Filipe Albuquerque and Wayne Taylor Racing, in the #10 Acura ARX-05, lead the Twelve Hours of Sebring at the three-hour mark, but the #01 of Scott Dixon for Chip Ganassi is just a second behind the Portuguese driver. Simon Pagenaud in the #48 Ally Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R is another second off as the fight for the overall lead hots up.
After the early full course yellow caused by Jimmie Johnson spinning the #48 Cadillac at Sunset Bend, the race went back to green on lap 10, with van der Zande keeping the lead in the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R after overtaking pole sitter #31 Action Express Cadillac DPi-V.R Pipo Derani just before the full course yellow.
However, midway into the first hour, Derani was squeezed into the wall by van der Zande at the wide entry Sunset Bend as the two approaching lapped GTD class traffic.
This broke the #31 Cadillac DPi-V.R’s suspension, requiring a number of laps in the pits for repairs and putting the Action Express team multiple laps down.
Van der Zande kept the lead until he handed over to former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen, but Ricky Taylor was able to take the lead off the Danish racer. Taylor has since handed over to Portuguese veteran Filipe Albuquerque, who has kept the lead with Magnussen around 7 seconds off, with Dane Cameron in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura DPi a further 15 seconds away.
LMP2 is led by Era Motorsport’s Dwight Merriman in #18 ORECA 07-Gibson, with Ben Keating behind by just under a second, in #52 ORECA 07-Gibson for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. Third in class is Timothe Buret for Tower Motorsports #8 ORECA 07-Gibson.
Over in LMP3, Dylan Murry leads for Riley Motorsports #91 Ligier JS P320 VK. Performance Tech Motorsports’ Dan Goldburg sits second in class in #38 Ligier JS P320 VK, while Austin McCusker rounds the class out, in #7 Duquiene D08 VK for Forty7 Motorsports.
In GTLM, the #3 Corvette Racing C8.R has lead almost the entire race with Antonio Garca and Jordan Taylor at the wheel. Second in class is Bruno Spengler in #25 BMW M8 GTE, followed by Matt Cambell in WeatherTech Racing’s #79 Porsche 911 RSR-19.
Finally, Porsche veteran Pat Long leads the GT Daytona class for Wright Motorsports’ in #16 Porsche 911 GT3R, with Kyle Kirkwood chasing in Vasser Sullivan’s #14 Lexus RC F GT3. Third in GTD is Paul Miller Racing’s Corey Lewis, in #1 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.
