With 16 hours complete of the 2024 Rolex 24 Hours, Cadillac continues to make the case that the #31 entry deserves the overall victory.
Whelen Cadillac Racing has been at the front of the field the entire race so far, and even when pit stops and cautions bring the entry back a few positions, by the end of the stint it is back at the head of the field.
The #31 currently leads the #6 Porsche by 10 seconds, with that gap growing to its full extent near the end of each stint.
The Porsche prototypes appear to be the most reliable for this race, with all four cars still running and on the lead lap. No other manufacturer has more than one car left in contention.
In third place is the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Acura, holding its own a further 10 seconds back and hoping to squeak out a podium.
The #25 BMW GTP had a rough set of overnight hours, which has removed it from podium contention.
It started with a long pit stop that included a long inspection of the rear of the car, and quickly turned into a trip to the garage area for more in-depth service that cost the team nine laps.
Both BMW prototypes have now suffered mechanical problems, and the team’s drivers now have no hope of standing on the podium for this year’s event.
The #99 AO Racing entry has slipped down the LMP2 order in the past couple hours, falling to fourth in class after leading for much of the overnight hours.
No particular problems were noted on the car, but the #18 Era Motorsport is now the leader of the second prototype class, with the #8 Tower Motorsports entry in second.
In GTD Pro, there was a momentous pass for the lead with just over eight hours left in the race.
The #3 Corvette had been in the lead for the previous hour, but the #62 Risi Ferrari slowly and consistently made gains on the American entrant.
A few times the cars’ bumpers nearly touched while they diced for position, but the Ferrari’s faster pace allowed it to retain its familiar place in the top spot.
Those two cars, along with the #1 BMW, appear to all have a good chance at taking class victory in a few short hours.
GTD continues to be headed up by the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes, with the #023 Triarsi Ferrari half a minute behind.
