Cameron, Action Express Leads Opening Hour at Daytona

Dane Cameron’s No. 31 Action Express Cadillac DPi-V.R led the 55th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the end of the first hour.

Reigning IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion Cameron passed pole-sitter and teammate Joao Barbosa with an inside move at the Bus Stop on lap 16.

Barbosa emerged from the pits behind Ricky Taylor’s No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, but the Portuguese retook the position on lap 24.

The No. 13 Rebellion Racing Oreca 07 Gibson of Neel Jani was the best of the non-Cadillac runners in fourth, with the No. 22 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan Onroak DPi of Brendon Hartley fifth.

The PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Ligier JS P217 of Tom Kimber-Smith came into the pits at the end of lap one with a shifting mechanism malfunction and after briefly re-joining, has remained behind the wall for the majority of the hour.

James French led a tightly-bunched Prototype Challenge pack in the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports entry, with Johnny Mowlem in close pursuit in the BAR1 Motorsports No. 26.

In GT Le Mans, Joey Hand led away from pole position in the No. 66 Ford GT, ahead of Toni Vilander’s No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE.

Jan Magnussen is third in the No. 3 Corvette C7.R ahead of team-mate Tommy Milner in the No. 4 car, followed by a trio of Ford GTs headed by Andy Priaulx’s No. 69 entry.

The No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR of Patrick Pilet suffered a right-front puncture, but was able to stay on the lead lap, while the No. 24 BMW M6 GTLM was delayed by gearbox problems and pushed behind the wall.

In GT Daytona, Christina Nielsen took the lead after the pitstops in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 after Alessandro Pier Guidi’s No. 51 Spirit of Race Ferrari led the opening stint.

After inserting Peter Mann, the No. 51 car began to slip down the order, promoting Patrick Lindsey to second in the No. 73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Rolf Iniechen third in the No. 11 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

The only caution period was caused when Jeroen Mul’s Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 crashed on lap 3.