POST RACE

SUNDAY 25th MAY

KBR are going to win this, as are DNH Miles-Shelby Squad.

Murphy Thompson, a one-time SODI lap record holder on this track is in control for DNH Miles-Shelby.

We just caught up with team captain Chris Thompson, master strategist, and he assures us Murphy's got enough fuel to finish this.

CSM Racing's Andrew Strike is pushing his limits and recording rapid times, but he's two laps behind Thompson.

It's a similar story in the DMAX - KBR are a lap ahead of Six Helmets and it's full course yellows out there, to slow everybody down.

Open Throttle's Cameron Das subs in for a tired-looking Bobby Trundley.

Extra Old are going to lose the DMAX race.

BD Racing are 9 laps ahead of them, with Recovered Rockets in P18.

Wild Motorsport are in P17 - we've been routing for them as they were last at one point.

Raven Motorsport recovered nicely from their double fuel penalties and are in P16, three laps behind Nemesis Motorsport.

TRX DMAX are in p14 after an eventful race, and Extra Old's rivals Old'n'Gold are in p13.

MasterCart sLola, who had a great start to the race, find themselves in p12, 4 laps behind Target Racing.

Voltarol Racing Team are 19 seconds ahead of Balaclava PitPulse, who are two laps ahead of Open Throttle.

They're all lapping fairly equally.

GDR Motorsport are going to steal Red Burros' p8, after a penalty for attempting to push themselves away from the tyre barrier.

The Kart Wheelers will also capitalise.

Clayton Ravencroft is recording faster laptimes than KBR's Brad Philpot, but he's still a lap behind. He's gaining ground on his rival.

Six Helmets are probably going to need an incident to go in their favour if they're going to close that gap.

There's yellow flags on the circuit at the time of writing.

We predict DNH Miles-Shelby Squad will need to refuel soon, they're currently a lap and a half ahead of CSM Racing.

Maple Motorsport are 30 seconds ahead of Some Random Bloke for the final podium step.

KartForce are leading the charge for P5, two laps ahead of Team Phoenix, who are one lap ahead of TRX SODI.

Meanwhile, Amelia Charlesworth has just jumped in for Nemesis Motorsport's final stint.

KBR and Six Helmets Racing both prepare their final driver change.

For KBR, Brad Philpot is going to step in for James King.

It looked like Jenson Brown was going to sub in for Six Helmets, but then Ravenscroft performed a dummy change and is getting back in for the final stint.

This is going to be nail-biting.

We interviewed James King and Six Helmets Racing captain Macauley Pond earlier.

TimesMayfair were serving a sin-bin penalty and then were reprimanded for speeding away from their punishment.

In they go again.

Azz Tech Racing will overtake them.

One is a Daytona Milton Keynes homegrown local champion, the other has gone on to National and European glory.

They're going lap for lap. Ravenscroft is throwing down faster and more consistent lap times, but James King is pushing hard, with a full lap's lead.

Meanwhile, third-placed Algorithmic Ascendancy find themselves in the sin-bin for speeding in the pit lane.

TRX DMAX's kart 110 has entered the engineering department, after their exhaust comes loose.

They've had multiple setbacks during this race, and have dropped down the standings once more, after having gained a lot of ground in this race.

Bobby Trundley is okay, by the way, after hurting himself last night.

He's out there racing for Open Throttle, who are currently sixth place.

Their podium ambitions seem distant, although he's throwing down lap times 2 seconds faster than the two teams ahead of him in the standings.

The sun is shining and the track has dried out, which means drivers are recording much faster lap-times.

Clayton Ravenscroft is finding more pace for second-placed Six Helmets Racing than the first-placed KBR driver. He's just recorded 1:06 vs KBR's 1:07.

Algorithmic Ascendancy are on the money for the third podium step. They're two laps ahead of fourth-placed Balaclava PitPulse.

The SODI race between CSM Racing and Miles-Shelby Squad is going to go down to the wire, they're exchanging the lead with every pit stop.

Maple Motorsport are 30 seconds ahead of Some Random Bloke, who will be desperate to to reclaim their podium step.

What a finale we've got in store.

Protector of living beings, preventor of collisions. A marshal with courage, commitment and charisma.

An unsung hero of Daytona.

Now we've got your attention, we'd like to invite all teams to join us at Daytona Sandown Park on Friday 20th June for a special 2-hour endurance race to raise vital funds for our partner charity.

This world-class service saves thousands of lives every year, and relies largely on donations to fund them.

With an annual running cost of over £20 million, their team attend nine incidents a day on average, 365 days a year, arriving at any location within 30 minutes.

KBR have a longer-than-expected pit stop and it allows Six Helmets Racing to gain some valuable time.

As it stands, Six Helmets Racing are top of the leaderboard but they'll need to pit fairly soon.

A quick and trouble free stop will gain them a huge advantage.

