Rolex 24, Hour 3: AO stretches LMP2 lead as trouble strikes GTP and GTD Pro contenders

The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 continues to lead the 64th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, which is now under a full course yellow after three hours. But it’s no longer a Porsche 1-2 in GTP, after the No. 6 Porsche 963 had to drop to the rear of the GTP field for damage repairs. Laurens Vanthoor is still on the lead lap after bringing the car to pit lane to patch up damage to the right side of the car.

“I had a very small contact on the right side with a P2 coming out of the pit,” explained Vanthoor’s co-driver Kevin Estre. “I thought I left enough room, but I don’t know. We had a contact, and we have small damage on the right side.”

Estre also had a close call coming out of NASCAR Turn 4, overtaking the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 when the GTD Pro car moved to the left. Estre brushed the Lamborghini as he passed below the double yellow line, normally considered “out of bounds” in NASCAR.

The GTD Pro class has been ravaged with trouble for a few noteworthy cars, starting with the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, which has retired from the race after a crash at the International Horseshoe.

Daniel Serra dropped a wheel on the grass out of the Esses and hit the No. 033 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari of James Calado. The Triarsi driver escaped mostly unscathed but Serra critically damaged the left-front suspension. He pulled to a stop on the backstretch and that brought out the third FCY of the race.

Risi’s No. 62 Ferrari, which won GTD Pro at Daytona two years ago, was the second official retirement of the race, following the No. 28 RS1 Porsche which crashed in the first hour.

Before the green waved again, the No. 59 RLL Team McLaren GT3 Evo – which was fighting in the top four not long ago – went to the garage for a suspected electrical problem that began festering not long after Juri Vips had taken over from Dean MacDonald.

And at the start of Will Power’s first racing stint in the 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, he had to serve a 100-second penalty stop as the car failed to adhere to its stint energy requirements.

The full course yellow came out for the fourth time after an accident between the No. 83 AF Corse USA ORECA LMP2 of Dylan Murry and the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Adam Adelson. Murry spun approaching the West Horseshoe (Turn 5) and, blinded by a massive smokescreen from the spinning ORECA, Adelson slammed into the P2 car. Both drivers were able to exit their cars under their own power.

At the time of the caution, Julien Andlauer in the No. 7 Porsche led overall from Alex Palou in the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, followed by AJ Allmendinger, who’s holding his own in third driving the No. 60 MSR Acura. Cadillac stablemates Ricky Taylor (No. 10 WTR Cadillac) and Earl Bamber (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac) run fourth and fifth; Vanthoor has recovered to ninth after restarting 11th.

In LMP2 it’s still AO Racing’s PJ Hyett who leads in the No. 99 ORECA 07-Gibson, and pulling away from some young silvers, like second-place Gregoire Saucy (No. 22 United Autosports USA) and Bijoy Garg (No. 43 Inter Europol Competition) in second and fourth. Sebastian Alvarez (No. 8 Tower Motorsports) set the fastest LMP2 lap in the race and is third.

The two Ford Racing Mustang GT3s pitted before the FCY for the Risi Ferrari and moved to the front of GTD Pro. Ben Barker in the No. 64 has overtaken the No. 65, now driven by Sebastian Priaulx.

Behind the two works Fords are the two Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.Rs – Tommy Milner runs third in the No. 4, Antonio García runs fourth in the No. 3.

Patrick Gallagher has taken the lead in GTD for Turner Motorsport, followed by the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of Tom Gamble in second, and Albert Costa has moved up to third in the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari.

HOUR 3 STANDINGS