IMSA Rolex 24 Hour 18: Cadillac vs. Porsche at 3/4-Mark

Pipo Derani finally had to step out of the #31 Whelen Cadillac and the #6 Porsche immediately took control of the Rolex 24 at the 3/4-mark.

Derani was the only driver of the #31 Cadillac talented enough to hold the Penske Porsche at bay and as the clock struck Hour 18, Mathieu had the #6 Porsche out front and pulling away from the #31 Cadillac with Jack Aitken at the wheel.

However, soon thereafter the #6 Porsche has had another penalty for a powertrain parameters infringement, resulting in another ten-second penalty stop that has dropped Jaminet almost 50 seconds behind the leading duo!

This is the THIRD penalty for this car for the same issue! If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t winning appears to be the team’s mojo.

The #7 Porsche driven by Matt Campbell was only 2-seconds behind the Cadillac and closing..

Neel Jani was 4th in the #5 Mustang Sampling Porsche in 4th, 43 seconds back while the #40 Acura driven by Luis Deletraz rounded out the top-5.

Porsche 963, Proton Competition (#5), Gianmaria Bruni (I), Neel Jani (CH), Romain Dumas (F), Alessio Picariello (B)

Renger van der Zande was making significant headway hours after the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R fell off the lead lap because of a cut tire and drive-thru penalty for a pit lane speed violation when, just shy of 3 a.m. ET, the hybrid racecar lost power and the Dutch driver coasted onto the Turn 1 apron.

After examination in the garage, the Chip Ganassi Racing-campaigned GTP entry retired.

Cadillac Racing issued a statement: The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R experienced a mechanical powertrain issue in the second half of the grueling race that resulted in retirement of the entry. Cadillac Racing will investigate to find the root cause and prepare for the 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Six hours remain in the 62nd annual Rolex 24 at Daytona. Six cars are still on the lead lap overall and in the GTP class, and out of 59 starters, 45 are still on track with only 12 retirements.

LMP2

The #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR driven by Malthe Jakobsen leads after a fantastic battle with Era Motorsport’s Connor Zilisch that saw the two bang wheels along the Speedway banking at one point. Ryan Dalziel has taken over the #18 Era Motorsport ORECA in second, with super-sub Pietro Fittipaldi in third in the #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA.

GTD PRO

The #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW driven by Neil Verhagen continued to lead the #4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R driven by Nicky Catsburg just ahead of the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 of Davide Rigon, who bounced back from a drive-through penalty when its fire extinguisher wasn’t properly manned.

GTD

Alessio Rovera still has the #023 Ferrari in front. However, in reality after pit stops, GTD continues to be led by the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, as Daniel Morad recently pitted from a ten-second advantage over the #023 Triarsi Competizione of Alessio Rovera. Scott Andrews in the #80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes was third.

Rolex 24 Hour 18 Standings

(Live Timing showed the #6 in Lead but they were soon penalized for cheating)

