When night falls on the Daytona International Speedway, it’s not just the partying that comes up to the next level. Racing is intense in the dark.

Roaring around the track just as they did in the day time—if not faster—the racers and their cars take on a sometimes otherworldly quality, the lights and reflections opening new windows of perception for the fan hardy enough to hold their seat as well as their beer.

In this gallery, we give you a slice of that ocular sensation, though to truly enjoy the night side of the Rolex 24, you need to absorb it through your own corneas.