DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - They say that nothing good happens after midnight. For several competitors in the 48th Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, that statement summed up much of their race.
The most dominant team in the race, as well as several others contending for the lead, either fell out or suffered fate during the early morning hours Sunday after at least eight-and-a-half solid hours of action Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Moreover, several former winners took advantage of those problems to put themselves in contention to take the checkered flag - which flies at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway.
The leader at 3:30 a.m. ET Sunday was Justin Wilson of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley, fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Wilson took over from Pruett during the 12th hour as pit stops cycled through and held a 6.807-second advantage over Action Express Racing's Mike Rockenfeller in the No. 9 Porsche Riley.
Twenty-four drivers in 13 cars - the second most all-time in a GRAND-AM Rolex Series race - led the race, which consisted of 365 laps or 1,299.4 miles (2091.45 kilometers). Aside from Wilson and co-driver Scott Pruett, the team's No. 02 Target BMW Riley also led. In fact, the No. 02 was the most dominant team until its demise, leading 139 of the first 249 laps - or 56 percent at that point - before smoke from the car's rear forced it into the pits at 12:05 a.m. ET. Less than 15 minutes later, the car was announced retired with a blown engine.
The 11th hour also stirred up the rundown. Richard Westbrook was running second in Crown Royal/NGN Racing's No. 95 Crown Royal BMW Riley when a stuck seatbelt kept Westbrook from getting out of the car quickly. The team lost a lap before Lucas Luhr went back on the track, and another problem forced the car two more laps behind and out of the top five.
Other cars running on the lead lap during the 11th hour included the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Riley and No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley. Nic Jönsson had just taken over the No. 75 when he was hit by another car and subsequently made contact with the Turn 5 tire barrier. The team lost more than 10 laps changing the right front upright and brake pads. Defending race co-winner Darren Law also had just taken over the No. 59 when problems forced the car into the pits for a rear end change. The car, fielded for Law and fellow 2009 race winner David Donohue, as well as Hurley Haywood, Raphael Matos and Butch Leitzinger, fell more than 20 laps behind by the halfway mark.
Following Wilson and Rockenfeller at halfway were AJ Allmendinger in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, the only other car on the lead lap. Fourth was Mark Wilkins in Michael Shank Racing's second car, the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford Riley, while fifth was defending Daytona Prototype co-champion Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley.
In GT, TRG and Stevenson Motorsports fought for the lead starting during the fourth hour, and no other team has held the point since then. Leading at halfway was Johannes van Overbeek in the No. 67 ShoreTel/Openwave Porsche GT3 he shared with 2009 co-winners Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long as well as Seth Neiman. The car led by more than a minute over the race's only three-driver team of Robin Liddell, Andrew Davis and Jan Magnussen in Stevenson Motorsports' No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group/BryanMark Financial Camaro.
Third was two-time class winner Timo Bernhard in the No. 71 TRG Porsche GT3, while fourth was series debutant Matt Bell in the No. 97 Stevenson Automotive Group/LaLa Motorsports Camaro. Rounding out the top five was two-time race winner Anthony Lazzaro, who guided the pole-winning No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8, which caused a caution earlier in the race but was still within five laps of the class leaders.
The 24-hour race began Saturday afternoon in a drizzle and the first six laps were run under a full course caution. When the race finally started, Pruett jumped to the front from his fifth-place starting position, and six drivers led the race during the first hour.
The race was already fifth all-time in lead changes with 36 and was run under full course caution 11 times for 39 laps.
