Rolex 24 race recap: No. 60 Acura wins in Daytona; 3 straight for Helio Castroneves

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DAYTONA BEACH — Let's go racin'!

And racin' . . .

And racin' . . .

Twice around the clock, in fact. North America's premier endurance race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, ended its 24-hour event Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway. The 61st edition is headlined by the new GTP class, featuring nine LMDh prototypes produced by Porsche, Cadillac, Acura and BMW.

Behind them will be four other classes of sports cars, including the lower-tech prototypes of LMP2 and LMP3, along with the showroom-like muscle cars of the GTD class — Mercedes, Corvette, BMW, Ferrari and Aston Martin are among the sexy makes in that division.

The No. 01 Cadillac led throughout much of the night and into Sunday morning.
The No. 01 Cadillac led throughout much of the night and into Sunday morning.

5 TAKEAWAYS:Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 Acura claims second straight Rolex 24 overall title

At the start:The starting grid for the 61st Rolex 24 at Daytona

Live from Daytona International Speedway

1:40 p.m.: Checkers and another Rolex 24 for Meyer Shank Racing; 3 straight for Helio Castroneves

Tom Blomqvist dominated the final hour in Meyer Shank Racing's No. 60 Acura prototype, giving the team a second straight win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The No. 60 was 4.190 seconds ahead of another Acura, the No. 10 from Wayne Taylor Racing, as the checkers flew to bring an end to the motor racing marathon.

Blomqvist's co-drivers over the two laps around the clock: Helio Castroneves, Colin Braun and Simon Pagenaud.

It's a third straight Rolex win for Castroneves.

Other class winners:

LMP2: No. 55 Oreca Proton Competition, at the stripe by a hundredth of a second over the No. 04 Oreca of Crowdstrike.

LMP3: No. 17 Duqueine of AWA, by 11 laps.

GTD Pro: No. 79 Mercedes-AMG of WeatherTech Racing, by 3.9 seconds over the No. 3 Corvette.

GTD: No. 27 Aston Martin of Heart of Racing Team, by 5.3 seconds over the No. 44 Aston Martin of Magnus Racing. Also won the overall GTD race.

12:40 p.m.: Cautions wave, Acura still leads heading into final hour

After a near-six-hour stretch of green-flag racing this morning, cautions became more frequent after 10 a.m.

A pair of yellow flags waved in the 23rd hour, the last of which was brought out by Nicolas Lapierre in the No. 52 Oreca LMP2 entry after he spun and stalled in the infield portion of the track.

The no. 60- Acura ARX-06 is chased by the no. 01 Cadillac LMDh in the east horseshoe, Sunday January 29, 2023 during the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway
The no. 60- Acura ARX-06 is chased by the no. 01 Cadillac LMDh in the east horseshoe, Sunday January 29, 2023 during the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway

Tom Blomqvist replaced Simon Pagenaud for the final run in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura and the car’s short-run speed continued to rule supreme as Blomqvist built a 3.3-second lead heading into the 24th and final hour. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura, driven by Filipe Albuquerque, got back on the lead lap with the influx of cautions and moved into second.. A pair of Cadillacs completed the lead-lap continent with the No. 02 driven by Earl Bamber running third, 5.1 seconds back. Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 was 7.5 seconds behind.

In other classes, close battles continued to rage with four LMP2 entries separated by eight seconds at the front and the three GTP Pro leaders just 1.8 seconds apart.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 35 Oreca driven by Job Van Uitert.

LMP3: No. 17 Duqueine driven by Wayne Boyd.

GTD Pro: No. 14 Lexus driven back Jack Hawksworth.

GTD: No. 27 Aston Martin driven by Marco Sorenson.

Noon: NBC picks up final hour-40 of Rolex 24 at Daytona

Welcome to the Rolex 100!

The final 100 minutes of the Rolex 24 is upon us, and for viewing purposes, NBC now picks up coverage and takes us through the checkers and the champagne-soaked Victory Lane.

