IMSA Friday recap: NASCAR's Harrison Burton-Zane Smith win; Hailie Deegan-Ben Rhodes third

DAYTONA BEACH ― Happy Friday from Daytona, where Day 2 of Rolex 24 weekend will bring a couple of checkered flags and two more practice sessions for the 61 cars entered in the Saturday-Sunday endurance classic.

Today's main event is the four-hour season opener for IMSA's Michelin Pilot Challenge Series, beginning at 1:45.

This morning at 10:15, the Mazda Mx-5 Series begins the second 45-minute race of its Daytona doubleheader. If it's anything like Thursday's first race, it should definitely be worth a look ― the first four finishers could practically be covered by a shop rag at the checkers.

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All 61 entries in the Rolex 24 get the track for an hour, beginning at 11:20. The marquee GTP class, featuring the new LMDh prototypes, get a 20-minute session to themselves beginning at 6:25 this evening.

As always, everything is pointing to Saturday afternoon's 1:40 start to the 61st Rolex 24.

5:45 p.m.: Harrison Burton-Zane Smith win in a Mustang; teammates Hailie Deegan-Ben Rhodes third

NASCAR racer Harrison Burton padded his road-course portfolio Friday with a win in the four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona. He finished just over a half-second ahead of late-charging Spencer Pumpelly.

Burton was one of four young NASCAR drivers running a pair of Ford Mustangs. Pumpelly was in a Porsche.

Burton, who drives in the Cup Series for Wood Brothers Racing, was paired with NASCAR Truck Series driver Zane Smith. In the closing moments, Burton and Ford teammate Ben Rhodes were running 1-2, but Pumpelly passed Rhodes with less than five minutes remaining and set his cap for Burton, but couldn't catch him.

Rhodes, who teamed with another Truck Series driver, Hailie Deegan, finished third.

The race's Touring Car class was won by Gavin Ernstone and Jon Morley, in an Audi RS3, who finished less than a half-second ahead of the Honda Civic driven by William Tally and Mike LaMarra.

4:46 p.m. | Elliott Skeer with big cushion at three-hour mark

Elliott Skeer, one of two drivers for the No. 47 nolasport Porsche 718, has built a nine-second gap on the field as the BMW M Endurance Challenge enters its final hour.

Pitstops put Skeer out front and with a battle raging for second place between Chad McCumbee, Harrison Burton and Jeff Westphall, Skeer has pulled away.

Burton took over for Zane Smith who was leading at both the one-hour and halfway marks and held a 1.5 second lead heading into pitstops before he was overtaken. Smith gave way to Burton, who turned in the race's fastest lap with a 1:52.665. Burton runs third.

In the other car featuring truck series drivers, Hailie Deegan also climbed out of the car after running the race's first two-and-a-half hours with Ben Rhodes coming on in relief. Rhodes is running fifth, a full 16 seconds off the lead.

3:46 p.m. | Zane Smith regains lead after pitstops, cautions

After being shuffled back due to pit strategy, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Zane Smith regained the lead with a pass of Jeroen Bleekemolen just past the halfway mark of the BMW M Endurance Challenge.

The race was marred by cautions and resulting stoppages throughout the first two hours but Smith, driving the No. 42 PF Racing Ford Mustang, remained a fixture in the top five. Hailie Deegan, who peeked out into the lead during the first hour, was running eighth as halfway arrived.