| 3:31 AM ET | Justin Wilson (Daytona Prototype) and Johannes van Overbeek (GT) lead their respective classes at the halfway point of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. |
| 3:09 AM ET | Lap 352: Justin Wilson is leading. He took over from Scott Pruett on Lap 344. All the regularly scheduled pit stops before the halfway mark have been made. |
| 2:04 AM ET | Lap 313: Darren Law brings the car back into the pits and to the garage; the team must replace the rear end. |
| 1:59 AM ET | Lap 308: Just a few laps after pitting, Nic Jönsson is hit in Turn 5 by another Daytona Prototype and made contact with the Turn 5 tire barrier. |
| 1:48 AM ET | Lap 303: Running second, Richard Westbrook pits, but the seat belt got stuck, forcing the team to lose a lap. Lucas Luhr is now in the No. 95 BMW Riley. |
| 1:20 AM ET | Lap 291: The top five Daytona Prototypes are all within nine seconds of each other. The top two GT cars are on the same lap, two laps ahead of the third-place car. |
| 1:13 AM ET | Stayed tuned. More alerts will appear shortly. |
| 12:36 AM ET | Lap 266: Michael Valiante (No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley) pits; David Donohue (No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley) takes the lead. |
| 12:29 AM ET | The wee hours are approaching. Time for all the action. |
| 12:26 AM ET | Please forgive the momentary interruption. We're back. |
| 12:21 AM ET | Lap 256: The No. 02 Target BMW Riley has officially been retired with a blown engine. The car had led a race-high 139 laps (of 249 to that point, which was 56 percent of the race to that point). |
| 12:05 AM ET | Lap 250: There are reports of smoking coming from the right rear of the No. 02 Target BMW Riley (Juan Pablo Montoya), and he brings the car to the pits. Joao Barbosa reclaims the lead. |
| 11:38 PM ET | Lap 237: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Michael Valiante (No. 6 Ford Riley) leads the field to green. |
| 11:25 PM ET | Lap 233: FULL COURSE CAUTION - The No. 41 Global Diving Mazda RX-8 is stopped on the apron at NASCAR 1. |
| 11:22 PM ET | You can chat about the race here: http://community.grand-am.com/chat. |
| 11:14 PM ET | Lap 226: Max Angelelli (No. 10 Ford Dallara) returned to the field after spending 22 laps in the garage. |
| 11:13 PM ET | Lap 225: The top five in GT remain the same, with Stevenson Motorsports and TRG running strong. |
| 11:05 PM ET | Lap 219 - AJ Allmendinger (No. 6 Ford Riley) takes the overall lead, marking the 17th overall lead change in the race. |
| 11:04 PM ET | Stay tuned to timing and scoring for the latest news and information, the official inside source from Daytona International Speedway. |
| 11:03 PM ET | Live session alerts will be posted for the duration of the race. |
| 10:54 PM ET | Lap 204: There are reports that the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara is going behind the wall. |
| 10:42 PM ET | Lap 206: Butch Leitzinger (No. 59 Porsche Riley) takes the overall lead. |
| 10:31 PM ET | Lap 201: Jeff Westphal (No. 32 BMW M6) goes off course at Turn 3 and limps the car back to the garage. |
| 10:28 PM ET | Lap 200: The top-five GT spots are held by TRG (2-4) and Stevenson Motorsports (1-5). |
| 10:16 PM ET | Lap 198: There have been 15 lead changes in the race so far. Seth Nieman (No. 67 Porsche GT3) pits from second place, handing the car to co-driver Patrick Long. |
| 10:02 PM ET | Lap 184: John Potter (No. 44 Porsche GT3) just set his fastest lap of the race. |
| 9:59 PM ET | Lap 181: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 02 BMW Riley) set the fastest lap of the race at 1:42.530 (124.997 mph). |
| 9:58 PM ET | Select your favorite car/driver by clicking on the "+" to the left of the driver name. Then, click on the "My Drivers" button. |
| 9:55 PM ET | More than six hours are in the books. Stay tuned for all the latest updates and information from Daytona International Speedway. |
| 9:52 PM ET | The wind is starting to pick up here in Daytona Beach. |
| 9:51 PM ET | Lap 179: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 02 BMW Riley) leads the field to green. |
| 9:48 PM ET | Lap 178: Robin Liddell (No. 57 Camaro GT.R) pits, handing the GT lead to Tim George Jr. (No. 71 Porsche GT3). |
| 9:39 PM ET | Lap 175: FULL COURSE CAUTION - The nose of the No. 90 Porsche Coyote is on course and needs to be retrieved. |
| 9:36 PM ET | Lap 172: Lucas Luhr (No. 95 BMW Riley) set the fastest lap of the race at 1:43.201 (124.184 mph). |
| 9:31 PM ET | Lap 170: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 02 BMW Riley) powers past Lucus Luhr (No. 95 BMW Riley) to take the overall lead. |
