All photos by Gayle Kicklighter.
Happy New Year! Here we are at the start of 2018, and we know what that means for all of us racers: it’s time for the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona!
This year, I decided to drive down to Daytona rather than fly so I’d have plenty of flexibility in my schedule. The morning I was planning to leave from Charlotte, Winter Storm Grayson swept through the Southeast and left several inches of snow and treacherous, icy road conditions all through Georgia and South Carolina. Of course, the storm went through the exact route I needed to take!
I did a little research to find an alternate route, and I left later in the day to allow the storm to push through. Thankfully I avoided most of the issues, but as the night went on and the temperatures continued to be below freezing, the snow and ice remained on the roads. It was a very interesting drive for several hours, to say the least, as I went past Savannah and South Georgia. It was crazy to see that much snow in Georgia! There are so many bridges there in the low country, and they really kept me on my toes.
I was thankful to make it to Daytona. It was clear sailing once I hit Florida, and the trip only took two hours longer than usual. The weather will be clear here all weekend, but very cold for this area. Temps will be in the 50s during the day and freezing at night. I have a feeling it won’t keep the cars and drivers away, though! I’m excited for the upcoming weekend with lots of new cars, teams and plans for the 2018 season. Stay tuned for updates on my own plans for the upcoming year.