Rolex 24: Hour 10 Report
As the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway reached the ten-hour mark, the race maintained a steady pace, marked primarily by one notable incident at the Le Mans Chicane. McLaren Hypercar driver Mikkel Jensen, piloting the #2 United Autosports ORECA, collided with Chris Cumming in the Pratt Miller ORECA, resulting in both cars spinning off the track. This incident forced Alex Palou in the #93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura to take evasive action, costing him valuable time but allowing him to avoid damage. Jensen received a drive-through penalty for the collision.
In the wake of the incident, the #6 Penske Porsche, driven by Matt Campbell, capitalized on the chaos to reclaim second position, restoring a 1-2 for the team. As the race entered its 11th hour, the current leader, the #7 entry, held an 8.5-second advantage over the field. Palou remained in third, maintaining a gap of 7 seconds from Earl Bamber in the #31 Cadillac from Action Express.
In the LMP2 category, the AO Racing Spike ORECA, driven by Christian Rasmussen, continued to assert itself at the front. Currently, Inter Europol’s #343 is in second, with United Autosports’ #22 in third.
In the GTD Pro division, Corvette Racing’s #4 Z06 GT3.R leads, while their #3 car has overtaken the #1 Paul Miller BMW to regain second place. The GTD class is led by AF Corse’s Ferrari, piloted by Antonio Fuoco, who is steadily increasing his lead over the #36 DXDT Corvette and driver Scott McLaughlin. Turner Motorsport’s BMW holds third place, with Jens Klingmann ahead of Zach Robichon in the Heart of Racing Aston.
The intense battle continues as teams aim for a competitive edge in the changing dynamics of this endurance classic.