There's breaking down, and then there's just broken. This LMP car didn't see the checkers.
There's breaking down, and then there's just broken. This LMP car didn't see the checkers.

11:40 p.m.: Pagenaud leads in Acura after another caution, restart

Another caution flag waved after the No. 6 Porsche GTP car suffered a mechanical failure.

Still, Simon Pagenaud showed the way in the No. 60 Acura with Sebastien Bourdais keeping pace in the No. 01 Cadillac, 2.5 seconds behind as the Rolex 24 entered the 23rd hour.

Earl Bamber replaced Richard Westbrook in the No. 02 Cadillac and had to navigate some traffic on the restart. Still, the 02 was the third and final premier-class entry still on the lead lap, 8.5 seconds behind Pagenaud.

No.60 Acura  driver Simon Pagenaud from Meyer Shank Racing, waits for the car to pull into pit road during the last day of the Rolex 24.
No.60 Acura driver Simon Pagenaud from Meyer Shank Racing, waits for the car to pull into pit road during the last day of the Rolex 24.

A couple of yellow flags within an hour of each other bunched up the field a bit, especially in the LMP2 and GTD Pro classes. Four LMP2 cars were within 4.2 seconds of the lead with three GTD Pro entries grouped 1.6 seconds apart.

Other class leaders

LMP2: No. 88 Oreca driven by Matthieu Vaxiviere (7th overall).

LMP3: No. 17 Dqueine driven by Nico Varrone (16th overall).

GTD Pro: No. 14 Lexus driven by Ben Barnicoat (18th overall).

GTD: No. 27 Aston Martin driven by Roman De Angelis (17th overall).

Roger Penske's 06 Porsche hit the garage early after a broken gear box.
Roger Penske's 06 Porsche hit the garage early after a broken gear box.

10:40 p.m.: Pagenaud powers No. 60 Acura back to the lead after restart

After five hours and 45 minutes of green-flag racing, a caution waved at 10 a.m.

It was just the break Simon Pagenaud needed.

Pagenaud powered the No. 60 Acrua entry around Sebastian Bourdais in the No. 01 Cadillac on the restart and had built a 1.8-second advantage as the event moved to within three hours of the finish.

The no. 60 Acura ARX-06 runs through the chicane as the sun starts to brighten the sky , Sunday morning January 29, 2023 during the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
The no. 60 Acura ARX-06 runs through the chicane as the sun starts to brighten the sky , Sunday morning January 29, 2023 during the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

The ninth yellow flag of the race was brought out by a crash as the No. 20 Oreca in the LMP2 Class skidded off course and slammed into the tires in backstretch chicane.

Bourdais took over for Dixon, who had pitted from the lead just before the caution. Bourdais came back down pit road under yellow for a top off, and came out first but Pagenaud made quick work of the leader and was in control as the 21st hour came to a close. Michael Westbrook in the Cadillac No. 02 rounded out the top three, which were the the only cars still on the lead lap. Just before 10:40, Nick Tandy drove the No. 6 Porsche past Pagenaud to get one of two laps back.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 04 Oreca driven by Esteban Gutierrez.

LMP3: No. 17 Duqueiene driven by Nico Varrone.

GTD Pro: No. 79 Mercedes driven by Jules Gounon.

GTD: No. 27 Aston Martin driven by Roman De Angelis

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9:40 a.m.: No changes on the lead lap; two Cadillacs and an Acura with four hours left

It's the same trio of LMDh prototypes on the lead lap. The 01 Cadillac is 50 seconds up on the No. 60 Acura, with the No. 02 Caddy running third. The No. 10 Acura is two-plus laps off the pace.

Scott Dixon remains behind the wheel for the leading Cadillac.

Seven GTP cars make up the top seven at Hour 20. The two way off the pace: The No. 7 Roger Penske Porsche (37 laps down, in 16th overall) and the No. 25 BMW (133 laps down, 51st overall).

