Daytona 24 Hours: Mid-Race Update
As the Daytona 24 Hours reaches the halfway mark, Porsche has established a commanding position with Felipe Nasr leading a 1-2 for the manufacturer. The factory #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 LMDh, driven by Nasr, overtook the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac of Filipe Albuquerque late in the 11th hour.
Race Highlights
Nasr’s ascent to the front follows a competitive bout in the preceding hours, marked by teammate Nick Tandy’s spirited fight with Jack Aitken in the #31 Action Express Racing Cadillac. Tandy briefly seized the lead in the ninth hour before being overtaken during the pit cycle.
A subsequent full-course yellow, prompted by an incident involving Frederik Vesti, allowed Philipp Eng to capture the lead earlier in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8. Following a chaotic pit sequence, Albuquerque regained the lead before Nasr exploited green flag conditions to extend his advantage to over six seconds.
Currently, the battle for second place is intense among the #6 Porsche, #60 Meyer Shank Acura, and the #10 Cadillac. Meanwhile, post-dusk developments have challenged Cadillac’s strength; the #40 entry of Louis Deletraz crashed out following a restart mishap, affecting multiple competitors, including the class-leading #48 Paul Miller BMW.
Current Standings
- #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport – Felipe Nasr
- #6 Porsche – Ongoing contest for position
- #60 Meyer Shank Acura – Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist
- #10 Cadillac – Will Stevens
- #24 BMW – Philipp Eng, Dries Vanthoor
In LMP2, the #43 Inter Europol ORECA, driven by Antonio Felix da Costa, regained the lead after the latest caution period. Da Costa extended a comfortable margin before pitting, with Rasmus Lindh (United Autosports) and fellow competitor Tom Dillmann following.
GTD Summary
In GTD Pro, the #1 Paul Miller BMW M4 GT3 EVO, manned by Neil Verhagen, led the way with a 30-second gap after navigating past initial leaders following the Turn 2 incident.
Noteworthy Quotes
"With constant changes and unexpected incidents, teamwork and strategic planning are essential for maintaining a top position," commented Nasr post-race.
Cadillac faced a significant setback with two of its factory entries unable to continue. The #31 AXR Cadillac spent over an hour in the garage after Vesti’s heavy crash, highlighting ongoing reliability challenges that may affect the remainder of the race.
As the 12th hour concludes, teams will strategize carefully, balancing speed with durability to secure a strong finish in this grueling endurance classic.
