Start of race, the GAINSCO Corvette leads the Spirit of Daytona Corvette exiting turn 3. [Joe Jennings Photo]
Wayne Taylor Corvette leads after 8 hours
Fireworks filled the skies at 9 p.m. [Joe Jennings Photo]
Race action in turn five showing the two SRT Vipers battling for position. [Joe Jennings Photo]
In the colorful pre-race ceremony, the prototype teams featured a flag from each driver’s home country. [Joe Jennings Photo]
Chip Ganassi Racing 02 with Kyle Larson driving. [Joe Jennings Photo]
Daytona Beach, FL – Three hours into the Rolex24 at the Daytona International Speedway, a violent accident involving the pole-winning prototype of Memo Gidley, 41, and a Ferrari driven by Matteo Malucelli, 30, stopped the race for 90 minutes.
Rescue workers had to cut Gidley from his GAINSCO Corvette and Malucelli was removed from his Ferrari. Both drivers were immediately taken to the nearby Halifax Health Medical Center for medical attention. According to reports, they are said to be awake and communicating and are undergoing further observation.
The accident happened when Malucelli’s car slowed going through the kink portion of infield road course and Gidley’s rapidly moving car plowed into Malucelli’s stricken machine. Gidley’s car was destroyed in the accident, which may well adversely impact the operations of the GAINSCO team.
Although unknown, the sun was going down and many drivers complained that the glare that was impairing their vision. Christian Fittipaldi said there were two portions of the track where the glare made it impossible to see, and the kink was one of the affected areas. “I am 200 per cent sure that Memo had the glare problem” he said.
Eight hours into the race, Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette heads the field with a Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost a close second.
Leading the GTLM class was a Porsche 911 RSR with a Corvette second.
Core Autosport led the PC category with a pair of Ferrari 458 Italias leading the way.
