The singing of the national anthem in the US takes on a very different significance to how we experience it over in the UK. Sure we're all as patriotic as the next and happy to belt out a good round of 'God Save The Queen'. But the Americans give it that something extra.
It might be something to do with being a country born of revolutionary war, or it might just be that events of the last ten years have made everyone over here enjoy the chance to come together every now and then rather than fighting. But the combination of the slowly, and emotionally sung Star Spangled Banner, military escorts for the Stars and Stripes, and a heartfelt hand on heart from all watching does add up to stirring stuff.
Then of course you get the words that start every race over in America, calling on those in their cars to fire up each motor. Cutting the patriotic ferver with a dollop of combustion. In this case from a huge field of LMP and GT racers. America does things like this differently, but they know exactly how they want to do it.
Photography by Pete Summers.
Daytona
Classic 24
Classic 24 2019