WTR, Action Express Set for Battle to Finish

Photo: John Dagys

The stage is set for a two-way battle for the win in the 55th Rolex 24 at Daytona between Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing, with only four hours to go.

Jordan Taylor holds a 15-second advantage over the No. 5 Action Express Cadillac DPi-V.R of Christian Fittipaldi, following the Brazilian’s spin on his out lap after changing from Continental wets to slick tires on the most recent round of pit stops.

Taylor’s co-driver Max Angelelli held the lead through the majority of his stint, but had an off-course excursion of his own at the Bus Stop, which eliminated his 12-second advantage over Joao Barbosa at the time.

The No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Riley Mk. 30 Gibson of Renger Van der Zande currently leads overall, but has yet to pit.

A fire for the No. 55 Mazda RT24-P of Spencer Pigot, who was running fifth overall, has likely marked the end of the race for the Japanese manufacturer after a promising debut run with its DPi contender.

The GT Le Mans class has also heated up, with a Ferrari vs. Ford fight raging between three Ford GTs and the single No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE.

James Calado has retaken the lead just at the 20-hour mark, around the No. 66 Ford of Joey Hand, following a drive-through penalty for an unsafe pit lane entry for the then-leading No. 69 Ford of Harry Tincknell.

Andy Lally, meanwhile, leads GT Daytona, after his Michael Shank Racing team was the first to switch to slicks midway through the 20th hour.

The No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 holds a 32-second lead over Mario Farnbacher in the No. 33 Riley Team AMG Mercedes-AMG GT3, with Tom Dyer in third in the sister MSR Acura.

Prototype Challenge continues to be paced by the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca FLM09, the only of the spec prototypes not to hit trouble so far.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John