Rolex 24, The 20th Hour: Chaos, Heat, And A Race Reborn
The 64th running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona has entered its decisive final stretch, and the intensity has skyrocketed as the Florida sun bakes the circuit. After a long, fog‑soaked caution that muted the overnight action, the race has erupted back into full fury with battles raging across every class.Drivers are wrestling with a freshly “green” racetrack, where rising temperatures are stripping away grip and forcing them to balance aggression with survival.
GTP: Wittmann Hanging On, Porsches Charging Hard
At the 20‑hour mark of the Rolex 24, the fight at the front is nothing short of electric. Marco Wittmann leads overall in the No.25 BMW, but it’s a fragile advantage. He’s stretched his stint while others have pitted, meaning the lead will likely cycle away once stops shake out. Behind him, the Porsche Penske Motorsport armada is on the hunt.
Felipe Nasr in the No.7 Porsche and Kevin Estre in the No.6 have been the stars of the hour. Nasr threw down a stunning outside move on Wittmann into Turn 1 and carried the momentum through the International Horseshoe. Estre, meanwhile, has been the outright quickest driver on track, slicing chunks out of the gap to his teammate at a relentless pace.
Cadillac isn’t done yet either. Despite serving a brutal 60‑second stop‑and‑go earlier, the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac has clawed its way back into contention. Jordan Taylor and Frederik Vesti traded elbows and apexes, with Vesti initially muscling past into Turn 1 before Taylor countered with a forceful reply.
GTD Pro: Three‑Wide Madness and Constant Lead Changes
If the prototype fight is intense, GTD Pro is pure chaos. One of the highlights of the Rolex 24 came when Tommy Milner sent the Corvette around the outside of both the BMW and the “Grello” Porsche in a three‑wide thriller to reclaim the class lead. It was a jaw‑dropping move that showed just how deep these drivers are digging.
But the lead in GTD Pro is changing hands almost by the lap at the Rolex 24. Laurin Heinrich, listed as “Guven” in some timing feeds, pushed the Manthey Porsche to the front, only for Max Hesse in the No.1 Paul Miller BMW to snatch it back in a fierce duel. The top three BMW, Porsche, and Corvette are separated by mere seconds, setting up a GT dogfight for the ages.
LMP2 and GTD: Drama Everywhere You Look
LMP2 hasn’t been quiet either. AO Racing’s fan‑favorite “Rexy” Porsche running in GTD Pro took a hit with a penalty for jumping the start, while their LMP2 sibling, the No. 99 “Spike” car, narrowly avoided disaster after contact exiting Turn 2. Up front, it’s an Inter Europol showdown. Antonio Félix da Costa has taken the lead in the No. 43, slipping past the sister car driven by Siegel as the team runs 1‑2.
In GTD, the shuffle continues. The No.36 DXDT Corvette, which had been strong earlier in the race, has dropped behind the wall due to mechanical trouble, ending its hopes. That hands the advantage to the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW, but the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari and No. 912 Porsche are still right there, waiting to pounce.
What It Means for the Final Hours
We’ve officially entered the “no holding back” phase of the Rolex 24. With fewer than four hours remaining, strategy becomes secondary to outright pace and precision. The cool‑night tire management games are gone. Now it’s about surviving a slick, overheated track while pushing flat‑out.
The moves we’re seeing are three‑wide lunges, late‑brake dives into Turn 1 tell the story. The drivers know the window is closing. The gaps in every class are razor‑thin. This isn’t endurance racing anymore. It’s a sprint with battered machinery and exhausted drivers.
Stay Tuned
The 2026 Rolex 24 is shaping up to be an instant classic. Whether it’s the strategic chess match between BMW and Porsche in GTP or the bare‑knuckle brawling in the GT ranks, nobody is safe. As the track evolves and fatigue sets in, expect mistakes, penalties, and a finish that could very well be decided on the final lap. Stay locked in because the real fight is just beginning.