They've just entered the pits. They're now only one lap behind - that gap was three laps earlier on.

Clayton Ravenscroft enters the fray, the European X30 champion and 2018 Kartmasters champion.

It's game time, baby.

We've never seen so many female participants at the Daytona 24 Hours before, it's fantastic to see.

Lily Jeffs has been throwing down some monster laps for Maple Motorsport, Sandown Park protege Zoe Cattet has joined up with Anastasia Tereshchenk in DNH Ickx's Icons, Abigail Perry and Georgina Edwards are ever-presents for Senna's Squadron, and JCS driver Katie Hardwick is representing for Gurney's Gang.

AJ Racing team's Lily Charlton is representing Phoenix Motorsport, Imogen and Annobel Owen and Monica-Boulton Ramos are racing for Fast & Delirious, Evie Russell and Samantha Seward are with HughJengine Racing.

Danielle Needham and Hollie Whiteman are racing with JARMechanical and Maria Dinu is with TRX DMAX.

JCS drivers Amelia Charlesworth and Darcie Batty are with Nemesis Motorsport and Stephanie Lutteridge has joined up with Wild Motorsport.

James Parrott delivers a compelling keynote presentation to team captains about why they should take part in our D600 endurance race in October.

Just a regular three-hour endurance remaining now.

KBR are still in P1, two laps ahead of Six Helmets Racing.  Algorithmic Ascendancy are comfortably in third.

DNH Miles-Shelby are still winning in the SODIs, with a one lap's lead over CSM Racing. Maple Motorsport find themselves in P3 after Some Random Bloke's misfortune.

Some Random Bloke's Greg Owens looks livid as he waits outside engineering for his kart to be worked on.

He's been there for nearly ten minutes now.

They're now down in fourth, after having been in a podium space for most of the race.

Heartbreaking.

It's blowing sideways and all teams have been instructed to pack their gazebos down - because this keeps happening...

The Miles-Shelby Squad reclaim the top spot.

Here's a quick recap of what happened overnight, before all the drama we've seen this morning.

CSM Racing are now ahead of DNH Miles-Shelby Squad in the standings.

It's likely to be down to a pit stop - but shows that they're gaining on them nonetheless.

It's JZ Racing again. This will be the end of their podium dreams once and for all.

They've only just gone back on the circuit and they've broken down again.

The recovery kart is back out for a second time.

Meanwhile, last-placed Damage Drive just served another pit lane penalty which has left them... even laster.

(The below is just a graphic. The skies are nowhere near that blue)

We're back underway, with KBR leading the pack.

The rain has eased a little.

We've been under full course yellows for ages now, after JZ's incident.

Not much clean racing at all over the past hour.

JZ Racing, who have been in third-place for a long, long time now, have broken down on circuit. It's not clear if it's a mechanical failure or fuel outage.

Algorithmic Ascendancy capitalise on the mistake and find themselves back on the podium step with just over four hours remaining.

There's yellow flags waving all over the place as the race restarts, and it's absolutely pouring.

The track is saturated and everything is soggy.

There are a few drivers out there without wet suits...

The circuit goes to full course yellows, ready for a race restart.

A few teams take the opportunity to perform a tactical driver swap.

KBR and DNH Miles-Shelby Squad are the beneficiaries of that incident, holding on to their lead without having to strain for half an hour or so.

We just watched the CCTV from Race Control, and our Marshal TJ is a lucky man.

He was attending a yellow flag incident, safely pushing a kart back into the track, and a kart choosing to ignore yellow flag protocols comes sliding towards him.

Luckily TJ has lightning quick reflexes and somersaults over the kart into the tyre barrier, surviving with minor scrapes.

That was scary and could have been nasty.

Please, please, please teams - yellow means slow.

As the rain lashes down, red flags are illuminated around the circuit and the race comes to a temporary halt. Not sure what's happened out there but the drivers will be grateful for a little break at this stage.

Voltarol Racing Team could capitalise if JZ Racing and Algorithmic Ascendancy were to receive any penalties, but their podium chances are slim as it stands.

It's now started 'properly' raining and it's going to reek havoc out there - so who knows.

Balaclava PitPulse are in sixth place, a lap behind Voltarol.

Cameron Das has just completed a solid stint for Open Throttle, progressing them up to P7. They wre as low as P10 earlier on this morning. Luka Nik has subbed in.

Red Burros are p8, desperate to catch their Portuguese compatriots Voltarol in P5.

Our man Tommy Fox stayed here until very late last night, in his natural habitat, to bring you bangers like this.

TRX DMAX are another team who had a mare - they ran out of fuel at 6:53 at turn 11 and received a mandatory 10 minute penalty. They received another penalty at 23:15 for pitlane speed and now find themselves in 12th.

Open Throttle were another team in contention for the podium earlier on in the race, but some misfortune and a pitlane penalty at 4:30am have seen them fall down to eighth place.