LMP2 cars make up the next eight spots.

Other Class leaders:

LMP2: The No. 04 Oreca from Crowdstrike Racing leads a good fight among three lead-lap cars. The No. 35 and 88 are both within 18 seconds of the lead.

LMP3: Sean Creech Racing's No. 33 fell out with shifting issues, but returned to the track in third place, albeit 17 laps off the pace of the No. 17 Duqueine.

GTD Pro: The No. 3 Corvette, with Jordan Taylor driving, is 12 seconds up on the No. 79 Mercedes-AMG.

GTD: It's a 60-second lead for the No. 27 Aston Martin, with Darren Turner aboard.

8:40 a.m.: Same threesome show the way at Hour 19 of Rolex 24 in Daytona

Scott Dixon (No. 01 Cadillac), Simon Pagenaud (No. 60 Acura) and Alex Lynn (No. 02 Cadillac) continue to pace the field. The three prototypes are the only GTP class cars on the lead lap, but Ricky Taylor (No. 10 Acura) is lurking just a lap off the pace.

Roger Penske's No. 6 GTP Porsche is three laps down, with Bobby Rahal's No. 24 BMW is five laps back.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 04 Oreca takes over lead from No. 35 team.

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier has a two-lap gap on the No. 17 Duqueine.

GTD Pro: No. 3 Corvette and No. 79 Mercedes-AMG are within 2 seconds of each other on the lead lap.

GTD: No. 57 Mercedes-AMG of Winward Racing, in a backup car after Thursday's huge crash during practice, 30 seconds ahead of No. 27 Aston Martin.

7:40 a.m.: Acura, two Cadillacs still battling up front

The No. 01 Cadillac gave up the lead at 7:34 during a pit stop and driver change, from Renger van der Zande to Scott Dixon.

Colin Braun and the No. 60 Acura inherited the lead, for now. The other Ganassi Racing Cadillac, the No. 02, is the third prototype on the lead lap. The No. 10 Acura and No. 24 BMW are two laps down.

Weather could become a factor but it's not what you might think. Temps are expected to climb above 70 sometime this morning and reach the mid-70s by lunchtime and through the 1:40 finish. Warmer temps means a warmer track, which could make tire-wear an issue at crunch time.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 35 Oreca of TDS Racing, Gieno van der Garde driving.

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier of Sean Creech Motorsport, Joao Barbosa driving.

GTD Pro: No. 79 Mercedes-AMG of WeatherTech Racing, Jule Gounon driving.

GTD: No. 57 Mercedes of Winward Racing, Daniel Morad driving.

6:40 a.m.: Sunrise on deck as Cadillacs, Acura battle through Hour 17 at Daytona

Eight of the nine LMDh prototypes made it through the night, with six of them within three laps of each other, and three on the lead lap.

With seven hours remaining, the No. 01 Caddy, with Renger van der Zande driving, is 12 seconds up on the pole-sitting No. 60 Acura, with Tom Blomqvist back behind the wheel.

Chip Ganassi's other Cadillac, the No. 02, is also on the lead lap, with Richard Westbrook at the controls.

The Ferris Wheel created a sparkling backdrop to the racing as the Rolex 24 worked the nighttime road.
The Ferris Wheel created a sparkling backdrop to the racing as the Rolex 24 worked the nighttime road.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 04 Oreca, of Crowdstrike Racing, has a slim lead over the No. 35, with the No. 88 also on the lead lap.

LMP3: The No. 33 Ligier (Sean Creech Motorsport) is nearly a lap ahead of the No. 17 Duqueine (AWA).

GTD Pro: No. 79 Mercedes-AMG (WeatherTech Racing) leads but has a lot of company on the lead lap. The No. 3 Corvette is running second.

GTD: Winward Racing's No. 57 Mercedes-AMG and Heart of Racing's No. 27 Aston Martin are neck-and-neck, with two others on the lead lap.

