Allmendinger leading after 18 hours at Daytona

With six hours remaining in the 48th Rolex 24 at Daytona, three cars were on the lead lap and vying for the win in the Rolex Sports Car Series' premier event. A.J. Allmendinger, at the wheel of the Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, held a 4.70 second lead over Mike Rockenfeller's Action Express Racing Porsche Riley. And Scott Pruett lay third in the lone remaining Ganassi Racing BMW Riley, which was penalized late in the 18th hour.

Ryan Hunter-Reay held down fourth, two laps behind the lead trio of cars. A stuck seat belt in the 11th hour dropped Reay's NPN Racing BMW Riley off the lead lap.

The second Michael Shank entry sat in fifth of Burt Frisselle, six laps down to the leaders. But it went to the garage just past the end of the 18th hour.

Despite suffering electrical problems in the early hours, running off the track several times thereafter, and then needing a new gearbox during the 14th hour, the Gainsco Bob Stallings Chevrolet Riley was sixth, seven laps behind the leaders.

The Krohn Racing Ford Lola and the Brumos Porsche Riley were the last Daytona Prototypes in the top-10. The Krohn team had to replace the car's right-front upright during the 11th hour after contact with another car. The Brumos car needed a new rear end in the 10th hour.

A myriad of issues, including electrical gremlins, a collision with the pit wall, three broken gearboxes, and a broken half shaft, relegated the SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara to 15th overall.

The No. 02 Ganassi BMW Riley led 139 of the first 249 laps but succumbed to terminal engine problems just past midnight.

In a race that was supposed to favor the Mazda RX-8, the No. 71 TRG Porsche had a three-lap lead over the No. 67 TRG Porsche in the GT class. The best Mazda was third in class, five laps ahead of the Stevenson Motorsports Camaro.