P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Eight hours into the 24 Hours of Daytona, Pipo Derani in the #31 Cadillac prototype holds a slim lead over
The early night hours of the race have been intense, with constant battles for positions among the frontrunners.
Rene Rast managed to pass Renger van der Zander for third place in his #25 BMW prototype, but the #01 Cadillac stayed close behind.
Van der Zander fought back and challenged for third again, making exciting moves in the dark.
Unfortunately, a caution period halted their battle on track, and they were unable to continue their fight.
At the eight-hour mark, the current top three positions are held by Cadillac, Porsche, and Acura, but it’s still uncertain who will have the advantage later in the race.
In the LMP2 category, there have been several retirements and attrition throughout the season, with five entries stopped and three completely out of the race.
The Sean Creech Motorsports #33 faced alternator troubles and brought out a caution while struggling with their Ligier chassis.
Despite the challenges, the team aims to gain valuable testing data as they try to reintroduce a second manufacturer into LMP2.
During a caution period, the two Cadillac prototypes and the #7 Porsche were able to pit before the field bunched up, allowing them to take the lead.
Josef Newgarden took the lead of the race in his #7 Porsche after the restart, but he eventually dropped to fourth due to the more experienced sportscar drivers.
In the LMP2 class, the #99 AO Racing entry is currently leading, followed by the #52 PR1 Mathiasen and the #2 United Autosports.
There was a close call as the #75 Sun Energy 1 Mercedes GT3 appeared to lose power, narrowly avoiding a collision with the prototypes.
Sheldon van der Linde is leading in GTD Pro with the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW, but he has to watch out for Daniel Serra in the #62 Ferrari.
In the GTD class, the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus is currently in the top spot, with Aaron Telitz trying to fend off Philip Ellis in the #57 Windward Mercedes.