6 a.m.: Rolex 24 coverage is back on USA Network

The USA Network has the Rolex 24, live, until noon, when it switches back to NBC.

12:40 a.m.: A new day dawns as Colin Braun drives Acura back to the front

A new day dawned in Daytona with Colin Braun powering ahead as Sunday arrived.

Driving the Acura No. 60, a long run proved to be the trick for Braun, who methodically reeled in Alexander Sims in the No. 31 Cadillac and grabbed the lead just as the 11th hour ended. It continued a comeback story for the 60, which nearly went a lap down in the seventh hour after a spin and unscheduled pit stop for Helio Castroneves.

The three Cadillacs in the GTP Class have largely dominated the nighttime hours but the No. 01 was delivered a blow just after midnight. With Scott Dixon driving, the team was penalized for a pit road infraction, putting it 1:15 behind the leader.

A couple of contenders in lower classes had issues as morning arrived. The No. 3 Corvette in the GTD Pro Class blew a tire while running second and then had to come back to the pits to change brakes. The No. 43 LMP3 entry driven by Sebastian Alvarez veered off course while leading with Joao Barbosa grabbing first place in the No. 33 Ligier. Finally, the No. 93 Acura in the GTP Class lost its hood coming out of Turn 4.

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca driven by Nicolas Lapierre (8th overall).

LMP3:  No. 33 Ligier driven by Joao Barbosa (18th overall).

GTD Pro: No. 23 Aston martin driven by Ross Gunn (26th overall).

GTD: No. 70 McLaren driven by Marvin Kirchhofer (25th overall).

Midnight: Coverage shifts back to streaming as Sunday arrives

After two more hours on USA Network, coverage of the Rolex 24 shifted back to the Peacock streaming service. The entirety of the event is airing on Peacock while USA and NBC are splitting TV duties.

11:40 p.m.: Cautions bunch up field as halfway looms, Aitken regains the lead for Cadillac

A restart to begin the hour and another lengthy caution halfway through bunched up the field just when Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Acura began to open up a lead again.

Instead, he was relieved by Colin Braun who ran second after a restart, splitting up the Cadillacs driven by leader Jack Aitken (No. 31) and third-place Renger van der Zande (No. 01).

A mechanical failure for the No. 92 Porsche GTD entry brought out the caution with Blomqvist leading. Blomqvist had powered to the lead after a restart to begin the 10th hour, bringing the No. 60 Acura all the way back from nearly going a lap down due to a Helio Castroneves spin and off-sequence pit stop in the seventh hour. While a mishap put the team behind, Blomqvist again flashed the speed that helped him earn the pole and dominate early portions of the race.

Racers work the east horseshoe, Saturday Night January 28, 2023 during the Rolex 24 as darkness takes over Daytona International Speedway.
Racers work the east horseshoe, Saturday Night January 28, 2023 during the Rolex 24 as darkness takes over Daytona International Speedway.

“I’m really happy with it,” he said.

Still, with just over half the race to go, he said the team was focused on one turn, one lap at a time.

“We’re still driving into the unknown, this is the longest this car has driven for us,” Blomqvist said. “We’re trying to be easier on brakes, easier on tires – that’s in the back of our minds. Not trying to take too much risk on curves, doing the small little things you can do as a driver to put less load on the car. But it’s hard to do much more. We’re just going to keep all of our fingers and toes crosse that it stays where it’s been.”

The No. 24 BMW owned by Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan, finally got back on the lead lap after falling behind early in the race.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca driven by Nicolas Lapierre

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier driven by Nico Pino

GTD Pro: No. 3 Corvette driven by Jordan Taylor

GTD: No. 70 McLaren driven by Frederik Schandorff

10:40 p.m.: Fireworks fly, caution waves, Cadillac leads

A fireworks display erupted over the backstretch just moments before track repair brought out a caution flag.

