For sports car racing fans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the "Super Bowl" of auto racing. It's 24 hours of grueling, pedal-to-the-metal competition, with non-stop action.
Two classes compete at the same time. Daytona Prototypes (DP) are purpose-built racers that, because of their aerodynamics, take on a wedge shape.
The other class, Grand Touring (GT), is made up of cars that look very much like what you can drive on the street. Naturally, the DP class has always dominated.
But one warm Florida day, in January 2003, an extraordinary car, The Monster Porsche 911 Carrera GT - the brainchild of Head Monster, Noel Lee, and The Racer's Group (TRG) owner Kevin Buckler - shocked the world by winning
the race in both classes, and astonishing the racing world. The big question that every fan, car builder and driver asked was…how did they do it?
In the true spirit of Monster, TRG's Kevin Buckler went through every inch of the Porsche, looking for any advantage.
Suspension pieces were re-engineered. Brakes were improved. The car was taken down to within ounces of the minimum weight. Pieces were checked and double-checked.
The engine was squeezed for fractions more horsepower. If you can make a car lighter, stronger and more maneuverable, you're going to go faster; it's a simple formula for of power over weight.
The result was a 2003 911 Carrera GT that stood head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The car and the team were ready for battle.
When it came to the actual race, Kevin had a Monsterous strategy: "After the first 8 hours of driving flat out and I mean FLAT out - we had somehow hung onto the lead lap with the Prototypes and distanced ourselves from the rest of the GT class.
This was the plan. I remember looking up at the timing monitor and thinking - we are in a perfect, brand new Porsche GT race car, the weapon of choice, we have a great team,
4 awesome drivers, not a scratch on the car and we are still on the lead lap... this is not good... FOR THEM!!!!"
This is the 50th Anniversary of the famed 24 Hours of Daytona Classic and Monster will be proudly represented.
Says Head Monster Noel Lee: "I am a huge racing fanatic, as is everyone here at Monster, so for us it was a terrific thrill to share in the historic moment.
Just to see our logo so prominently displayed on the hood made everyone here at Monster feel victorious! We were absolutely thrilled to be a part of such a monumental occasion."