We'll go and interview some of the team captains of some other teams and get some views from the racers shortly.

We're back and excited to give you the scoop on the drama overnight.

Six Helmets Racing looked in control through the early hours—until a critical error at 06:27. Running out of fuel mid-stint earned them a 10-minute penalty, and with it, the lead slipped through their fingers.

KBR didn’t need a second invitation. The reigning champions pounced, and now hold a commanding four-lap lead at the top of the DMAX standings. With experienced heads like Ashley Mayston-King and James King calling the strategy, they’ve got one hand firmly on the trophy.

JZ Racing now sit third, locked on laps with Algorithmic Ascendancy, who started from pole. It’s shaping up to be a tense battle for that final podium spot.

In the SODI class, things have been more stable—though no less impressive.

DNH Miles-Shelby Squad continue to dominate, with captain Chris Thompson leading what could be a landmark victory for his flagship team.

CSM Racing hold second and have built a two-lap buffer over long-time rivals Some Random Bloke in third.

Maple Motorsport remain in fourth - they’ve yet to launch their podium attack, but don’t count them out just yet.

We’re heading into the final stretch. Stay with us as the race builds toward a thrilling finish.

SATURDAY 24th MAY

Some evening meditation, to help you rest your bruised heads in your cold tents.

Feel warm and cuddly as you count go-karts in motion like sheep jumping over fences.

Night night x

We'll be back tomorrow morning. Until then, your race leaders...

There's a lot of karts spinning out now as the conditions and fatigue worsens.

Our camera man is out on circuit so he's probably capturing some gems for us to share with you tomorrow morning.

It's been spitting out there for at least 20 minutes now and the surface is properly wet. It'll rain on and off all night - though it doesn't look like there will be any downpours.

What a shame...

CSM Racing are in second place now, ten seconds ahead of Some Random Bloke.

DNH Miles-Shelby Squad are in control of this race, in the lead by three laps.

I thought it was just fall-out from the maintenance stops, but Six Helmets Racing have been in the lead for the past hour or so, with a one lap lead over KBR.

Algorithmic Ascendancy are living up to their name once again, and are currently the third-placed DMAX team. Balaclava PitPulse are in fourth.

Bobby Trundley is being checked over by Daytona's medical team.

He T-boned a SODI and came into the pits, limping out of his kart.

He looks ok, but has a sore foot. Let's hope he can continue or it'll be a big loss for Open Throttle.

He stands under the floodlights. The cold is in his bones. The track hums like a dream behind him.

"You ever stand by the edge of a kart track at 3:17 a.m., chill climbing up your boots, and think — maybe this is it?

Not the end. Not the beginning either. Just… it.

The moment. The stillness between laps. The buzz in your chest when the engines pass. Not because you’re part of it. Because you aren’t. And that’s the beauty of it.

I watch them go by — head down, eyes full of fire, steering into the night like they’re chasing something no one else can see. And I think, yeah. Yeah, I get it. I’m not them, but I get it.

There’s a truth to this sport. No politics in apexes. No lies in a braking zone. You either make it stick or you don’t. It doesn’t care who you are. Doesn’t care how many followers you’ve got. Just — did you hit the line? Did you find the grip when there wasn’t any?

And the thing is, I know I’ll never race at Le Mans. Never climb a podium in Rome. I’m not going to be in the spotlight, ever. I’m the guy in orange, waving a flag, fixing a barrier, pouring coffee into myself like it's courage. And that’s alright.

Because someone has to hold the night. Someone has to stand in the cold and keep watch while the dream burns rubber into the dark.

I’ve seen it all out here. Karts limping home with half a nose cone. Teams in tears over a fuel pump. Blokes who haven’t slept in twenty hours still cheering when their mate does a purple lap.

It’s daft, isn’t it? All this, for a bit of shiny trophy and the stories they'll never stop telling. But then again — maybe it’s not daft. Maybe it’s the only thing that makes sense anymore.

You go round and round trying to find meaning. And sometimes, meaning’s just a good lap in the middle of a long night.

Anyway.
Headlights coming.
Time to be ready.

They’re counting on me.
Even if they don’t know it."

We let Jake Sanson loose in the pitlane earlier on this evening...

Josh Selway is getting emotional, "My Daytona hero is my dad. Wes Selway from GTK. Keeping the team going no matter whatever the result is!"

James Brown: "It's gotta be Barry Morris"

Adam Thompson has a few: "Daytona heros - Luke Dodman in Nemesis Motorsport for general guidance over the years. Andy Laister and Lewis Jolley in the Kart Wheelers for more recent Northern racing track knowledge. James King respect for completing the 6hr solo."

James Holliday: "Tom Fox"

Alex Ibanescu: "Cameron Das"

Emily: "Freddie Jenkins"

Isn't this lovely...

Our overnight team have now settled in to their posts in engineering, the pit lane, pavilion, circuit and race control.