Through it all Cadillac continued to show the way.

The manufacturers’ three GTP entries held the top three spots led by Renger van der Zande in the No. 01. Jack Aitken in the No. 31 and Richard Westbrook in the No. 02 ran second and third, respectively.

Cars streak through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.
Cars streak through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

The yellow was brought out by a tire bundle that had been knocked out of place in Turn 6. It served as a break for several teams, particularly the No. 60 Acura that had been well over a minute off the pace since Helio Castroneves spun and flat-spotted the tires during the seventh hour. It required an unscheduled pit stop and though Tom Blomqvist had carved a few seconds off after taking over, the caution was much needed for a Meyer Shank Racing team that spent much of the early portion of the race in front. Blomqvist ran sixth as the green flag waved at the end of the ninth hour.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca driven by Alex Quinn (8th overall).

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier driven by Nico Pino (16th overall).

GTD Pro: No. 14 Lexus driven by Jack Hawksworth (25th overall)

GTD: No. 93 Acura driven by Kyle Marcelli (27th overall).

10 p.m.: TV coverage moves back to cable

After two hours of streaming on Peacock, television coverage of the Rolex 24 went live again on USA Network and will continue there until midnight.

As Saturday becomes Sunday, coverage again will shift to the NBC streaming service before moving back to television starting at 6 a.m.

9:40 p.m.: Jack Aitken relieves Pipo Derani, keeps No. 31 Cadillac in the lead

Jack Aitken kept the No. 31 Cadillac right where Pipo Derani left it — in the lead.

The former relieved the latter in the eighth hour and hung on to the lead he inherited after pit stops cycled through. Aitken led by less than a half second over Alex Lynn in another Cadillac. Lynn finally prevailed in a spirited battle for second place over Brendon Hartley in the No. 10 Acura as the first third of the Rolex 24 came to an end.

Driver changes were a common theme during pit stops including Tom Blomqvist, who took the No. 60 Acura back over after running the opening stint. After leading throughout much of the early stages, Blomqvist was in a hole upon returning after Helio Castroneves spun and flat-spotted the tires in the seventh hour, requiring an unscheduled pit stop.

“It locked the rear wheels, so unexpected,” Castroneves said. “I wasn’t trying to do anything different. I wasn’t sure what happened.

“Certainly, the car is fast. I just got caught in a moment I was not expecting at all.”

Blomqvist was in sixth, 1:18 behind Aitken.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca driven by Ben Keating.

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier driven by Lance Willsey

GTD Pro: No. 23 Aston Martin driven by David Pittard.

GTD: No. 32 Mercedes driven by Mikael Grenier

8:40 p.m.: Helio Castroneves spins in the No. 60 Acura, pits for tires as No. 31 Cadillac assumes lead

An eventful seventh hour included a caution for a crash and a blow to the defending champion.

Helio Castroneves, looking for his third straight Rolex 24 title while driving the No. 60 Acura, spun getting into Turn 1 after a restart, flat-spotting his tires and subsequently pitting off sequence. The Meyer Shank Racing entry spent most of the opening six hours battling for the lead but as 8:40 p.m. arrived, ran sixth, 1:34 off the lead.

The no. 60 Acura ARX-06 works the east horseshoe, Saturday Night January 28, 2023 during the Rolex 24 as darkness takes over Daytona International Speedway.
The no. 60 Acura ARX-06 works the east horseshoe, Saturday Night January 28, 2023 during the Rolex 24 as darkness takes over Daytona International Speedway.

Steven Thomas crashed in the No. 11 Oreca LMP2 entry and a lengthy caution ensued. On the restart, Castroneves swung wide in attempt to pass Pipo Derani for first but locked the brakes getting into the first corner, spinning off course. Derani soldiered on and by the dawn of the eighth hour, had built a 4.3-second advantage over Nick Tandy in the No. 6 Porsche.

