Grand-Am, Rolex 24 at Daytona - To The Finish

Into the final three hours and this race is a long way from being resolved - in both classes. 

12:36 - FCY #21. Debris on back straight.

We hear that if the Ganassi cars pit under caution, Blundell will be brought in as well. If they don't he'll stay out.

The #01 car has just clocked up 200 laps in the lead.

12:40Both Ganassi cars come in, as do 23 and 9. Action Express turn Fittipaldi around very quickly and the #9 gets out ahead. Dixon takes over from McMurray in #02.

12:42 Drive-through for #01 after Hand hits a tyre as he leaves the pit.

Ricky Taylor moves the recovering SunTrust Dallara into sixth as Wilson pits the #6. the #10 is now just one lap off the lead. Minassian, meanwhile, is back on the lead lap.

12:49 Hand pits from the lead and is held for 30 seconds before being released. 

12:50 - Dixon, Fittipaldi, Blundell - the fight for the lead covered by just 1.072s.

12:57 Sugden take a trip across the grass at the kink and damages the splitter. He gets back to the pits but now second in class is under threat from Dominik Farnbacher.

13:00 The fight for the lead is now covered by just half a second.

Blundell is right on Fittipaldi's tail as Dixon catches GT traffic.

As the leaders continue their fight, Hand is sticking to his mid '41 pace and is catching at two seconds per lap.

In GT, meanwhile, Bryan Sellers is now in the Paul Miller Porsche and still in second place.

13:06 The leaders hit traffic and get spread out.

13:14 Farnbacher brings the #66 Porsche slowly into the pits with a horrible grinding noise coming from somewhere under the bodywork. Joe Foster takes the #40 Mazda back into the podium positions.

13:24 The top three are closing back up after getting stretched out briefly. Hand is now just 30 seconds behind having made up 20 seconds since his penalty.

Two hours to go, 1.3s from first to third.

The focus is likely to be entirely on the overall win from hereon in, as the GT class is so spaced out that on-track abttles are unlikely in the time remaining.

13:39 Fittipaldi pits and hands over to Joao Barbosa, who will stay in to the end.

13:41 Blundell hands the #23 over to Brundle.

13:42 #60 suffers a right-rear blow out. Both Ganassi cars pit. Pruett gets in #01. Dixon stays in #02.

13:47 Dixon and Barbosa side by side round NASCAR 4 - Dixon stays ahead, but Brundle closes on Barbosa.

13:52 Pruett and Zonta have side-by-side contact in the infield. Moments later, Maassen spins the Coyote at the Bus Stop right in front of the three leaders. Fortunately, contact is avoided.

13:56 #45 Lizard Riley pulls off quickly at the Horseshoe with flames under the rear end. Obviously game over for the car, but will it bring out a caution? The fire is extinguished and the car pushed away. No caution yet.

14:00 90 minutes to go - FCY #22

14:04 #01 pits - the only lead DP to head pitwards. Pruett takes on tyres and rejoins. #99 and and #5 both also pit.

Glynn Geddie has rejoined in the 'retired' Bennett Ferrari.

14:11 Green. No challenge into T1.

Dixon pulls away, but Brundle stays with Barbosa. A spin for the #53 Porsche in the Bus Stop has no consequences. 

14:19 Pruett is now 4.4s behind Brundle in fourth, with the #10 Dallara between them.

14:24 Brundle has a twitch at the entrance to the Bus Stop and allows Pruett through. It is unclear if it was unaided or not.

Pruett cannot get by Angelelli in the SunTrust Dallara, who is himself eager to get back onto the lead lap.

14:30 Into the final hour.

14:33 Barbosa all over Dixon. Dixon, Barbosa, Angelelli, Pruett nose to tail.

14:37 Pruett and Brundle make their final stops.

14:38 Barbosa in. Dixon and Angelelli stay out.

14:41 Dixon stops. Pruett gets by a long way before the #2 rejoins and has a substantial lead with 50 minutes remaining.

14:49 Top two in GT make their final stops.

As the race enters its final 30 minutes, it looks like its all sorted. Pruett's lead is 15 seconds, while Dixon looks to have enough of a cushion to keep Barbosa in check.

15:23 - Unbelievably, we have a final FCY - #23 - caused by the Spirit of Daytona Coyote's rear end exploding and shedding debris everywhere. With only seven minutes remaining, however, a finish under green conditions is unlikely.

15:29 Will there be one more lap of racing? Yes! Pruett gets away, but the fight for second is on.

Pruett completes the lap to take the win, but Barbosa can't catch Dixon.

Chip Ganassi Racing completes a famous one-two, and one which seemed very unlikely after two hours of this remarkable race. Action Express came very close to pulling off a repeat victory, while United Autosports & Michael Shank Racing can be hugely proud of the collaboration that yielded such a competitively fought fourth place.

In GT, it was only fitting that Andy Lally should be behind the wheel of the #67 TRG car that was forced to start from the back of the pack after its one millimetre qualifying infringement. Well done to Paul Miller Racing for keeping their 2009 Porsche at the head of the GT pack for so long, and congratulations too to Dempsey Racing for coming so close to getting the win for Mazda.

Once again, the Rolex 24 has produced an amazing race which DSC will reflect on in coming days; but for now it's farewell from Sunny Florida.

Mark Howson (with many thanks to Russell Wittenberg, John Hindhaugh, Eve Hewitt, Jay Ashton, Martyn Pass, Regis Lefebure, Jakob Ebrey and John Dagys)