Rolex 24: 14 Hour Report

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 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 5:30 a.m. ET Sunday was Memo Rojas in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley, fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Rojas took over from Wilson during the 13th hour as pit stops cycled through and held a 1m6.807-second advantage over AJ Allmendinger in the Mike Shank Ford.

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.

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 12 times for 39 laps.

Noted Events since last update
5:01 AM ET Lap 415: Teams are keeping this race clean. There hasn't been a caution period in almost 140 laps, and averaging 109.481 mph, only three mph off the race record!

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.

Hour 14 Standings