8 p.m.: TV coverage shifts to Peacock streaming

Television coverage of the Rolex 24 shifted from USA Network to Peacock at 8 p.m. The streaming service will air the race exclusively with USA picking back up from 10 to midnight.

Peacock is streaming all 24 hours with television coverage split between USA and NBC.

7:40 p.m.: Pole-sitting No. 60 Acura builds a one-minute lead as the "first quarter" of the Rolex 24 arrives

The No. 60 Acura prototype, the fastest car through most of preseason testing, as well as qualifying, regained the lead in the sixth hour with IndyCar racer Simon Pagenaud at the helm.

Pagenaud was enjoy a one-minute lead over the No. 10 Acura being piloted by Filipe Albuquerque. The leaders continued turning laps in the 95-second range, right on target with preseason testing just a tick slower than qualifying.

Car No.60 from Meyer Shank Racing exits pit road during the Rolex 24
Car No.60 from Meyer Shank Racing exits pit road during the Rolex 24

Action Express' No. 31 Cadillac was running third.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: N. 11 Oreca, Rinus Veekay driving.

LMP3: No. 36 Ligier, Rasmus Lindh.

GTD Pro: No. 23 Aston Martin, Ross Gunn.

GTD: No. 27 Aston Martin, Marco Sorensen.

6:40 p.m.: Acuras continue to lead as darkness settles in

Louis Deletraz built a 6.5-second advantage in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura as darkness settled in at Daytona International Speedway.

It continued an impressive start for the Acuras with the manufacturer’s second entry, the No. 60 driven by Simon Pagenaud, moving into second place just before the fifth hour came to an end.

Colin Braun drove two full stints and then some in the No. 60, leading throughout much of his time in the car. After giving way to Pagenaud, Braun spoke on the tight racing with slower cars in other classes.

The NO. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 runs through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.
The NO. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 runs through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

“There’s such a speed difference with the GTP cars over the GTDs in the tri-oval and in the bus stop, you get in situations where you have no choice but to go somewhere with the momentum,” Braun observed. “You get so much good momentum going, you’ve got to go somewhere with it. With all the cars being close in speed, you can’t make a move and just jam the brakes on. That’s sometimes more risky than just keeping on, committing to what you’re doing.”

A couple of close calls for high-profile drivers highlighted the fifth hour.

Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric made contact with another car as he tried to get out of the way of Scott Dixon, whose GTP-Class No. 1 Cadillac cruised up onto the back of Cindric’s No. 51 LMP2 entry.

Then, Dixon was contacted in the rear after stopping to avoid the spinning No. 8 LMP2 driven by John Farano after he collided with Pagenaud. The incident was reviewed, and Pagenaud was issued a warning while a piece broke off of the back of the No. 1.

All three cars were able to continue.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 11 Oreca driven by Mikkel Jensen.

LMP3: No. 36 Ligier driven by Rasmus Lindh.GTD Pro: No. 3 Porsche driven by Tommy Milner.

GTD: No. 32 Mercedes driven by Maximillian Goetz.

5:40 p.m.: Colin Braun still sets the pace in pole-sitting Acura

GTD cars race through the west horseshoe in Daytona's infield.
GTD cars race through the west horseshoe in Daytona's infield.

The No. 60 Acura continues to set the pace, with Colin Braun on the wheel. But the gap between Braun and Mathieu Jaminet, in the No. 6 Penske Porsche, is just 2 seconds. Just 5 seconds separate the top six prototypes in GTP.

The racing is sporty in spots, as the faster GTP and LMP cars pick their way through slower GTD cars.

"I hope everything stays in one piece. We’ll keep chipping laps away," Renger van der Zande said after his mid-afternoon stint in the No. 01 Cadillac.

The NO. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura  ARX-06 runs through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.
The NO. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 runs through the infield during the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

He said every prototype team is still getting the feel for their new GTP rides.