Damage Drive are currently last place in the race.

They're a group of aircraft engineers who have 'minimal karting experience'.

Their objective today was not to come last.

They are currently not meeting their objective. They're eight laps behind JARmechanical.

Add Lightness will be relieved - they finished in last place last year, and they currently have three teams below them in the standings.

At the foot of the DMAX standings, Raven Motorsport are still last, having made up some ground after running out of fuel twice earlier.

Nemesis Motorsport are currently one position above them and BD Racing are in 18th place.

Wild Motorsport find themselves in 17th, the highest position they've been in all day.

Six Helmets take the lead!

That's because KBR are having their scheduled first maintenance stop.

Each DMAX has to have one now and then one again at 6am.

There's not much to report in the SODI class - the top three teams are still in the same order they were in hours ago - DNH Miles-Shelby are two laps ahead of Some Random Blokem who are 23 seconds ahead of CSM Racing.

The advantage CSM Racing have over their two opponents, however, is an extra man, which could come into play overnight when the fatigue digs in its claws.

Maple Motorsport are one lap behind CSM, so are still in contention for a podium, but they've carved out a five lap gap between themselves and fifth-placed KartForce.

Sixth-placed TimesMayfair are having a good race, one lap ahead of Loose Screws racing.

There are fewer penalties flying around now. It seems a lot of teams learned the hard way earlier on and team managers have it under control.

DMAX team Balaclava PitPulse find themselves in third place now.

We'd make a nice graphic about them, but they never came to the photo booth.

It's personal.

KBR have been leading this race since around 5pm and the gap between them and second-placed Six Helmets Racing is increasing - they now have a three lap lead.

JZ Racing are in third.

Algorithmic Ascendancy still have the fastest lap of 1:05.871. They're currently seventh placed, but will still be vying for a podium step.

Serial kart-moaner Karlis Elmanis was seen yesterday kicking go-kart tyres in the pitlane, testing their psi.

He's been known to swap three karts during a single race.

Today, his team, Open Throttle find themselves in with a shot for the podium.

Karlis has a message for our engineering department.

This one is fairly unanimous. TJ Enver, Rory Solan-Jones, Nic Fallon, Olive Oszjaca all commented Pat Horrocks.

Max O'Shaughnessy answered Kameron Khan.

Louis Blackburn said Derek Lee.

Tom Fox - real recognise real - chose Aidan Edgar.

There are two sister teams in competition with one another.

Gino Farino are currently in P16, two laps ahead of GTK Motorsport, their rivals and friends.

Both teams are hailing out of Gosport, near Portsmouth. 

The rain seems to have eased off, it drizzled for the best part of an hour.

It caused scenes like this earlier...

Maple Motorsport have been in fourth for a long time, currently two laps ahead of Kartforce.

TRX SODI are in sixth, one position ahead of esports team Azz Tech Racing. Times Mayfair are in eighth, with MAR Esports in ninth.

Loose Screws Racing are the final team making up the top ten.

We've spoken a lot about the top teams.

Balaclava PitPulse are in sixth, just ahead of GDR Motorsport.

Portuguese team Voltarol Racing Team are in eighth, and MasterCarts Lola are ninth after their earlier penalty.

The Red Burros will be hoping to catch their compatriots, they're in tenth, currently two laps behind Voltarol.

The Kart Wheelers are in 11th - they looked promised in last night's testing but are in the second half of the DMAX standings.

Target Racing are 12th, ahead of Nemesis Motorsport, who have a large team full of talented racers and will be hoping to climb the table as this race proceeds.

MasterCart sLola are one of our more experienced teams - they've been racing in this event since 2018.

They'll be kicking themselves for the needless penalty they just received for speeding in the pitlane.

They find themselves all the way down in P9.

We're asking our followers to shout out somebody in our community - somebody who inspires them, somebody who has mentored them, somebody who they respect.

You can either DM us on Instagram or Facebook, or send an email to marketing@daytona.co.uk.

Who's your Daytona hero, and why?

We caught up with Steff Lutts earlier on today, who is representing Wild Motorsport.

They're currently second-last in the DMAX class.

They were always going to face an uphill battle - their team only formed two weeks ago, bringing together nine strangers to race together for the first time.

The power of social media.

Open Throttle, Daytona's own boy band.

They've even brought a couple of groupies with them.

A reminder for all drivers that tinted visors are not permitted after 8:30pm.

Our venue CCTV being used to it's full potential.

The media team's Aidan heard there was an ongoing kart recovery earlier on today...

Fear not, MAR Esports captain Joe Milburn is here to defend the civilians of Milton Keynes from the evils of the sky gods.

The umbrellas are out and it's properly raining.

Judging by the skies it won't last long, but there's one or two drivers entering the fray wearing wetsuits.

Peter Stockwin was wearing a wetsuit before it starting raining. Intellectual.

