Race report

IMSA Daytona 24

Rolex 24, Hour 22: AXR and Cadillac closing on win

Action Express Racing is closing on victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with its #5 Cadillac maintaining a healthy three-lap advantage going into the final two hours.

Jamie Klein

Edited: Jan 28, 2018, 7:47 PM

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#5 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi: Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipaldi

Despite cooling worries on both AXR Cadillac DPi-V.Rs, the team continues to hold a 1-2 out front, with the Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque-crewed #5 car still three laps clear.

The sister #31 machine of Felipe Nasr, Mike Conway, Stuart Middleton and Eric Curran was at one stage threatened by the #54 CORE autosport Oreca 07, which briefly took second in Hour 22 when the two lead Cadillacs slackened their pace.

Loic Duval managed to get a lap back on the #31 car, but emerged 40 seconds behind in third after the most recent cycle of pitstops. That gap stretched to 47s by the end of the hour.

The battle for fourth continues between the #78 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca and the #32 United Autosports Ligier JS P217, which are on off-set pit strategies.

Bruno Senna held an advantage of some 40s in the #32 at the 22-hour mark, after F3 ace Ferdinand Habsburg pitted the Jota Sport-run #37 car.

Fernando Alonso got back behind the wheel of the #23 United Ligier with three hours left, but the car has failed to make much headway. The Spaniard remains in 19th overall, 36 laps down and 10 tours behind the next Prototype-class car, Lance Stroll's recovering #37 Oreca.

GTLM: Fords go a minute clear

The GT Le Mans class remains a Ford benefit, with both Ganassi-run GTs over a minute clear of the best of rest, the #3 Corvette. Richard Westbrook and Joey Hand are circulating five seconds apart.

GT Daytona class continues to be led by the #11 Grasser Lamborghini, which now has Mirko Bortolotti at the wheel, 22 seconds up on the #86 Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX of AJ Allmendinger.

The #33 Team Riley Mercedes of Jeroen Bleekemolen is only a further nine seconds back in third.

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