Rolex 24 Hour 12: Dario Franchitti Maintains Steady Lead At Daytona

Dario Franchitti led at the halfway point of the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona on Sunday morning as Chip Ganassi Racing continued its steady run. Franchitti in the No. 02 Target/TELMEX BMW/Riley led Ryan Hunter-Reay and Velocity Worldwide’s Corvette DP by 32.952 seconds. The top seven cars were within 92 seconds and on the lead lap in the first race of the Rolex Sports Car Series’ 2013 season.

Allan McNish was chasing Hunter-Reay in third place with Starworks’ No. 2 BMW/Riley. The Starworks entry was the only car to have significant time out front in the first 12 hours.

GT continued to be anyone’s guess, as well. The top five cars were within 74 seconds with Alessandro Pier Guidi leading in the No. 63 Scuderia Corse Michelotto Ferrari 458. The pole-sitting No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 ran second with Nicolas Armindo driving. He had an eight-second gap over Edoardo Mortara in Alex Job Racing’s No. 24 Audi R8 GRAND-AM.

Napleton Racing’s advantage in GX grew to seven laps with Jim Norman at the wheel of the No. 16 Porsche Cayman. James Clay was second in Bullet Racing’s No. 22 Porsche, which moved past Eric Foss and BGB Motorsports’ No. 38 Cayman; it lost time having to replace a rear axle.