As this olelongrooffan has previously shared with my fellow Hoons, this past weekend was the 51st running of the Rolex24 at Daytona. This year the esteemed Hurley Haywood was the Grand Marshall and I must admit, I remember this guy when he first started driving back in the day. My older brother, Bus-Plunge, was a huge sports car racing fan (he actually owned a first gen Spitfire) and I guess this olelongrooffan got my desire for all things not racing roundy-round from him. That and my love for all things with wheels that are old and Hoonish. Thanks Big Brother. Anyway, we aren’t here to remember all that crap, we are here to see the cars and other things I think are cool. I am writing this anyway. 

So as they always do for the Rolex24, there are a bunch of classic old race cars that show up for exhibition in TheFanZone area of the infield of my Speedway. Last year Joie Chitwood and his team were able to gather up the majority of the previous winners of this event and, if my fellow Hoons might remember, this olelongrooffan was able to catch those old race cars, first in an exhibition hall, and then on parade through the streets of the World Center of Racing. This year the bulk of the automobiles present had a link to Hurley Haywood and most were of the Porsche variety. However, this Prancing Horse 356 GTB sure captured the attention of this olelongrooffan. I’m not really a modern Ferrari fan but damn, how can any Hoon not enjoy seeing this ole sweety just out there for us to walk up and check out. Love the fins on the front fenders.

Just outside that pavilion, much like the one in the background of the above image, where that 356 exhibited its stuff, there were a whole damn bunch of Brumos Porsches and other race cars associated with Hurley Haywood. This olelongrooffan is convinced if the US were like Merry Ole England, we would be referring to this race car driver, and now Director of Motorsports for Brumos, as Sir Haywood. And probably a whole bunch of others as well. Ah, maybe it is just as well we don’t. Sir Stirling Moss is the real deal. Anyway, I’m athinkin’ this might be one of the original Daytona Prototypes. I don’t remember the year they first debuted but ’06 or 07 seems about right. Although, as always, this olelongrooffan could stand to be corrected. Anyway, based on the names on the roof of this #58 machine, in 2007, Hurley must have been driving its sister car, the number 59 DP.

And who of my fellow Hoons doesn’t appreciate a 935 whale tale from the mid 80s. I remember this one out on the track back in the day on ABC Wide World of Sports during some taped event probably shown some weeks later and still enjoying the looks of it. thejeepjunkie built one in 1/25 scale back in the day however his was painted in light blue. This olelongrooffan remembers that model car being around for about 20 years before he and I decided to ebay the shit out of about 250+ model cars. And then start all over building new ones.

Next up in the lineup of Hurley Haywood related machinery was this Group 44 Jaguar from 1984. These cars, not necessarily this one, pounded the circuit back in the day and the Silk Cut Jaguars with full rear fender skirts are still one of my all time favorite race cars (yeah, this olelongrooffan has a lot of them) and this Group 44 entry gets an A for effort that year.

I have this to say about that, who of my fellow Hoons can give me a driver line up as talented, in the same race car, as these three? Brian Redman, Hurley Haywood and Bob Tullius, the team owner. The fellow Hoon who does so and gets the most thumbs up in the comment section of this post get some of the free swag this olelongrooffan scored this weekend out at the Rolex24. Seriously. Give it a shot. I’ll be watching.

I especially like the interior headlights on this #44 Jaguar and the way they tilt off looking for the next curve on pretty much every race circuit on which it raced. Can anyone say European Spec Citroen SM anyone?

Each of the cars displayed had one of these marker boards next to it telling a little about the history of the car during the featured year it was run. This olelongrooffan, being the dick that I am, couldn’t resist pulling a TheGentlemanFarmer move and editing the spelling of its accomplishments against the Porsche 962 in the second to last line of that text. I know, I am a dick and spell shit wrong all the time. But I ain’t getting paid for it! Maybe this olelongrooffan needs a job writing copy for Grand-Am, can anyone hook me up? I know Hemmings isn’t going to pick me up.

And just a general overall image of the layout of a few of the race cars brought out this weekend to honor Hurley Haywood. Yeah, it was a real treat to see these beauties just waiting there to be seen by this olelongrooffan.

Stay tuned, my fellow Hoons, this olelongrooffan has barely cracked the surface of some pretty cool old shit I saw out there last weekend.

Well, cool shit at least to me anyway. Here’s to hoping my fellow Hoons feel the same way.

Image Copyright Hooniverse 2013/longrooffan