Rolex 24 Hour 18: #60 Acura battles Ganassi Cadillacs as race hits 3/4 mark

As the sun was rising over the Daytona International Raceway, Colin Braun put the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura back out in front at the 3/4 mark of the twice around the clock Rolex 24 at Daytona.

After the #60 car made several lengthy pitstops earlier in the race, it clawed its way back up front and it now appears to be a race with the two Ganassi Cadillacs for the overall win in GTP with six hours left to race.

The No. 60 Acura ARX-06 ran second to the No. 01 Cadillac prior to the pit stop sequence and will likely return to 2nd when it stops.

The #01 Cadillac, now with Scott Dixon behind the wheel, and the #02 Cadillac driven by Earl Bamber run 2nd and 3rd.

The #10 Wayne Taylor/Andretti Acura runs 4th, 1 lap behind and on the same lap as the #24 Rahal BMW with Marco Wittmann driving.

The No. 6 Porsche 963 lost three laps when Nick Tandy spun at the kink after nearly hitting a LMP3 car, damaging the splitter and diffuser as the car went through the grass.

LMP2 was led by the No. 35 TDS Racing Oreca 07 Gibson of Job van Uitert

The No. 27 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Marco Sorensen paced the GT ranks with one-quarter of the race remaining.

Mark Cipolloni reporting for AutoRacing1.com

Rolex 24 Hour 18 Standings

Pos

Pic

No.

Class

Drivers*

Team

Car

Laps

Behind/Gap

1

1

60

GTP

T. Blomqvist / C. Braun

H. Castroneves / S. Pagenaud

Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian

Acura ARX-06

596

0.000 0.000

2

2

01

GTP

S. Bourdais / R. van der Zande

S. Dixon

Cadillac Racing

Cadillac V-LMDh

596

1:06.444 1:06.444

3

3

02

GTP

E. Bamber / A. Lynn / R. Westbrook

Cadillac Racing

Cadillac V-LMDh

596

2:19.025 1:12.581 

4

4

10

GTP

R. Taylor / F. Albuquerque / L. Deletraz

B. Hartley

Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06

Acura ARX-06

595

1 Lap

5

5

24

GTP

P. Eng / A. Farfus / M. Wittmann

C. Herta

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

595

1 Lap

6

6

6

GTP

M. Jaminet / N. Tandy / D. Cameron

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

594

2 Laps

7

7

31

GTP

P. Derani / A. Sims / J. Aitken

Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac V-LMDh

Cadillac V-LMDh

579

17 Laps

8

1

35

LMP2

F. Heriau / G. van der Garde

J. Pierson / J. Van Uitert

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

578

18 Laps

9

8

7

GTP

M. Campbell / F. Nasr

M. Christensen

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

578

18 Laps

10

2

04

LMP2

G. Kurtz / B. Hanley / M. McMurry/ E. Gutierezr

Crowdstrike Racing by APR

ORECA LMP2 07

577

19 Laps

11 3 88 LMP2 F. Perrodo / M. Vaxiviere / J. Canal AF Corse ORECA LMP2 07 577 19 Laps

