Sunday, January 26, 2014

Four Hours To Go in Daytona

The 24 Hours of Daytona has entered it's final four hours with all four classes still up for grabs.

Ricky Taylor leads a Corvette DP 1-2-3 ahead of the Action Express teammates Burt Frisselle and Christian Fittipaldi. All three are on the lead lap. One lap down is the #02 Ford-Riley of Tony Kanaan and Ganassi Racing with Lucas Luhr driving the #6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Oreca-Nissan in fifth. Michael Valiante is sixth, two laps down in the #90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP.

Richard Lietz leads the GTLM class in the #911 Porsche. The Austrian won the GT class in 2012 with Magnus Racing and is a three-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Oliver Gavin remains on the same lap as the Porsche as Corvette looks to win on it's return. Graham Rahal is third ahead of his teammate Andy Priaulx. The IndyCar driver is one lap off the leaders with the three time World Touring Car Champion two laps back.

The two Vipers are a lap apart, seven laps back of Lietz is the #93 of Kuno Wittmer with of the #91 of Ryan Hunter-Reay another lap down. Stefan Mücke is another seven laps back in the #97 Aston Martin Vantage V8.

Colin Braun continues to lead in PC. He is a lap ahead of the #7 Starworks Oreca of Alex Popw. Rob Hiff is third in the #25 8Star Motorsports entry another lap back. Julio Campos and Gunnar Jeannette round out the top five in class.

Bill Sweedler leads GTD in the #555 Level 5 Ferrari with the #58 Snow Racing Porsche of Marco Seefried in second. Markus Winkelhock is third driving the #45 Flying Lizard Audi. Mikhail Aleshin is fourth driving for #72 SMP Racing Ferrai with Cooper MacNeil rounding out the top five in the #22 Alex Job Porsche.

One notable retirement is the #912 Porsche of Patrick Long, Michael Christensen and Jörg Bergmeister due to an engine failure.

Update on drivers Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli. Gidley underwent surgery on his left arm and left leg. He also has an unstable fracture in his back that will require further surgery before he can be released. Malucellli is resting comfortably in hospital.

As of 10:00 a.m. ET, the leading Corvette DP of Wayne Taylor Racing has completed 573 laps.