KBR, Six Helmets Racing and Open Throttle have been the top three teams for a while now - it's probably been the longest period we've had consistent leaders in the DMAX race.

JZ Racing are growing into this race, too and find themselves comfortably in fourth position as it stands.

Here's a summary of the first four hours of the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours.

You may have noticed we're not missing a trick in Race Control.

We've just had a full-circuit CCTV upgrade, expanding our vision in HD quality.

We're also able to quickly rewind and re-watch incidents.

Big Brother is watching.

We're now 4.5 hours in and the DMAX race is the one with all the talking points at the moment. There's been so many critical penalties, mechanical issues, changes in the top five.

The SODI race, by contrast, is a lot more stable. DNH Miles-Shelby, Some Random Bloke and CSM Racing have been the top three almost for the entirety of the race, with Maple Motorsport in fourth.

Kartforce, TeamBRIT's sister team, are having a solid race, in fifth place.

Behind them, MAR Esports are in sixth place, captained by Joe Milburn, who made his DMAX National Championship debut in March.

Balaclava PitPulse are up and down like a yo-yo.

They've just received another black flag, this time for overtaking under yellows. In they come...

I've jinxed them...

TRX DMAX run out of fuel in the pitlane.

What a catastrophe. That's going to be a ten minute penalty.

They had a penalty earlier on and were going so well, recovering so well.

This is going to be a big setback.

TRX's DMAX team have been gaining ground and now find themselves in P3.

The wind has really picked up as well and a Daytona marshal's gazebo blows over.

Damage Drive find themselves in the sin bin after punting somebody off track.

Advantage by contact.

Reigning champs KBR have been focusing on consistency for the last couple of hours, and it's paid off. They're now in the lead.

They know full well how important it is not make any silly mistakes to remain there.

Algorithmic Ascendancy have climbed the standings and find themselves in second place. They're having an awesome race.

Noah Cosby races in a McLaren for Team BRIT in the Britcar Endurance Championship.

Today he's swapped the car for a kart. We caught up with the young driver earlier on to see how his team is getting on.

They didn't have the best start, but Open Throttle find themselves in a podium position.

We'll interview one of their team to find out the story of their race so far. Do we think team captain Karlis Elmanis will have anything to say about their kart?

Bobby Trundley has just reentered the fray.

There's dark clouds in the sky and a bit of a chill in the air - it's been very muggy all day.

Accuweather has forecast a 60% chance of rain in the next ten minutes.

We'd like to show appreciation to Red Burros, an international team that have flown in for this event.

They've never raced at Daytona Milton Keynes, and have jumped straight in the deep end, competing in DMAX.

Their main ambition is to beat fellow international team Voltarol Racing, their buddies and rivals.

We caught up with the race polesitters before their drama...

Algorithmic Ascendancy now find themselves in seventh.

Six Helmets Racing are  in the lead, 26 seconds ahead of second-placed KBR.

MasterCart sLola are veterans of this event and find themselves in P3.

Balaclava PitPulse have recovered from earlier setbacks and are now in P4, TRX DMAX in P5.

Algorithmic Ascendancy have been in control for the entirety of the race.

They've just pulled into the pits and signalled a problem with their kart, which is now being worked on in the garage.

Six Helmets Racing and KBR will be licking their lips.

This is a talented team having a decent race so far.

The title holders are gaining ground. They now find themselves in third place. They capitalised on the earlier full course yellow, for sure.

They haven't... have they?

Raven Motorsport appear to have run out of fuel for a second time in three hours.

Surely not?

They're a really experienced and talented team.  They've tried to attempt 74 laps with one fuel tank.

They're now dead last.

One of the Csepreghi twins had come into the pits, gesturing at his helmet.

They're currently fourth from bottom, leaving themselves a mountain to climb.

Balaclava PitPulse are in the sin bin serving a penalty for excessive track limits.

They were in second place about 20 minutes ago, now they're in eighth.

There are winners and losers of this Full Course Yellow.

GDR Motorsport come into the pits and end up in a queue also, costing them valuable time and race positions.

The race is about to restart...

TRX DMAX have recovered from earlier mishaps.

The race is still held up, and they time a perfect pit stop.

They're up to second.

This full course yellow malarkey has really shaken up the pack.

Balaclava PitPulse try to capitalise on the Full Course Yellow as well, but it backfires.

They come in to refuel and find themselves in a queue. This is going to cost them valuable time.

They were in second, now they're in sixth place.

Our first safety kart of the race has been deployed.

It's DNH Senna's Squadron. They were in third placed and will be dropping right down the standings.

If they've run out of fuel. That'll be a ten minute penalty. Ouch.

Their sister team DNH Miles-Shelby Squad capitalise and make a swift refuel stop.

