The sun set and the temperature dropped at the 24 Hours of Daytona, which, after 4 hours of racing, saw Risi Competizione's Ferrari 296 GT3 climb to fourth in the GTD Pro class for the first time. Among the teams entered in GTD, AF Corse and Triarsi Competizione are confirmed in the top-15, while the Cetilar Racing car was forced to retire following contact in the early stages.
GTD Pro. After completing 114 laps, Risi Competizione's 296 GT3 continued its push forward. During the third stint with Alessandro Pier Guidi, the No. 62 climbed back up to fifth position, then lost one place after serving a drive-through two hours and 30 minutes after the green flag for unsafe release. Past the third hour of the race, however, during a Full Course Yellow, the U.S. team made its fifth pit stop, with James Calado being fourth at the restart and in the next hour maintaining that position.
GTD. After a frantic first phase of the race, the category has begun to thin out and the first of the Prancing Horse cars is the number 21 of AF Corse, thirteenth with Francesco Castellacci driving. Excellent stints were completed with Rovera and Bertolini in Triarsi Competizione's 296 GT3 - which has so far made three pit stops, two less than the number 21 crew and occupies 15th place with Onofrio Triarsi behind the wheel.
Fortune does not smile on the number 47 Ferrari, which was forced to retire following contact in the early stages of the race. The Cetilar Racing car, after contact with the only Corvette in the race, suffered damage to the car's bottom that forced the Italian team to make two long stops to allow mechanics to implement repairs, but nevertheless was forced to retire.