see" things to be aware of? 

This will be my first time attending an endurance event and the opportunity isn't likely to present itself again anytime soon (might be one and done) so I want to make the most of it. 

In reply to fusion66 :Walking the garages during the race, especially overnight while teams were piecing cars back together was interesting to see up close. If possible I'd get the pass. Also take advantage of the trams to get around and see the race from a number of different points. Sleep well the night before, bring comfortable shoes, and an extra sweatshirt. It gets a bit cool overnight. 

Subscribed.  I just moved to FL, thinking about going down for a day (and night).  Not sure what to expect for tickets, pricing, parking, etc.  Thanks.

So roughly 14 hrs at the race? $50 extra for the garage pass ($68 vs $118) is probably worth it. I managed to track down Montoya and Bourdais for an autograph the year I was there after missing the organized session. 

I'd look at getting up in the front stretch stands first, then catch a tram into the infield and making your way around the various site points, then to GRM tent, then through garages? should be able to get back to wherever you preferred or catch the  midnight tour. I thought it was cool to get up in the stands at night also just for the effect of seeing all the headlights moving in the dark.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/schedule-fan-guide-2020-grm-experience-rolex-24-da/

Yeah, what Wally said: comfortable shoes, earplugs, hat, sunblock, water. Plan for a day outside and just take it all in. I'd also recommend visiting the garages, especially late at night. If you can't park inside, no worries. Just hop a tram. Also, plan some time to visit the grandstands. It's a cool view from up there. 

Look for an updated GRM Rolex fan guide very, very soon. 

Take enough clothes to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, and definitely spend some time at night near the infield corners so you can watch the glowing brake rotors. Also watching from the stands at night is a real visual experience. Skip the infield hot dogs.

Garage pass IS a must, in my opinion. Seeing how efficiently they can reassemble a busted up car is awesome to watch in real time. And youre RIGHT THERE, it's a cool experience. 

I like watching the first 45 minutes or so from the grandstands just beyond turn 1 - usually some action going into turn one the first few laps, and you can see all of the infield bits from there (everything, really).

For me, I'll watch till about 11, go nap in the car, up at 1ish to walk around, back in around 230 or something and another 90 minutes of napping. Rinse and repeat until about 8am then Im up and watching all the action. 

Move around, get different angles. If taking a DSLR - bring lots of cards or a computer to get rid of pics. I usually shoot about 3500 at a 24 Hour of Daytona, and shoot as high of resolution as possible. 

Weather: it'll be so lovely (typically, when sun is out!) during the days, but it'll get chilly at night, so bring a jacket or hoodie. And beanie. 

A backpack is nice for when youre walking around, lot of free stuff given out, shirts and stuff. Maybe you stop by the GRM tent and buy a shirt/subscription ...not fun to have to carry those things. 

At night, I love going to the international horseshoe and seeing those brakes glow orange. 

Ive camped before and enjoyed it. Ive also had experiences where I leave for a while for dinner, which is a nice 'break' from the noise and a good meal. I usually hit up Outback across the street, they'll the race on and you never know who you'll be seated beside of at the bar. One year the first guy was the brother of Michael Shank, if I remember right. Then, taking his place, was the father of one of the drivers for Red Dragon when they were running a DP (this was maybe 2010 or so, it's been a while, I forget the year). It was cool, just chat, enjoy a steak, watch racing.

HAVE FUN. Let us know how it all goes. I want to be there this year, but I think I'll have to wait till 2023, got a wedding to plan and pay for, so cutting out a few things here and there.