If you'd asked us to predict the DMAX top five at this stage, it probably wouldn't have looked like this:

P1 - Algorithmic Ascendancy
P2 - Balaclava PitPulse
P3 - TRX DMAX
P4 - MasterCart sLola
P5 - Six Helmets Racing

The SODIs are a little more as expected:

P1 - DNH Miles-Shelby Squad
P2 - Some Random Bloke
P3 - DNH Senna's Squadron
P4 - CSM Racing
P5 - Maple Motorsport

Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to introduce our latest menu item - the Big Stack.

This burger - which definitely doesn't resemble any other fast food brand's intellectual property - will be available on our menu permanently next month.

*drool emoji*

A five lap penalty has been applied to Half Throttle for registering underweight.

Their driver needs to go and eat a Big Stack...

TRX SODI have received a penalty for excessively exceeding track limits.

They're in P13 as they enter the pit lane.

Some Random Bloke have just made a move on DNH Miles-Shelby Squad and now find themselves in the lead.

These two teams are neck-and-neck now, battling corner after corner.

CSM Racing will benefit from the battling, they're 8 second behind the leaders.

Algorithmic Ascendancy are still leading, they're a lap ahead of Six Helmets Racing. KBR are currently in third out there, with The Kart Wheelers in fourth.

TRX DMAX have recovered from their mechanical failure earlier and find themselves in fifth place.

DNH Miles-Shelby are leading the way in the SODIs, ahead of Some Random Bloke and CSM Racing.

DNH Senna's Squadron are in fourth, and Maple Motorsport fifth.

There's going to be a lot of team managers with their heads in their hands in the paddock.

The latest team to receive a penalty is Fox Motorsport, for speeding under yellows.

Old'n'Gold were temporarily in the lead, as all the teams behind them had gone into refuel, including previous leaders Algorithmic Ascendancy.

They've joined Raven Motorsport in the sin-bin - their kart also ran out of fuel on the way into the pits.

Disaster for both teams. Algorithmic Ascendancy back in the lead.

Raven Motorsport push it too hard and have run out of fuel on the way into the pit lane.

That's going to cost them.

Their kart is currently being pushed through the pits.

It's a ten-minute penalty for running out of fuel...

TRX DMAX suffer a mechanical failure during their pit stop.

They were in third not long ago, but they're now in seventh.

Voltarol Racing Team just received their second black flag penalty of the race. They were driving dangerously in the pitlane.

This is the most common penalty to receive at the Daytona 24 Hours. Guys - just drive slow!

Our technical team have been extremely busy behind the scenes and we're immensely proud to announce our latest software update on our Driver Information Systems.

We're now able to communicate with drivers - and will be conveying important safety information to teams as they drive around.

Team captain Karlis Elmanis is swapping with boy wonder Bobby Trundley.

They haven't had a great start - Trundley is going to need to push hard.

Algorithmic Ascedancy spin out at the front of the pack and lose a good five seconds.

Just as I was singing their praises.

Algorithmic Ascedancy's Toby Gould means business. He's carved out a 23-second lead at the front of the pack.

Behind him, Six Helmets Racing, who were one of the favourites going into this.

TRX DMAX are currently third place, with KBR 4 second behind them, under pressure from Old'N'Gold.

Polesitters Some Random Bloke are five seconds ahead of DNH-Miles Shelby Squad, and CSM are third.

Stephanie Luttz pulls into the pits for our first DMAX refuel.

She's driving with 'Wild Motorsport' or 'Last Minute Racing' today.

JZ Racing, Voltarol Racing and Red Burros all received a penalty for jumping start in the DMAX.

In the SODIs, Team Slipstream are also penalised for breaking formation. Here's some photo evidence from our CCTV...

We've heard from Race Control that the race start is under investigation - in particular the DMAX category.

There could well be some penalties rumbling...

There's something so majestic about watching a train of 51 karts meandering around the circuit, with onlooking spectators filming, cheering and clapping their race-start heroes.

Our media team captured the moment on drone, cameras and a backwards-facing Go-Pro on the leading two-seater. We'll turn that into a movie for you guys shortly...

Here's the starting grid:

5 minutes to go. The atmosphere in the pit lane is electric.

Maple Motorsport were leading for the majority of the SODI qualifying.

Some Random Bloke brought their A-game on the final lap to win it at the end!

They were the fastest in Practice, and now they're the fastest in qualifying.

Last year's runners-up mean business in 2025.

Now for the SODIs...

24 Hours veterans Algorithmic Ascendancy take the DMAX pole with 1:05.619

They hadn't even bothered to visit the photo studio for a team photo, as in their own words, 'they never do well'.

They've made the live feed this year.

KBR are leading the way with 1:05.841, Algorithmic Ascendancy in second, JZ Racing third.

You can see the live timing for the qualifying here.

Teams have their best drivers out on circuit for ten minutes of qualifying.

JZ Racing recorded the fastest lap in DMAX, Some Random Bloke in SODI.

There's fifteen minutes left of practice and the fuel bay is now closed.

It reopens ten minutes into the race.

