As the race progresses into its fourth hour, here’s a breakdown of the class leaders and major developments from the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona after the first full-course yellow (FCY) and ensuing shuffle:
GTP (Grand Touring Prototype)
- Nick Tandy – No. 7 Porsche 963, Porsche Penske Motorsport
- Tandy took the lead with a bold move around the kink on the restart.
- Margin: Leads by over 1 second.
- Rene Rast – No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL
- Consistently strong despite early pit woes.
- Philipp Eng – No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8, BMW M Team RLL
- Recovered from earlier setbacks, back in podium contention.
- Mathieu Jaminet – No. 6 Porsche 963, Porsche Penske Motorsport
- Climbing through the field after a slower start.
- Frederik Vesti – No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series R
- Struggled after losing the lead, now contending with tire management challenges.
LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2)
- Garnet Patterson – No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA
- Leading a 1-2 charge for United Autosports.
- Rasmus Lindh – No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA
- Steady performance behind his teammate.
- Dylan Murry – No. 88 AF Corse ORECA
- Holding third, keeping pace with United Autosports.
- PJ Hyett – No. 04 AO Racing ORECA
- Strong showing, particularly for a team often focused on GT entries.
GTD PRO (Grand Touring Daytona PRO)
- Dennis Olsen – No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3, Ford Multimatic
- Edged into the lead after early tussles.
- Seb Priaulx – No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3, Ford Multimatic
- Maintains a tight margin, with just fractions separating him from Olsen.
- Augusto Farfus – No. 48 BMW M4 GT3, Paul Miller Racing
- Right on the heels of the Fords, in an intense three-way battle.
GTD (Grand Touring Daytona)
- Misha Goikhberg – No. 78 Lamborghini Huracán, Forte Racing
- Secured the lead post-restart with clean and consistent driving.
- Casper Stevenson – No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage, Heart of Racing
- Pressuring Goikhberg but remaining steady in second.
- Manny Franco – No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3, Conquest Racing
- Fighting hard in a competitive GTD field.
- Patrick Gallagher – No. 96 BMW M4 GT3, Turner Motorsport
- Staying within striking distance, keeping up with the class leaders.
Notable Incidents
- Hunter McElrea (No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA): Slid off into the tire barriers at the West Horseshoe, triggering the race’s first FCY. After repairs, the car returned but is now two laps down.
- Russell Ward (No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3): Sticking throttle issue forced the car to the garage, losing seven laps before rejoining.
- James Roe (No. 18 ERA Motorsport ORECA): Spun by David Heinemeier Hansson, with Hansson serving a drive-through penalty.
What’s Next?
With nearly 21 hours to go, strategy, endurance, and adaptability will determine who prevails. Stay tuned as teams navigate the challenges of night racing, fuel management, and tire preservation at Daytona International Speedway.