| 9:27 PM ET | Lap 170: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Lucas Luhr (No. 95 BMW Riley) leads the field to green. |
| 9:23 PM ET | Lap 167: Pedro Lamy brings the No. 10 Ford Dallara back out to the track. The team went behind the wall for repairs. |
| 9:16 PM ET | Lap 165: FULL COURSE YELLOW - Jim Briody (No. 21 Pontiac GTO.R) goes off course and impacts the tire wall at Turn 3. |
| 9:15 PM ET | Lap 165: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Jimmy Vasser (No. 99 Chevy Riley) leads the field to green. Nos. 2 and 07 were assessed stop-and-go penalties for jumping the start. |
| 9:06 PM ET | Lap 162: Several cars are pitting under caution. Among the notable driver changes: Sebastion Bourdais in (No. 55 BMW Riley), AJ Allmendinger in (No. 6 Ford Riley). |
| 9:02 PM ET | Lap 159: FULL COURSE CAUTION - Emil Assentato (No. 69 Mazda RX-8) goes off course at Turn 3. The car requires a tow. |
| 8:52 PM ET | Lap 154: Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 02 BMW Riley) set the fastest lap of the race at 1:43.283 (124.086 mph). |
| 8:51 PM ET | Lap 153: Scott Russell (No. 07 Corvette) returns to the field after the team spent an hour in the garage. |
| 8:43 PM ET | Lap 150: The rain appears to be back. There are droplets sprinkling the track. |
| 8:30 PM ET | Lap 143: The No. 30 Cobalt Friction Mazda RX-8 has withdrawn with motor issues. |
| 8:28 PM ET | Lap 141: Diego Romannini (No. 19 Corvette) spins off course and impacts the barrier at Turn 6. The car continues on under its own power. |
| 8:25 PM ET | Lap 140: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Raphael Matos (No. 59 Porsche Riley) leads the field. |
| 8:23 PM ET | Lap 138: Dario Franchitti (No. 02 BMW Riley) pits under caution, handing the overall lead to Raphael Matos (No. 59 Porsche Riley). |
| 8:18 PM ET | Lap 137: Darren Manning (No. 90 Porsche Coyote) requires a tow after going off course and impacting the barrier at Turn 5. The GAINSCO (No. 99 Chevy Riley) team is reporting electrical issues. |
| 8:11 PM ET | Lap 135: FULL COURSE CAUTION - Richard Zahn (No. 46 Pontiac GXP.R) goes off course and impacts the barrier at Turn 5. The car will require a flat-bed tow. |
| 8:08 PM ET | Lap 133: Diego Romanini (No. 19 Corvette) was assessed a drive-through penalty for overshooting the chicane and not stopping. |
| 7:54 PM ET | Lap 125: Brad Jaeger (No. 77 Ford Dallara) misses the chicane after avoiding contact with a GT machine. |
| 7:44 PM ET | Lap 117: Mark Wilkins (No. 60 Ford Riley) spins and goes off course at Turn 3. He continues on without further incident. |
| 7:31 PM ET | Lap 112: Wolf Henzler (No. 66 Porsche GT3) is currently leading the GT field. |
| 7:20 PM ET | Lap 110: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Dario Franchitti (No. 02 BMW Riley) leads the field. |
| 7:14 PM ET | Lap 106: Jimmie Johnson (No. 99 Chevy Riley) tells his crew that the throttle is sticking, shortly after he missed the entrance to the infield road course. |
| 7:11 PM ET | Lap 105: FULL COURSE YELLOW - There is debris on course. |
| 7:04 PM ET | Lap 101: The No. 23 Foametix Porsche GT3 (Dominik Farnbacher) pits from the lead. The car needed extensive off-site repair after an incident during Thursday's practice session. |
| 7:03 PM ET | Lap 100: Legendary sports car racer Hurley Haywood (No. 59 Porsche Riley) just set the fastest lap of the race at 1:43.844 (123.415 mph). |
| 6:56 PM ET | Lap 96: Jimmie Johnson (No. 99 Chevy Riley) takes the fourth position overall from Ricardo Zonta (No. 75 Ford Lola). The No. 94 BMW M6 is in the pits, after the car slowed on track. |
| 6:39 PM ET | Lap 87: GREEN FLAG WAVES - Dario Franchitti (No. 02 BMW Riley) leads the field. |
| 6:24 PM ET | Lap 82: FULL COURSE YELLOW - The No. 19 Mitra Corvette (Ricardo Romagnoli) requires a tow from Turn 3. |
| 6:20 PM ET | Lap 80: Several cars are involved in an incident at Turn 3. Nos. 75, 74, 19, 23 and 21. The only car that did not continue on was the No. 19 Mitra Corvette (Ricardo Romagnoli). |
| 6:16 PM ET | Lap 77: Todd Lamb (No. 30 Mazda RX-8) is stopped off course. The car will require a tow. |
| 6:12 PM ET | Lap 75: Scott Pruett (No. 01 BMW Riley) rebounds from his on-track incident and sets the fastest lap of the race at 1:44.217 (122.974 mph). |
| 6:06 PM ET | Lap 71: Todd Lamb (No. 30 Mazda RX-8) spins at Turn 6 and impacts the tire wall. He continues on without further incident. |
| 6:05 PM ET | Lap 70: Scott Pruett (No. 01 BMW Riley) made contact with another car, spins off course and lightly impacts the tire wall at Turn 3. He continues on without further incident. |