Teams will want their kart as light as possible for the upcoming qualifying.

Our man Foxy Red Photography is here with us today.

His favourite thing to capture is go-karts, luckily.

60 minutes in and JZ Racing have the fastest lap - 1:06.177. The tracks starting to dry out a little so we expect that will improve over the next fourty minutes.

KBR are second, Voltarol third.

Some Random Bloke just threw down the fastest SODI lap, DNH Senna's Squadron second, and TRX SODI third.

DNH are here with four teams. They're an ever-present at our endurance races and they've recruited some new drivers for this event, including the Jamie Chadwick Series' Zoe Cattet.

Amber caught up with James Bostock.

We asked our followers yesterday what song would be playing  in the paddock if their team won the Daytona 24 Hours.

Lee Schniztler and James King of KBR went with an obvious choice - black & yellow by Wiz Khalifa.

Alex Ibanescu would come in bopping to Smooth Operator.

Voltarol Racing team's Ricardo Guedes would choose Airbourne - Running Wild.

Steff Lutteridge, a last minute addition to our wildcard team - Last Minute Racing - wants to hear Pretender by the Foo Fighters.

It wouldn't be a Daytona Endurance race without Maple Motorsport.

They've just set the second-fastest SODI laptime. CSM are still top of the leaderboard.

To stay tuned with the official 24 Hours practice, you can find live timing here.

We're not seeing lap times as impressive as yesterday, given the rain.

The Kart Wheelers have just recorded the fastest DMAX lap of the day, with 1:07.299.

CSM Racing are the fastest SODI so far.

So here we go - 100 minutes of practice, and it's just started drizzling here at Daytona Milton Keynes.

The teams who didn't race yesterday need to make sure that all drivers on their team complete a few laps.

We've got the enigmatic Amber Jones here with us today, bringing viewers the atmosphere from the pit lane.

She caught up with Graeme Finlayson, captain of Old'n'Gold, who has been racing at Daytona for 30 years.

The legendary Jake Sanson is in the building. He's flown in from Thailand, where he now commentates on Japenese Super Formula and Super GT.

He's delivering his  famous high-energy pit lane briefing to hundreds of racers.

Yesterday we reported there would be rain overnight - that did happen but the track already appears to be drying.

There's about a 50% chance it'll rain again in the next two hours and then there will be some showers this evening too.

That'll keep it exciting.

Teams are out on track studying their racing line.

07:30: Reception opens for driver sign-in & breakfast service
07:45: Pre-race safety briefings commence – mandatory attendance for all drivers (unless briefed Friday evening). Official team photos outside briefing room.
08:45: Driver sign-in closes - final briefing commences
09:20: Pitlane briefing - mandatory attendance for all drivers
10:00: 100-minute Practice starts
11:40: Practice ends
11:50: DMAX ten-minute qualifying begins
12:10: SODI ten-minute qualifying begins
12:40: All starting drivers to their karts
13:00: Race start

Today's the day!

Last night there were 33 teams out testing their karts, which means we have another 18 teams arriving this morning and setting up their encampments.

It's been raining overnight so we're going to have a nice greasy surface for practice.

FRIDAY 23rd MAY

DNH's flagship team, the Miles-Shelby Squad find themselves third on the SODI fastest lap standings, which is the position they finished the last two races in. They knocked MAR Esports off the 'podium'.

James King is out there for KBR, and has just set the fastest lap of 1:04.320. The Kart Wheelers have also broken that mark, with a time of 1:04.551.

We have a new fastest lap in the SODIs as well, claimed by Fast & Delerious (they spelt their name wrong, not us). TRX SODI were leading the way for a long time before that, with MAR Esports in third.

We recently caught up with Gareth Baldwin, manager of CI Group, who won last year's race.

We asked him for his top five tips he'd give to teams competing in this weekend's race.

In case you can't be bothered to watch it:

#1 - Recruit fast drivers
#2 - Minimise damage - be careful with your brakes, avoid double pedaling, and make sure your most experienced driver tests the kart thoroughly during practice.
#3 - Race strategy - document and schedule driver changes, think about your wet weather strategy, make sure you have a reserve driver at all times, make sure each driver has at least a 6 hour break, and make sure you have multiple pit crew - especially overnight.
#4 - Ensure you have a team comms system - they use motorbike radios
#5 - Make sure all members of your team have read and understand the race regulations

This one was from Jake Sajkowski, with his team Eat Sleep Kart Repeat, who aren't competing this year:

"24hr Autumn last year, I was the last stint in my team, the team behind us had a wonder kid that was 2 seconds a lap faster than me, last 2 laps I shad no comms and locked in to defend.

We were wheel-to-wheel until the end and managed to hold him off with 0.2 gap difference.

The footage was insane and I’ve never felt such emotion in my life, the photographer even captured the moment I crossed the line and it’s currently hung on my wall on a canvas.

God bless the 24hrs"

Lovely.

