Historic Footage: The 1977 24 Hours of Daytona, Seen Through The Camera Of Buzz Fyhrie


Historic Footage: The 1977 24 Hours of Daytona, Seen Through The Camera Of Buzz Fyhrie

YouTube and the days of everyone recording everything are a recent trend. There is a reason that you do not see a ton of “behind the scenes” footage of racing before at least the mid-1990s…the technology wasn’t there, and it wasn’t normal for someone to be hovering with a huge camcorder or 8mm camera, snapping up footage. So, to find some footage of a group of racers who documented their trip to the 1977 24 Hours of Daytona. In the group was backup driver Buzz Fyhrie, who was slated to drive the AA/GT Camaro (the green second-gen car) and to be a backup driver for the AA/GT Greenwood Corvette. Not a bad gig, but there is more to the story than just the race itself. From the start, you are in the Dodge van with Buzz and friends as they battle a blizzard in Indiana, then as they hit Disney World at the tail end of January. Eight minutes in, you’ll be at Daytona International Raceway and on the ground, in the midst of legends, both with wheels and without. You’ll see Porsche 935s, Lancia Stratos, Ferrari Daytonas and the IMSA cars you know well, like Monzas, Corvettes, and BMWs. You’ll see Paul Newman, Sam Posey, and others. There’s race footage, and then there’s the stuff you will never see. This isn’t a documentary…this is a film made by a group of guys who were having a blast at a race! The footage is a bit long and we don’t suggest Junior watch it (a little language, among other things…) but if you have the time, settle in and take a look at how it really was in the pits that February!


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