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Montoya leads Daytona at halfway

Juan Pablo Montoya leads the Rolex 24 at Daytona where a slight and momentary drizzle has kept drivers and teams alert at the halfway mark in the early hours of Sunday

The Colombian climbed on board the No.01 Ganassi Lexus Riley for a second long stint just before midnight, taking over from Scott Pruett. He grabbed the lead just after the 11th hour mark when the No.99 Bob Stallings Lowe's Pontiac Riley of Alex Gurney pitted for fuel and tyres.

Jon Fogarty had put the current Grand-Am champion team into the lead following an impressive move on a restart close to the tenth hour mark, when rain returned just as the green flag waved with most teams running slick tyres. The rain subsequently stopped but Fogarty opened a gap while making the most of the conditions.

Only four cars remained on the lead lap just after the twelfth hour of racing, with the No.6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley driven by Burt Frisselle and the No.91 Bob Stallings Pontiac Riley of Ryan-Hunter-Reay in third and fourth places behind Montoya and Fogarty.

Although the track is now dry, the gathering clouds in the sky suggest there is potentially more rain coming in the second half of the race.

Dario Franchitti and Scott Pruett will drive the leading Ganassi car into the morning before Montoya takes the wheel again for his final stint in the car.

In the GT class the Pontiac GXP.R of Paul Edwards, Kelly Collins and Jan Magnussen led the field through the twelfth hour, ahead of the No. 67 TRG Porsche driven by Brian Sellers, Romain Dumas, Emmanuel Collard, Tim George Jr and Spencer Pumpelly.

The No.70 Speedsource Mazda RX-8 of Raphael Matos, Hick Ham, Sylvain Tremblay and David Haskell is third and has been in contention for the class win all day.

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