Yahoo Autos Rolex 24, Hour 14: Class by class, still anyone’s game
With more than half the 24 hours now gone in the 2024 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, regular full course yellows have played into the hands of nearly every team in every class. At the close of hour 14, the overall battle for the lead in GTP sees the top four together on the lead lap, led by Tom Blomqvist yet again in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac.
Perhaps the most miraculous standout is P4 — the No. 40 WTR Acura, having rebounded solidly from electrical gremlins not long ago. Colton Herta currently sits just 2.9s behind Blomqvist, still solidly in contention so long as the car stays solid.
In LMP2, the top five has gone through a major shakeup through the hour, with Colin Braun leading in the No. 04 as the hour closes in the midst of another pit cycle. The No. 52, having previously held a commanding class lead in the double digits of seconds, has slipped completely out of the top five — now down to P7 in class at the hands of Jakub Smiechowski.
Risi Competizione is back at the head of GTD PRO with Alessandro Pier Guidi still behind the wheel of the Ferrari 296. The No. 3 Corvette of Daniel Juncadella had powered into the class lead prior to this pit cycle, and based on the math should be battling once again with the No. 62 Risi car once the cycle is complete.
The GTD top five are separated by only 12s as the hour draws to a close, still led by the No. 57 Winward Mercedes. For hours now, the class has been remarkably trouble-free, even as the prototype leaders fly past in near-constant wheel-to-wheel infighting.