Pos	Pic	No.	Class	Drivers*	Team	Car	Laps	Behind
1	1	31	GTP	P. Derani / J. Aitken / T. Blomqvist	Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing	Cadillac V-Series.R	586	0.000
2	2	7	GTP	D. Cameron / F. Nasr / M. Campbell J. Newgarden	Porsche Penske Motorsports	Porsche 963	586	1.432
3	3	6	GTP	N. Tandy / M. Jaminet / K. Estre L. Vanthoor	Porsche Penske Motorsports	Porsche 963	586	11.088
4	4	5	GTP	G. Bruni / N. Jani / A. Picariello R. Dumas	Proton Competition Mustang Sampling	Porsche 963	586	41.431
5	5	40	GTP	J. Taylor / L. Deletraz / C. Herta J. Button	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	Acura ARX-06	586	45.009
6	6	85	GTP	T. van der Helm / R. Westbrook P. Hanson / B. Keating	JDC-Miller MotorSports	Porsche 963	586	56.016
7	7	25	GTP	C. De Phillippi / N. Yelloly / M. Martin R. Rast	BMW M Team RLL	BMW M Hybrid V8	578	8 Laps
8	8	24	GTP	J. Krohn / P. Eng / A. Farfus D. Vanthoor	BMW M Team RLL	BMW M Hybrid V8	572	14 Laps
9	1	04	LMP2	G. Kurtz / C. Braun / T. Sowery M. Jakobsen	Crowdstrike Racing by APR	ORECA LMP2 07	569	17 Laps
10	2	18	LMP2	D. Merriman / R. Dalziel / C. Zilisch C. Rasmussen	Era Motorsport	ORECA LMP2 07	569	17 Laps
11	3	52	LMP2	J. Smiechowski / N. Boulle T. Dillmann / P. Fittipaldi	Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports	ORECA LMP2 07	569	17 Laps
12	4	74	LMP2	G. Robinson / F. Fraga / J. Burdon F. Massa	Riley	ORECA LMP2 07	569	17 Laps
13	5	2	LMP2	P. O’Ward / B. Keating / N. Pino B. Hanley	United Autosports USA	ORECA LMP2 07	569	17 Laps
14	6	8	LMP2	J. Farano / M. Dinan F. Habsburg-Lothringen / S. McLaughlin	Tower Motorsports	ORECA LMP2 07	568	18 Laps
15	7	81	LMP2	E. Lux / K. Simpson / J. Allen S. Alvarez	DragonSpeed	ORECA LMP2 07	567	19 Laps
16	8	99	LMP2	P. Hyett / P. Chatin / M. Brabham A. Quinn	AO Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	565	21 Laps
17	1	1	GTDPRO	B. Sellers / M. Snow / N. Verhagen S. van der Linde	Paul Miller Racing	BMW M4 GT3	546	40 Laps
18	2	4	GTDPRO	T. Milner / N. Catsburg / E. Bamber	Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	545	41 Laps
19	3	62	GTDPRO	D. Serra / D. Rigon / A. Pier Guidi J. Calado	Risi Competizione	Ferrari 296 GT3	545	41 Laps
20	4	3	GTDPRO	A. Garcia / A. Sims / D. Juncadella	Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	544	42 Laps
21	5	77	GTDPRO	Heinrich / S. Priaulx Christensen	AO Racing	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	544	42 Laps
22	1	023	GTD	O. Triarsi / C. Scardina / R. Agostini A. Rovera	Triarsi Competizione	Ferrari 296 GT3	543	43 Laps
23	2	80	GTD	S. Yoluc / R. Pinto de Andrade S. Andrews / A. Christodoulou	Lone Star Racing	Mercedes AMG GT3	543	43 Laps
24	3	57	GTD	R. Ward / P. Ellis / I. Dontje / D. Morad	Winward Racing	Mercedes AMG GT3	543	43 Laps
25	4	83	GTD	R. Frey / M. Gatting / S. Bovy / D. Pin	Iron Dames	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	542	44 Laps
26	5	120	GTD	A. Adelson / E. Skeer / J. Heylen F. Makowiecki	Wright Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	542	44 Laps
27	6	32	GTD	M. Skeen / M. Grenier / K. Koch M. Goetz	Korthoff/Preston Motorsports	Mercedes AMG GT3	542	44 Laps
28	7	12	GTD	F. Montecalvo / P. Thompson / A. Telitz R. Miyata	Vasser Sullivan	Lexus RC F GT3	542	44 Laps
29	8	21	GTD	S. Mann / F. Heriau / M. Molina K. Cozzolino	Af Corse	Ferrari 296 GT3	542	44 Laps
30	9	34	GTD	M. Franco / A. Costa Balboa / A. Balzan C. Sbirrazzuoli	Conquest Racing	Ferrari 296 GT3	542	44 Laps
31	10	43	GTD	J. Andretti / G. Chaves / S. Hargrove T. Preining	Andretti Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	541	45 Laps