13

5

52

LMP2

B. Keating / P. Chatin / A. Quinn

N. Lapierre/

PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

576

20 Laps

14

6

55

LMP2

F. Poordad / F. Pizzi / J. Allen

Proton Competition

ORECA LMP2 07

576

20 Laps

15

7

8

LMP2

G. Bruni

J. Farano / S. McLaughlin/J. Newgarden / K. Simpson

Tower Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

572

24 Laps

16

8

20

LMP2

D. Andersen / E. Jones / A. Fjordbach

R. Marciello

High Class Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

569

27 Laps

17

1

33

LMP3

L. Willsey / J. Barbosa / N. Pino

N. Siegel

Sean Creech Motorsport

Ligier JS P320

562

34 Laps

18

2

17

LMP3

A. Mantella / W. Boyd / N. Varrone

T. Merrill

AWA

Duqueine D08

560

36 Laps

19

3

38

LMP3

J. DeAngelis / C. Allen / C. Bloum

C. Shields

Performance Tech Motorsports

Ligier JS P320

554

42 Laps

20

1

27

GTD

R. De Angelis / M. Sorensen / I. James

D. Turner

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

553

43 Laps 1 Lap

21

1

79

GTDPRO

C. MacNeil / D. Juncadella / J. Gounon

M. Engel

WeatherTech Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

553

43 Laps 8.643

22

2

3

GTDPRO

A. Garcia / J. Taylor / T. Milner

Corvette Racing

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD

553

43 Laps 4.736

23

3

14

GTDPRO

J. Hawksworth / B. Barnicoat

M. Conway

Vasser Sullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

553

43 Laps 53.992

24

2

57

GTD

R. Ward / P. Ellis / I. Dontje / D. Morad

Winward Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

553

43 Laps 15.904

25

3

44

GTD

J. Potter / A. Lally / S. Pumpelly

N. Thiim

Magnus Racing

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

553

43 Laps 21.772

26

4

63

GTDPRO

A. Caldarelli / M. Bortolotti / J. Pepper

R. Grosjean

Iron Lynx

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

552

44 Laps 1 Lap

27

4

93

GTD

A. Harrison / D. Formal / K. Marcelli

R. Briscoe

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR

Acura NSX GT3

552

44 Laps 21.367

28

5

70

GTD

B. Iribe / F. Schandorff / O. Millroy

M. Kirchhofer

Inception Racing

McLaren 720S GT3

552

44 Laps 42.195

29

6

12

GTD

A. Telitz / F. Montecalvo / K. Kirkwood

P. Thompson

VasserSullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

552

44 Laps 7.917

30

5

9

GTDPRO

K. Bachler / P. Pilet / L. Vanthoor

Pfaff Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

552

44 Laps 5.110

31

7

66

GTD

S. Monk / K. Legge / M. Farnbacher

M. Miller

Gradient Racing

Acura NSX GT3

551

45 Laps 1 Lap

32

8

1

GTD

B. Sellers / M. Snow / C. Lewis

M. Martin

Paul Miller Racing

BMW M4 GT3

550

46 Laps 1 Lap

33

9

78

GTD

M. Goikhberg / L. Spinelli / B. Hites

M. Mapelli

US RaceTronics

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

549

47 Laps 1 Lap

34

6

95

GTDPRO

B. Auberlen / C. Hull / B. Spengler

J. Edwards

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

549

47 Laps 21.800

35

10

21

GTD

S. Mann / L. Perez Companc

M. Molina / F. Castellacci

AF Corse

Ferrari 296 GT3

548

48 Laps 1 Lap

36

11

16

GTD

R. Hardwick / J. Heylen / Z. Robichon

D. Olsen

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

547

49 Laps 1 Lap

37

4

87

LMP3

Y. Kanamaru / A. Serravalle

N. Boulle / J. Vance

FastMD Racing

Duqueine D08

546

50 Laps 1 Lap

38

12

19

GTD

C. Schiavoni / R. Ineichen

R. Giammaria / F. Perera

Iron Lynx

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

544

52 Laps 2 Laps

39

13

77

GTD

A. Brynjolfsson / T. Hindman / M. Root

K. Estre

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

543

53 Laps 1 Lap

40

7

53

GTDPRO

M. Kvamme / T. Estep / J. Magnussen

J. Hart

MDK Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

542

54 Laps 1 Lap

41

14

023

GTD

O. Triarsi / C. Scardina / A. Rovera

A. Bertolini

Triarsi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

542

54 Laps 27.787

42

15

32

GTD

M. Skeen / M. Grenier / K. Koch

M. Goetz

Team Korthoff Motorsports

Mercedes-AMG GT3

539

57 Laps 3 Laps

43

16

80

GTD

P. Hyett / S. Priaulx / G. Jeannette

H. Tincknell

AO Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

538

58 Laps 1 Lap

44

8

23

GTDPRO

R. Gunn / A. Riberas / D. Pittard

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

538

58 Laps 32.086

45

5

13

LMP3

O. Fidani / M. Bell / L. Kern / M. Kranz

AWA

Duqueine D08

535

61 Laps 3 Laps

46

6

85

LMP3

T. Bechtolsheimer / T. van der Helm

L. Mars / M. Filippi

JDC Miller MotorSports

Duqueine D08

534

62 Laps 1 Lap

47

17

83

GTD

R. Frey / S. Bovy / M. Gatting / D. Pin

Iron Dames

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

530

66 Laps 4 Laps

48

18

91

GTD

A. Metni / K. van Berlo / J. Evans

J. Andlauer

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

524

72 Laps 6 Laps

49

9

64

GTDPRO

T. Giovanis / H. Plumb / M. Plumb

O. Trinkler

TGM/TF Sport

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

522

74 Laps 2 Laps

50

19

96

GTD

P. Gallagher / R. Foley / M. Dinan

J. Klingmann

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

520

76 Laps 2 Laps

51

9

18

LMP2

D. Merriman / R. Dalziel

C. Rasmussen / O. Jarvis

Era Motorsport

ORECA LMP2 07

510

Not Running

52

9

25

GTP

C. De Phillippi / N. Yelloly

S. van der Linde / C. Herta

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

463

133 Laps 47 Laps

53

7

36

LMP3

J. Andretti / G. Chaves / D. Dickerson/R. Lindh

Andretti Autosport

Ligier JS P320

371

Not Running

54

8

43

LMP3

S. Alvarez / J. French / G. de Oliveira/D. Frost 

MRS GT-Racing

Ligier JS P320

398

228 Laps

55

20

42

GTD

R. Megennis / J. Conwright / K. Li

A. Deledda

NTE Sport

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

356

Not Running

56

10

62

GTDPRO

A. Pier Guidi / J. Calado / D. Serra

D. Rigon

Risi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

349

Not Running

57

21

92

GTD

D. Brule / A. Udell / A. Davis

J. Bleekemolen

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

278

Not Running

Pos

Pic

Nr.

Class

Drivers*

Team

Car

Laps

Total Time

58

10

11

LMP2

S. Thomas / M. Jensen / S. Huffaker

R. VeeKay

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

249

8:40:02.309

59

22

75

GTD

K. Habul / L. Stolz / F. Schiller

A. Jefferies

Sun Energy 1

Mercedes-AMG GT3

233

11:03:52.317

60

9

74

LMP3

G. Robinson / F. Fraga / J. Burdon

G. van Berlo

Riley

Ligier JS P320

89

2:52:52.068

61

23

47

GTD

R. Lacorte / G. Sernagiotto / A. Fuoco

A. Balzan

CETILAR RACING

Ferrari 296 GT3

44

1:41:20.606