Rolex 24 Hour 18: Still under reds

Rain continues to fall at Daytona International Speedway, with the cars parked on pit road throughout the 18th hour of the Rolex 24.

This is the fifth red-flag stoppage in the history of the event, and the second for rain. The race was stopped for three hours, 58 minutes in 1989 for fog, and in 2007 (78 minutes) and 2014 (2014) for crash damage.

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This race is reminiscent of the 2004 Rolex 24, run in perhaps the worst conditions in the history of the event. That year, rain fell for 18 of the 24 hours. Teams ran under yellow for three hours that year beginning at 4 a.m., with the race then red-flagged for an additional two hours, 52 minutes of which were due to the conditions.

Racing in the 2004 event resumed at 10:30 a.m. for a two-hour, 42-minute sprint to the finish (the event started at 1:15 p.m. that year). It led to a memorable finish, when the Chevrolet Crawford of Andy Wallace, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt broke with 17 minutes remaining, giving the victory to the Kodak Bell Motorsports Pontiac Doran, with a lineup including Christian Fittipaldi.

Race officials have asked teams to prepare for a possible restart at 9:00am local time.

Updated results to follow.