"This is the best testing you can do with any race car, go out there and race," he said. "That’s what we’re doing today."

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 11 Oreca, Mikkel Jensen driving (ninth overall).

LMP3: No. 33 Ligier, Joao Barbosa (18th overall).

GTD Pro: No. 3 Corvette, Jordan Taylor (25th overall).

GTD: No. 32 Mercedes-AMG, Kenton Koch (26th overall).

4:40 p.m.: Cadillac continues to pace the field at the end of Hour 3

The Cadillac Racing No. 01 piloted by Renger van der Zande continued to show the way as the third hour drew to a close.

The No. 60 Acura, which sat on the pole and led the early going with Tom Blomqvist driving, continued to shadow the leader just 0.3 seconds behind with Colin Braun behind the wheel.

Sebastien Bourdais drove the early stint for the No. 01 and said strong winds have made conditions tough.

"Tricky conditions, I think," Bourdais said. "It's very windy out there. At the beginning I thought, 'It's alright, it's not too quick but the track is going to come to us'. And, actually, the track got worse and worse."

No. 01 Cadillac Racing speeds through the west horseshoe during the Rolex 24 on Saturday.
No. 01 Cadillac Racing speeds through the west horseshoe during the Rolex 24 on Saturday.

Van der Zande was 4.7 seconds ahead of the third-place No. 10 Acura piloted by Louis Deletraz.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca with Alex Quinn driving.

LMP3: No. 13 Duqueine with Matthew Bell driving.

GTD Pro: No. 3 Corvette with Jordan Taylor driving.

GTD: No. 32 Mercedes with Kenton Koch driving.

3:40 p.m.: Hour 2 ends with Acura, Cadillac running 1-2

Meyer Shank's No. 60 Acura, with Colin Braun driving, got through the second hour with a 4-second lead over Chip Ganassi's No. 01 Cadillac, with Renger van der Zande at the wheel.

The third-place Porsche GTP was 17 seconds back, in third.

The early hours have been fast-paced for the prototypes.

"Pretty frantic from the start," said Ricky Taylor after his opening stint in the No. 10 Acura. "It was a lot of fun."

In GTD, Mike Skeen had a good lead for a while before contact with the No. 31 GTP car knocked him off course and back to third. He was back in second place

Tom Blomqvist led the opening hour in the No. 60 pole-sitting Acura.
Tom Blomqvist led the opening hour in the No. 60 pole-sitting Acura.

Other class leaders:

LMP2: No. 52 Oreca with Alex Quinn driving.

LMP3: No. 74 Ligier, Gar Robinson.

GTD Pro: N. 23 Aston Martin, David Pittard.

GTD: No. 12 Lexus, Parker Thompson.

2:40 p.m.: Blomqvist holds big lead after first round of pit stops

The No. 60 Acura GTP that started out front remained there after opening pit stops.

At the one-hour mark, Tom Blomqvist had built a 10.4-second lead over Ricky Taylor in the other Acura prototype in the nine-car, premier class. Just as the one-hour mark arrived, the No. 25 BMW RLL Racing car, one of two cars in the field, pulled onto pit road with mechanical issues.

The LMP2 Class were the first cars to hit pit road and had just started to cycle back in front of the LMP3 entries. Ben Keating in the PRI Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca led the LMP2 contingent by nearly 12 full seconds over the No. 35 TDS Racing entry driven by Francois Heriau.

Jarrett Andretti was in front in the LMP3 Class in the No. 36 Riley Ligier with David Pittard pacing the GTD Pro contingent in the No. 23 Aston Martin. Finally, Mike Skeen was the top car in the GTD Class, drving the No. 32 Mercedes.

1:51 p.m.: A Rolex restart

We're back to green at the Rolex, with the nine GTP prototypes out front.

The pre-race ceremonies are over and racing is underway.
The pre-race ceremonies are over and racing is underway.

1:45 p.m.: Rolex 24 goes green, and quickly yellow

The Rolex 24 got off to a flying stop at Daytona.

