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Daytona 24 Hours opening lap carnage as Porsche storm into lead
The 64th running of the Daytona 24 Hours is underway in chaotic
fashion, with a multi-car crash at the first corner in LMP2 having
caused an immediate full course yellow. As the lead GTP class
cleanly swept through the first corner, chaos ensued behind in
LMP2. The #11 TDS Racing got the entry to the first corner all
wrong, causing mayhem at Turn 1. In addition to the #11, the #4
CrowdStrike Racing by APR, #18 Era Motorsport and #2 United
Autosport all went off in the incident. Meanwhile, the #24 BMW M
Team WRT GTP car managed to spin all by itself at the fast Turn 2/3
chicane, resulting in incredible driving from those behind to avoid
crashing into it. There were no such issues for the #7 Porsche
Penske outfit which stormed into the lead with Felipe Nasr at the
wheel, with the team targeting a third consecutive Daytona win.
Shortly after the action returned to green flag racing there was a
huge crash for the #28 RS1 Porsche GTD at the first corner,
resulting in another full course yellow. The #28 lost control upon
entry into the first corner and struck a tyre barrier on the inside
of the corner, resulting in major damage and an immediate
retirement just 15 minutes into the race. Green flag racing
returned 25 minutes into the race. As for the top three in each
class after a crazy opening 25 minutes, Nasr held the lead ahead of
the #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing which start on pole and the sister
#6 Porsche Penske. Report continues below image... Other classes
In LMP2, just eight of the 13 cars in the class remained on the
lead lap when racing resumed for a second time 25 minutes into the
race. The #99 A0 Racing sat at the front of class after starting
in second, ahead of the #343 Inter Europol Competition car from
sixth on the grid. The sister #43 Inter Europol Competition car
which started on class pole had fallen to third. In GTD PRO, the
#3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports remained in the lead
after starting from pole, ahead of the #75 75 Express Mercedes AMG
GT3 and the #65 Ford Multimatics Motorsports. And finally, in GTD,
the #36 DXDT Racing Corvette crew held class lead ahead of the #70
Inception Racing Ferrari and #21 AF Corse USA Ferrari.
