[IMSA] 2024 Daytona 24 Hour

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Nooooo.... we just had an FCY, the Cadillac is back in the lead from the #6 Porsche, 2 BMWs and the #7, but now Deletraz in the (Button) #40 Accura suddenly had no lights on. and cruised to a halt with some sort of electrical failure. Another FCY. Hopefully not a loom failure like the sister #10 car.

The safety crew all arrived and a couple of minutes later Deletraz is going again. Presumably heading for pitlane.

But no he doesnt pit and is continuing. Maybe a Control-Alt-Delete fix. Anyway he is a lap down now as a result.

Green flag again.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just past 12 hours midrace distance.....

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just short of 11 hours to go and its Porsche backin the lead., Another FCY this time for the BMW #24 GTP car stopped with it seems electrical problems. A lengthy retrieval had all the leaders heading for pitlane. The #31 Cadillac that was leading did a full service stop for rubber and fuel.... hence the #6 Porsche retaking the lead having only stopped for fuel. Rast 2nd in the BMW #25, with Blomqvist in the #31 Caddy 3rd. The #40 Accura now with Herta and back on the lead lap in 4th.and Campbekk in the #7 Porsche 5th

LMP2 remained steady and drama-free, with the only significant change coming in the form of Felipe Massa taking over the third-place No. 74 ORECA. Tom Dillman still leads in the No. 52.

The No. 3 Corvette of Alexander Sims pitted and handed the car over to Daniel Juncadella after moving into the GTD PRO lead over the Risi Ferrari just prior to the FCY, traffic making it a close fight.

Winward Mercedes’ No. 57 led GTD on the hour.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Another FCY, another restart, and this time it was Rast in the #25 BMW who jumped ahead and he with the #5 now leads Blomqvist in the #31 Caddy followed by the #5 Proton Porsche, the #40 Accura and the #6 Penske Porsche.

10 seconds cover the first 7 GTP cars.

[Everso Biggyballies]

#01 Cadillac of Bourdais Dixon Palou and Van der Zande is now an official retirement.

[erwin greven]

24h Dubai ended: Now to Daytona.

[Everso Biggyballies]

HOUR 14

At the close of hour 14, the overall battle for the lead in GTP sees the top four together on the lead lap, led by Tom Blomqvist again ,in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac.
In P4 the No. 40 WTR Acura, back from electrical gremlins not long ago. Colton Herta currently sits just 2.9s behind Blomqvist, still solidly in contention. the #40 holds together.

In LMP2, the top five has gone through a major shakeup through the hour, Colin Braun now leading in the No. 04 ialbeit n the midst of another pit cycle. The No. 52, having previously held a commanding class lead has slipped completely out of the top five — now P7 in class

Risi Competizione is back at the head of GTD PRO with Alessandro Pier Guidi still at the wheel of the Ferrari. The No. 3 Corvette of Daniel Juncadella had powered into the class lead prior to this pit cycle, and based on the math should be battling again with the No. 62 Risi car once the pit cycle is complete.

The GTD top five are separated by only 12s as the hour draws to a close, still led by the No. 57 Winward Mercedes.


Posted this above in the wrong thread so put it here.


Class positions below are later than the report.

[Everso Biggyballies]

4 hours to go and Estre in the l#6 Porsche has gone off track as he left pitlane on an outlap from pit service.

Classic cold tyres error. Not impressive.
He he locked a wheel, the car wouldnt turn and across the grass he went, nudged a barrier but no damage. However he stalled the car and took a while to rejoin. In effect he lost over a minute and is now running down in 6th place.

There was no yellow so for Estre he will need an FCY to bridge the gap.

Porsche still lead though with Campbell in the #7 Porsche leading from Aitken in the #31 Caddy and Herta in the #40 Accura and two cusromer Porsches

Corvette are now out of the GTD Pro. battle with mechanical issues.



CUrrent Class positions with three and a half hours left to run.

[Everso Biggyballies]

50 minutes to go and we have an FCY for a car on fire That will compress the fild up and make it quite interesting. The #40 had a good buffer behind but now thatsgone. Also they will benefit with getting back the near minute they were behind the two leaders.

Blomqvist leads outright atm, and seems to have passed the previously quicker looking #7 Porsche. Looks like thy might have been holding a bit in reserve.

Of course it will compress all the classses as well, and comfortable gaps are gone there too.

[Everso Biggyballies]

There was a rush for the pits for what will likely be the final stop with just over 40 to go. The #7 Porsche took new tyres but the #31 didnt.

The #7 did jump the #31 in the pit cycle.... can the #31 Caddy get the lead back on the restart

[Everso Biggyballies]

We will get a restart with just over 32 minutes to go.

Green and 32 mins to go.

[Everso Biggyballies]

The #31 is all over the back of the #7 Porsche in the lead. 0.4 the gap.

The #40 Accura is 3rd and has gapped the #6 Porsche in 4th. The #40 is the only one of the leaders to have aa full store of energy.

If anyone wants to check energy levels of cars plus telemetery stuff this is a good link.https://www.imsa.com/gtp-telemetry/

Blomqvists in the #31 Caddy has just set the race fastest lap.

Its on.

[Everso Biggyballies]

The #31 got the worse of traffic and the gap is out to a second. Both leaders have the same energy levels.

The #40. Accura is 6 seconds back from the two leaders.

Traffic might settle this, and who gts the breaks wins.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Under 10 minutes and the #6 Porsche is closing on the #40 Accura

So we have a battle for the win and a battle for 3rd. Gap between the lead 2 down to 0.6 secs

[Everso Biggyballies]

Confusion over the white flag, which has been waved and this is the last lap.

The chequered flag has flown on the #7 Porsche and there is still 2 minutes on the clock.

So #7 Penske Porsche wins the Rolex.... last time Penske won the Rolex / Daytona 24hrt was way back in 1969 with a Lola T70!

Cadillac 2nd and the #40 Accura was 3rd. So Button on the outright podium.

[Vassago]

Yeah, Penske last won Daytona 24h in 1969 with Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons. They won by a margin of 30 laps

They needed some duct tape along the way...