Racers, fans prepare for Rolex 24

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Supercars raced around the Daytona International Speedway on Friday getting ready for the Rolex 24.

Michael de Quesada is driving for the AIM Vasser Sullivan team.

It was his second time racing there. The last time, his team won.

“Ah, yeah it's an emotional experience. I probably bawled for an hour afterwards,” de Quesada said. 

He said it takes a lot to drive a car that fast for 24 hours.

“You're probably hitting 3G's and doing that for hours on end,” de Quesada said. “That's not easy on your body, so you use muscles you haven't used before and you've got to learn what they are, work them out and be prepared.”

This will be the 58th running of the Rolex 24, with 39 teams participating.

This year's Rolex 24 field has sports cars from 12 different manufacturers and includes 42 drivers like de Quesada, who have at least one previous Rolex 24 victory under their belt.

Corvette racing driver Tommy Milner said it can get busy out there.

“A lot of patience on the race track," he said. "With four classes of cars racing at the same time, they're always driving in front of us, but also mindful of faster cars passing us at times, as well.”

Along with racers from around the world, the event also hosts fans from more than 30 countries.

The flag drops on the Rolex 24 on Saturday at 1:40 p.m.