The drama at the 24 Hours of Daytona reached new heights as a major contender in the LMP2 class, CrowdStrike Racing by APR, saw its hopes shattered after Colton Herta’s devastating crash at the West Horseshoe. With just five hours left on the clock, the No. 04 machine was towed to the pits, revealing a broken rear wishbone—a setback that effectively took the team out of contention.
Whether the suspension failure caused the crash or was a result of it remains unclear, but the incident triggered a full course yellow, the first since sunrise. Despite heroic efforts by Algarve Pro Racing’s crew to rebuild the car’s rear and get it back on track, the No. 04 is now 10 laps behind the LMP2 leaders—a monumental blow to its once-promising campaign.
GTD chaos erupts as contenders clash at Turn 1
Shortly after the restart, the race plunged into further chaos with a multi-car incident in the GTD category. Alessandro Pier Guidi (No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari) and Scott Andrews (No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG) both spun at Turn 1, leading to Pier Guidi colliding with Misha Goikhberg’s No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini. The Lamborghini was towed off, while the Mercedes and Ferrari limped back to the pits, their chances of a class victory all but gone.
Green flag racing resumed, but more drama unfolded as Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Cadillac collided with Marco Wittmann’s No. 25 BMW. The BMW suffered a left-rear puncture, forcing Wittmann to pit as his team scrambled to recover lost time.
Porsche dominates up front, BMW and Acura chase
At the sharp end of the field, Porsche Penske Motorsport continues to flex its muscles. Nick Tandy leads in the No. 7 Porsche 963, with teammate Matt Campbell just behind in the No. 6. Kevin Magnussen holds third in the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8, while Scott Dixon in the No. 93 MSR Acura ARX-06 remains in the mix despite being hit with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits.
LMP2 and GTD battles intensify
In LMP2, Dane Cameron and the No. 99 AO Racing team are holding strong at the front, fending off a spirited challenge from Matthieu Vaxiviere in the No. 88 AF Corse entry. The No. 8 Tower Motorsports car, driven by Sebastian Alvarez, sits in third, while Ryan Dalziel’s No. 18 ERA Motorsport entry remains in striking distance.
The GTD PRO and GTD fields are as competitive as ever. Neil Verhagen leads GTD PRO for Paul Miller Racing in the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with Nico Varrone’s No. 4 Corvette and Dennis Olsen’s No. 65 Ford close behind. Marvin Kirchhöfer maintains the lead in GTD for AWA’s No. 13 Corvette, but the pressure is mounting from Kenton Koch’s Mercedes-AMG, Tom Sargent’s Porsche, and Zacharie Robichon’s Aston Martin.
The fight to the finish
As the clock ticks down on the 24 Hours of Daytona, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Porsche is poised for glory, but with BMW and Acura hot on their heels, nothing is guaranteed. Meanwhile, LMP2 and GTD fields remain battlegrounds of relentless competition, where a single mistake could spell disaster. Buckle up—this race is far from over.