We just got back from our soiree at the Philadelphia Auto Show, and I'm hunkering down for what for me is the beginning of the racing year—the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

I've got Andy Blackmore's wonderful spotter's guide sitting next to me—you can grab it here.

Live timing will be here when the race begins and I'll give an hourly check-in and add other posts when I think something significant has happened.

The race will be covered on first Fox Sports 1 and then Fox Sports 2. It will also be streamed from IMSA TV and from the IMSA Android and iOS apps.

Anybody else watching?

And here we go ... with ten laps in and a relatively clean start.

Prototype: Honda-Ligier #2, Honda-Ligier #60, DeltaWing #0 (Corvette DP 4th, 8th, 9th, and 12th)

Prototype Challenge: Oreca #85, Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans: Porsche #911, Porsche #912, Corvette #4 (Corvette #3 8th in class)

GT Daytona: Lamborghini #28, Lamborghini #20, Porsche

Full course caution as one of the DPs has gearbox problems. The new #67 Ford GT is also in the pits with gearbox issues.

A little over an hour in:

Prototype: DeltaWing #0, Honda-Ligier #60, Corvette DP #31 (other Corvette DPs 5th, 6th, and 8th)

Prototype Challenge: Oreca #85, Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans: Porsche #911, Ferrari #72, Ford #66 (Corvette #3 6th in class, Corvette #4 10th in class)

GT Daytona: Lamborghini #48, Ferrari #63, Viper #33

Two hours in:

Prototype: Ford DP #02, Corvette DP #10, Corvette DP #31 (other Corvette DPs 6th, and 11th)

Prototype Challenge: Oreca #85, Oreca #38, Oreca #52

GT Le Mans: Porsche #911, Porsche #912, Corvette #3 (Corvette #4 8th in class)

GT Daytona: Audi #6, Lamborghini #48, Lamborghini #11

At three hours:

Prototype—Ford DP #02, Corvette DP #31, Corvette DP #10 (other Corvette DPs 6th and 10th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85, Oreca #52, Oreca #88

GT Le Mans—Corvette #4, Corvette #3, Porsche #911

GT Daytona—Lamborghini #48, Lamborghini #28, Audi #6

53 out of 54 cars running.

One of the Prototype Challenge cars stops in the middle of turn three and the DeltaWing runs right into the back of him. At that point, IMSA gives in and calls a full course yellow. Sigh ...

... that's likely two more cars gone.

At five hours, yellow flag (see, I can learn from Andy ) :

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #60, Corvette DP #31, Corvette DP #5 (other Corvette DPs 7th and 8th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #54, Oreca #52, Oreca #38

GT Le Mans—Corvette #3 (12th overall), Porsche #912, Porsche #911 (Corvette #4 is 5th in class)

GT Daytona—Lamborghini #48, Viper #33, Porsche #23

51 out of 54 cars running. The DeltaWing folks are still trying to fix their car.

In general, the GT Le Mans cars are running faster than the Prototype Challenge cars. Things are also starting to get a little more crazy out there—night has completely fallen.

Quote:

It is strange; it wasn't that long ago that you would watch the television cameras endlessly streaking as they tried to capture the bright racing lights in the nearly complete darkness. Just as modern cameras can actually handle that level of contrast, Daytona lights it all up. Of course, they just spent another $400 million on upgrading the facilities ...

At a little over six hours, green flag:

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #60, Corvette DP #31, Ford DP #01 (other Corvette DPs 7th and 8th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #52, Oreca #20, Oreca #38

GT Le Mans—Porsche #911, Porsche #912, Ferrari #62 (Corvette #3 is 5th in class, Corvette #4 6th in class)

GT Daytona—Lamborghini #48, Ferrari #63, Aston Martin #007 (of course)

51 out of 54 cars running. The DeltaWing folks have retired—they found tub damage.

Quote:

Yep, better aero and safer. This is why the factory team had to borrow a car from the French team last year after Jan destroyed the #3/#63 car in Le Mans qualifying—there were no backup cars because they knew they would need brand new cars for 2016.

