Porsche Dominates Daytona 24 Hours with Dramatic Opening Lap Lead

The 64th Daytona 24 Hours race commenced with dramatic chaos, marked by a multi-car crash in LMP2. This incident occurred immediately at the first corner, leading to a full course yellow. While the leading GTP class navigated the corner smoothly, several LMP2 competitors faced disaster behind them. Notably, the #11 TDS Racing misjudged the entry, triggering a series of collisions involving the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR, #18 Era Motorsport, and #2 United Autosport.

In an unexpected turn, the #24 BMW M Team WRT GTP car spun out independently at the high-speed Turn 2/3 chicane. Remarkably, other drivers managed to avoid a collision. The #7 Porsche Penske, however, capitalized on the chaos, with Felipe Nasr taking the lead. The team aimed for a third consecutive victory at Daytona.

Porsche’s Early Dominance

As green flag racing resumed, another incident unfolded: the #28 RS1 Porsche GTD crashed at the first corner. The car lost control and hit a tire barrier, resulting in significant damage and an early retirement just 15 minutes into the race. After this second caution, racing resumed 25 minutes in.

Class Standings After 25 Minutes

After an eventful opening, the leaders in each class were as follows:

• GTP Class:
  • #7 Porsche Penske – Felipe Nasr
  • #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing – Started on pole
  • #6 Porsche Penske – Sister team
• LMP2 Class:
  • #99 A0 Racing – Leading after starting second
  • #343 Inter Europol Competition – Starting from sixth
  • #43 Inter Europol Competition – Former pole sitter, now in third
• GTD PRO Class:
  • #3 Corvette Racing – Starting from pole position
  • #75 Express Mercedes AMG GT3
  • #65 Ford Multimatics Motorsports
• GTD Class:
  • #36 DXDT Racing – Leading class
  • #70 Inception Racing – Ferrari competitor
  • #21 AF Corse USA – Another Ferrari entry

This year’s Daytona 24 Hours has set the stage for fierce competition, especially after Porsche’s commanding start. Fans eagerly anticipate how the race will unfold in the following hours.