Allmendinger knows MSR "got away with one" after earlier contact

As of Hour 8, the Michael Shank Racing Ligier was in control of the Rolex 24. After stepping out of the car and handing it over to co-driver Oswaldo Negri, A.J. Allmendinger spoke to the media about his stint.

"It's as good as we could ask for right now, but it's such a long race. The Daytona Prototypes have definitely proven their longevity and reliability. Obviously, we got just a little bit more speed but you just don't know what everybody is showing right now.

"Our car is really good though. It's fun to drive for sure."

Not everything has been smooth sailing for the MSR entry, however. During the second hour, John Pew drove into the back of the No. 2 Extreme Speed Motorsports prototype, busting out the left-front headlight and damaging the nose.

"It was just cosmetic damage," Allmendinger said of the incident. "We got the nose a little bit when John got into the back of the No. 2, but we were very fortunate. Once we got the yellow, we were able to fix it.

"Knock on wood, but we definitely got away with one there."

Most of the prototype field remains after eight hours of racing, but the Mazda has lost their No. 70 car while the DeltaWing retired with tub damage after a massive shunt in Turn 1. The No. 50 Highway to Help DP and pole-sitting No. 37 SMP BR01 have also lost several laps with their own issues.