| 6:03 PM ET | Lap 69: Scott Dixon (No. 02 BMW Riley) just set the fastest lap time of the race of 1:44.588 (122.537 mph). |
| 5:58 PM ET | Lap 67: Martin Ragginger (No. 23 Porsche GT3) pits from the GT lead. The crew replaces tires and fuel. |
| 5:51 PM ET | Lap 63: Bob Michaelian spins (No. 52 Ferrari 430 Challenge) spins at Turn 3 and lightly impacts the barrier. |
| 5:43 PM ET | Lap 61: Scott Dixon (No. 02 BMW Riley) sets the fastest lap of the race of 1:46.025 (120.877 mph). The lap times are getting quicker as the track dries. |
| 5:36 PM ET | Lap 54: Terry Borcheller spins the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley at Turn 3. He continues on without further incident. |
| 5:31 PM ET | Lap 53: Ricardo Zonta spins again in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola. This time at Turn 6. |
| 5:28 PM ET | Lap 51: Ricardo Zonta slides off course at Turn 3 and lightly impacts the tire wall in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola. He continues on with no further incident. |
| 5:27 PM ET | Lap 50: Scott Pruett is again the overall laeder in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley. |
| 5:09 PM ET | Lap 41: Ricardo Zonta takes the overall lead in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Lola. This team excels in wet conditions. |
| 5:05 PM ET | Lap 39: Ozz Negri sets the fastest race lap in the No. 60 Ford Riley. He's currently running fifth. |
| 5:01 PM ET | Lap 37: The third lead change in as many laps happens when Scott Pruett puts the No. 01 BMW Riley in the overall lead. |
| 5:00 PM ET | Lap 36: The overall battle heats up, as Scott Dixon wheels the No. 02 BMW Riley into the overall lead, passing Max Angelelli in the No. 10 Ford Dallara. |
| 4:58 PM ET | Lap 35: Max Angelelli retakes the overall lead in the No. 10 Ford Dallara. |
| 4:52 PM ET | Lap 32: Scott Dixon sets the fastest lap of the race of 1:55.685 (110:783) in the No. 02 Target BMW Riley. |
| 4:47 PM ET | Lap 31: GREEN FLAG WAVES - The race will resume. |
| 4:35 PM ET | Lap 27: FULL COURSE YELLOW - Dane Cameron spins and stops on course after puncturing a tire on the No. 2 Chevy Crawford. |
| 4:32 PM ET | Lap 25: Craig Stanton needs to return to pit lane in the No. 44 Porsche GT3, as his rear window is coming out. |
| 4:30 PM ET | The race has seen six different overall leaders so far. |
| 4:29 PM ET | Lap 23: Scott Dixon (No. 02 BMW Riley) takes the overall lead from Dane Cameron (No. 2 Chevy Crawford). |
| 4:21 PM ET | Lap 23: GREEN FLAG WAVES - The Rolex 24 At Daytona continues. |
| 4:15 PM ET | Lap 19: FULL COURSE CAUTION - Henri Richard spins off course in the No. 63 Porsche GT3 and hits the barrier at Turn 5. The right-front axle is bent. |
| 4:09 PM ET | Lap 18: Dan Watkins goes off course at Turn 3 in the No. 18 Porsche GT3 but continues on. |
| 4:05 PM ET | Lap 14: Joe Sahlen spins the No. 42 Corvette at Turn 6. He is stopped off course. |
| 4:03 PM ET | Lap 13: Alex Gurney pits the No. 99 Chevy Riley. The team changes one of the tires, which was punctured. |
| 4:00 PM ET | Lap 12: Michael Valiante pitted the No. 6 Ford Riley. He went off course and dug up some of the dirt and grass. Memo Gidley takes the overall lead in the No. 77 Ford Dallara. |
| 3:59 PM ET | Lap 10: Memo Gidley is moving up the field after setting the fastest race lap, piloting the No. 77 Ford Dallara. |
| 3:57 PM ET | Lap 10: Johnny Mowlem is limping the No. 88 Porsche GT3 back into the pits with a punctured tire. He was running third. |
| 3:55 PM ET | Lap 9: Max Angelelli has slipped back to seventh. He told the team 'be patient.' |
| 3:54 PM ET | Lap 9: Ozz Negri passes Scott Pruett at the entrance to the infield road course to take the overall lead. |
| 3:53 PM ET | Lap 8: Jordan Taylor took the GT lead after starting on the front row. His father owns the SunTrust Racing Daytona Prototype team. |
| 3:52 PM ET | Lap 7: Henri Richard (No. 63 Porsche GT3) was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. |
| 3:51 PM ET | Lap 7: Max Angelelli was passed leading into the entrance of Turn 6 by Scott Pruett. |
| 3:48 PM ET | Lap 7: The green flag waves to start the most prestigious endurance race in North America. |
| 3:46 PM ET | Lap 5: One more lap to go. The green flag will wave shortly. |
| 3:40 PM ET | Lap 3: The race will be under caution for at least two more laps. There are still pockets of water on the track. |
| 3:31 PM ET | Lap 1: The rain adds another element to the already challenging Rolex 24 At Daytona. There are at least three caution laps remaining. |
| 3:30 PM ET | The race has started under yellow due to the rainy weather. |