At a little over seven hours, another yellow:

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #60, Corvette DP #5, Ford DP #02 (other Corvette DPs 5th, 6th, and 8th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #52 (17th overall), Oreca #20, Oreca #38

GT Le Mans—Porsche #912 (10th overall), Porsche #911, Corvette #3 (Corvette #4 6th in class)

GT Daytona—Lamborghini #48 (23rd overall), Audi #44, Porsche #23

Still 51 of 54 cars officially running. At this point, the Ford GTs are just testing—down 27 and 38 laps.

Quote:

I'm on the IMSA feed, and I'm getting a bunch of cameras ...

At a little over eighteen hours in, green:

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #2, Corvette DP #5, Corvette DP #10 (other Corvette DPs 5th and 6th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85 (25th overall), Oreca #26, Oreca #52

GT Le Mans—Corvette #4 (8th overall), Corvette #3, Porsche #912

GT Daytona—Audi #44 (16th overall), BMW #97, Porsche #23

My 10% rule says that we've only got 37 cars left.

Quote:

The Ford GTs have been problematic, even when you consider that they are brand new cars. They're 41 and 145 laps out, but I'm sure they're getting a lot of data that will be useful for the rest of the season.

With three hours left, green:

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #2, Corvette DP #10, Corvette DP #90 (other Corvette DPs 5th and 11th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85 (24th overall), Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans—Corvette #3 (7th overall), Ferrari #68, Porsche #912 (Corvette #4 is 5th in class after running a red light on pit road)

GT Daytona—Aston Martin #98 (14th overall), Porsche #540, Audi #44

My 10% rule says that we've only got 36 cars left.

Kyle Larson just stuffed the #02 prototype car hard into the tires in the west horseshoe. Full course yellow.

Back to green—everybody is now closed up. Three prototype cars on the lead lap.

With two hours left, green:

Prototype—Corvette DP #90, Corvette DP #10, Honda-Ligier #2 (other Corvette DPs 5th and 6th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85 (22nd overall), Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans—Corvette #3 (7th overall), Ferrari #68, Porsche #912 (Corvette #4 is 5th in class)

GT Daytona—Porsche #540 (14th overall), Aston Martin #98, Audi #44

My 10% rule says that we've got 34 cars left.

With one hour left, green:

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #2, Corvette DP #10, Corvette DP #90 (other Corvette DPs 4th and 6th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85 (20th overall), Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans—Porsche #912 (7th overall), Corvette #4, Corvette #3

GT Daytona—Audi #44 (14th overall), Lamborghini #28, Aston Martin #98

My 10% rule says that we've got 34 cars left.

Quote:

International branding—it's been the same for years. See, for example: http://www.chevrolet.fr/

Quote:

We're always worried—the #912 car is strong. The #4 crew just did a beautiful job in the pits ...

Half an hour left, green:

Prototype—still Honda-Ligier #2, Corvette DP #10, Corvette DP #90 (other Corvette DPs 4th and 6th)

Prototype Challenge—still Oreca #85 (19th overall), Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans—now Corvette #4 (7th overall), Porsche #912, Corvette #3

GT Daytona—still Audi #44 (14th overall), Lamborghini #28, Aston Martin #98

34 cars left. Drama!

Twenty minutes left ... now Corvette #4 (Gavin), Corvette #3 (Garcia), Porsche #912

Garcia closing rapidly on Gavin—my wife says "Please don't crash each other!"

Quote:

I agree.

Aaack!

Checkered flag!

Prototype—Honda-Ligier #2, Corvette DP #10, Corvette DP #90 (other Corvette DPs 4th and 6th)

Prototype Challenge—Oreca #85 (18th overall), Oreca #52, Oreca #20

GT Le Mans—Corvette #4 (7th overall), Corvette #3, Porsche #912

GT Daytona—Audi #44 (14th overall), Porsche #540, Viper #93

I'll just say you can tell that Corvette Racing doesn't have team orders ...