Shortly after the green flag waved, the No. 8 LMP2 of Tower Motorsports lost an engine, slowed to a halt between NASCAR Turns 3 and 4, and brought out the caution so the safety crew could haul it back to the garage.

The No. 60 Acura prototype of Meyer Shank Racing, which started from the pole, led early and holds the lead under caution with Tom Blomqvist aboard.

11:50 a.m.: Jimmie Johnson arrives for Le Mans announcement

The GTP ownership roster includes some motorsports heavyweights. Front row (L-R): Bobby Rahal, Bob Johnson and Michael Shank. Back row: Chip Ganassi, Roger Penske, Wayne Taylor and Michael Andretti.
The GTP ownership roster includes some motorsports heavyweights. Front row (L-R): Bobby Rahal, Bob Johnson and Michael Shank. Back row: Chip Ganassi, Roger Penske, Wayne Taylor and Michael Andretti.

NASCAR is sending a Next Gen stock car to France in June for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Saturday at Daytona, the driver lineup was unveiled for the effort, and seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson was part of the roster, along with former sports-car champ Mike Rockenfeller and former Formula One champ Jenson Button.

Also, with lunchtime approaching, the paddock is packed with fans and the garage area is elbow to elbow, which is the norm at the Rolex. Green flag is 1:40.

10:45 a.m.: Roger Penske on the Rolex 24: "For us, it's always a goal"

IMSA president John Doonan (left) was joined on stage by Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Jenson Button and Hendrick Motorsports GM Jeff Andrews at the announcement of a driver lineup for NASCAR's Le Mans entry this summer.
IMSA president John Doonan (left) was joined on stage by Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Jenson Button and Hendrick Motorsports GM Jeff Andrews at the announcement of a driver lineup for NASCAR's Le Mans entry this summer.

Roger Penske joined his fellow owners from the GTP class Saturday morning and was reminded that his otherwise unmatched racing record doesn't include a win in the Rolex 24.

"It's always a goal," said the Captain, who returned to sports-car racing this year in a partnership with Porsche.

The challenge of prepping the new hybrid-infused prototypes has gotten his attention.

"I think we have more engineers than we do people working on the car right now," he said.

8:10 a.m.: Rolex 24 looking at zero weather issues as Saturday breaks at Daytona

A year after cold and rain truly put the endurance into this endurance race, this weekend's Rolex 24 will be run in near-perfect conditions.

Today's temperatures will range from mid- to high-60s through the afternoon and down to about 60 into the evening, according to the National Weather Service. And while cloud cover is expected, no rain is in the cards — or in the forecast.

Sunday gets even more spring-like, with temps expected to reach mid-70s, with partly cloudy skies, by the 1:40 p.m. finish.

8 a.m.: NASCAR's driver lineup for Le Mans will be announced at Daytona this morning

The World Center of Racing, in the early morning sun, several hours before the start of the Rolex 24.
The World Center of Racing, in the early morning sun, several hours before the start of the Rolex 24.

NASCAR is sending one of its Next Gen cars to Le Mans this summer to compete in the single-car "Garage 56" category, reserved for vehicles that display new advances in technology. Everything has been set up except for the driver lineup.

Seven-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson has tested the car and openly said he'd love to be part of the driving roster. We'll see if his wish comes true at this morning's 11 a.m. press conference announcing who'll drive the car, which is being build and prepped by Hendrick Motorsports.

Where can I watch Rolex 24 2023 on TV?

1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday: NBC

2:30-8 p.m. Saturday: USA Network

10 p.m.-midnight Saturday: USA Network

6 a.m.-noon Sunday: USA Network

Noon-2 p.m. Sunday: NBC

How can I watch Rolex 24 on streaming?

Peacock (7-day free trial) and IMSA.tv

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Rolex 24 race recap from Daytona 24-hour IMSA: Acura wins again