I attended various Daytona Races a few times around 1971.
Lived in Jacksonville, was friends with
Mike Vogel. His dad was the GM of Brumos Porsche/Mercedes.
That's Mike, as I remember him. Tall and skinny. He raced a 100cc Kawasaki, and and 250 Bultaco at that time, early motocross before the giant jumps came along.
That car looks real familiar, too. He had a silver 911 that was rebuilt from two that had been in front and rear end wrecks. Had race tires. three of us in it, on a drive to St Augustine, had a flat. I was steering the car with body weight in the back seat, then couldn't hold it straight. We stopped, he looked at the flat, kept going 60mph for another 10 miles or so. Riding around the neighborhood, taking 90 degree corners, it would lift a tire. 6 open bell-mouth carbs make a nice sound.
Mike invited me to take a Parade Lap around the trioval before some unknown race in one of the first 914's to be imported.
That was before the expansion of construction in the infield. You could buy a ticket to get into the pits, or just sneak in when they weren't looking.
I watched Enzo Ferrari from behind the pit wall, in his shiny shoes and expensive overcoat, impatiently standing behind the car, glaring at his crew trying to fix some problem during a 24 Hours. Porsche won by 150 miles or so.
Stock cars were still based on stock cars back then.
Video: Biggest Crash Ever at Daytona...