32	6	65	GTDPRO	F. Vervisch / J. Hand / D. Mueller	Ford Multimatic Motorsports	Ford Mustang GT3	541	45 Laps
33	7	23	GTDPRO	R. Gunn / A. Riberas / M. Farnbacher	Heart of Racing Team	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	540	46 Laps
34	8	64	GTDPRO	C. Mies / H. Tincknell M. Rockenfeller	Ford Multimatic Motorsports	Ford Mustang GT3	539	47 Laps
35	11	47	GTD	R. Lacorte / G. Sernagiotto / A. Fuoco E. Cheever	CETILAR RACING	Ferrari 296 GT3	534	52 Laps
36	9	19	GTDPRO	F. Perera / J. Pepper / A. Caldarelli M. Bortolotti	Iron Lynx	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	533	53 Laps
37	12	92	GTD	D. Brule / A. Udell / T. Hindman J. Andlauer	Kellymoss with Riley	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	533	53 Laps
38	13	86	GTD	K. Li / A. Fjordbach / L. ten Voorde K. Bachler	MDK Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	532	54 Laps
39	14	96	GTD	R. Foley / P. Gallagher / J. Walker J. Klingmann	Turner Motorsport	BMW M4 GT3	529	57 Laps
40	15	70	GTD	B. Iribe / F. Schandorff / O. Millroy T. Gamble	Inception Racing	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	528	58 Laps
41	16	17	GTD	A. Mantella / N. Varrone / T. Merrill C. Eastwood	AWA	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	508	78 Laps
42	10	9	GTDPRO	M. Kirchhöfer / O. Jarvis/ J. Hinchcliffe / A. Rossi	Pfaff Motorsports	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	501	85 Laps
43	17	78	GTD	M. Goikhberg / L. Spinelli D. Defrancesco / S. Mitchell	Forte Racing	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	490	96 Laps
44	9	10	GTP	R. Taylor / F. Albuquerque / B. Hartley M. Ericsson	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	Acura ARX-06	479	107 Laps
45	9	33	LMP2	L. Willsey / J. Barbosa / N. Siegel J. Edgar	Sean Creech Motorsport	Ligier LMP2	478	108 Laps
46	18	45	GTD	K. Marcelli / D. Formal / G. Doyle A. Harrison	Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	459	127 Laps
47	10	01	GTP	A. Palou / R. van der Zande S. Bourdais / S. Dixon	Cadillac Racing	Cadillac V-Series.R	423	Not Running
48	11	14	GTDPRO	Hawksworth / B. Barnicoat Kirkwood / M. Conway	VasserSullivan	Lexus RC F GT3	397	Not Running
49	19	66	GTD	S. Monk / K. Legge / T. Calderon S. McAleer	Gradient Racing	Acura NSX GT3	368	Not Running
50	20	55	GTD	R. Hardwick / D. Olsen / G. Levorato C. Lewis	Proton Competition	Ford Mustang GT3	367	Not Running
51	21	13	GTD	O. Fidani / M. Bell / L. Kern / A. Lynn	AWA	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	308	278 Laps
52	22	27	GTD	R. De Angelis / Z. Robichon / I. James M. Sorensen	Heart of Racing Team	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	303	Not Running
53	23	44	GTD	J. Potter / A. Lally / S. Pumpelly N. Thiim	Magnus Racing	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	294	Not Running
54	12	60	GTDPRO	C. Schiavoni / M. Cressoni R. Grosjean / M. Cairoli	Iron Lynx	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	293	Not Running
55	13	75	GTDPRO	K. Habul / J. Gounon / L. Stolz M. Engel	Sun Energy 1	Mercedes AMG GT3	193	Not Running
56	10	20	LMP2	D. Andersen / S. Lucas / L. Hoerr S. Huffaker	MDK by High Class Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	185	Not Running
57	11	22	LMP2	D. Goldburg / P. Di Resta / B. Garg F. Rosenqvist	United Autosports USA	ORECA LMP2 07	128	Not Running
58	12	88	LMP2	L. Perez Companc / N. Nielsen L. Wadoux Ducellier / M. Vaxiviere	Richard Mille AF Corse	ORECA LMP2 07	107	Not Running
59	13	11	LMP2	S. Thomas / M. Jensen / H. McElrea C. Milesi	TDS Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	58	Not Running