The team photo booth will be open from 7:30am tomorrow, just outside the briefing room.

All teams are required to come and get a photo so we can make cool graphics.

Come and find us!

JZ Racing just threw down 1:05:326, a tenth shy of KBR's best time.

They're a serious team and this is their seventh outing in this event - their best result so far was p5. Their team is littered with experience and they're going to be one to watch throughout.

The Daytona community will be familiar with Brad Philpot - he's a British racing driver turned YouTuber, who won the SP2T class of the German VLN series in 2018 & 2019, the 2016 Creventic 24H Silverstone in the A3 Touring Car class and the 2015 Race of Champions Celebrity Skills Challenge at the Olympic Stadium.

He's here racing with KBR this weekend.

We've just learned that he had to nip home to feed his ducks. Who would have thought.

There are 29 teams currently out on track running their karts in ahead of tomorrow's race.

KBR have recorded the fastest lap so far, with 1:05:357. Open Throttle are marginally behind them, with Bobby Trundley's 1:05:374. JZ Racing and Red Burros are the only other DMAX teams to have broken the 1:05 mark.

MAR ESports' lap of 1:15.526 is currently unmatched in the SODIs - though it's only marginally faster than Maple Motorsport.

You can view live timings from testing here.

If you know, you know.

If you’ve visited the driver’s enclosure, you may have noticed a striking new banner.

It belongs to Shay’s Smiles, a charity created in memory of Shayen Patel - known to many here as Shay - a bright, kind-hearted 13-year-old who loved nothing more than racing at Daytona. Shay tragically passed away on 1st September 2020, less than two years after being diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) - a rare, aggressive, and critically underfunded form of brain cancer.

Shay and his brother Dylan shared unforgettable memories racing here at Daytona Milton Keynes, and to now see Shay’s name trackside - raising awareness to help other children with brain tumours - is truly special.

Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK, yet just 1% of national cancer research funding goes towards brain tumour research.

Shay’s Smiles was founded by Shay’s parents, Niki and Deanu, to raise awareness and fund vital research into GBM - helping other children and families affected by brain tumours.

We’re proud to honour Shay’s memory here today at the track he adored, by displaying the Shay’s Smiles banner as part of this year’s Daytona 24 Hour.

To support or find out more, simply scan the QR code on the banner - every click, every share, every donation helps drive change.

Here's what they're racing for this weekend.

I sure hope the winners have a large space on their mantelpiece.

Camper vans are already rolling into the car park here at Daytona Milton Keynes as teams begin to arrive.

The front doors officially open in 45 minutes, when we’re expecting a flood of teams setting up their pit lane command centres for the weekend ahead.

Safety briefings get underway at 17:30, followed by head shot for teams who are here tonight.

The circuit opens for practice at 18:00. Some teams are putting in a full 3-hour session, others opting for a lighter 90-minute run.

Practice wraps up at 21:00, and we’ll be sharing the fastest lap times right here once it’s all done.

CSM's Scott Clenaghan has one word. Like Charlie Sheen. "Winning".

His team mate Andrew Strike has a few more words in his vocabulary, however - "My favourite 24 hour moment was definitely last May and seeing my teammate Scott cross the finish line to win the race in the SODI class. It had been a really tense race with fierce competition from DNH and Some Random Bloke on top of some horrendous weather during the night but after 7 years and five previous attempts it was an amazing feeling to finally see our team at the top of the standings."

It’s a beautiful day here at the circuit - dry, bright, and perfect conditions for this evening’s practice sessions.

But we’re keeping one eye on the forecast… According to Accuweather, there’s a 55% chance of rain tomorrow, with showers expected early in the morning, then again around 6pm and midnight.

Sunday looks similar, with a 50% chance of rain at 6am - but the skies are set to clear after that, giving us a dry and sunny run to the finish.

As ever with endurance racing, the weather could play a big part. We’ll keep you posted.

Loose Screws Racing's Joshua Hamilton and Voltarol Racing's Ricardo Guedes are in agreement on their favourite moment - it was last year's overnight rain, which caused chaos and helped Hamilton's team claw a few places back.

We've received a few more DMs about how members of our community prepare for a big race...

Adam Thompson is aligned with Darcie Batty - a red bull pre-race. In his own words - a 'nervous clear out' is also necessary to shed weight. Charming.

Lee Southall goes full Paddy Pimblett and does multiple 48 hour fasts in the lead up to the race - the lighter he is, the faster he is!

Rodrigo Dias says team Balaclava Pitpulse have a yearly tradition - a BBQ in the Daytona Milton Keynes car park on the Friday night. I know where I'm heading after my shift...

Maple Motorsport's Lily Jeffs? The Macarena.

What’s your ritual? The weirder, the better. Drop us a DM or email marketing@daytona.co.uk for a chance to be featured.

Let’s take a look at the DMAX field—20 teams, plenty of talent, and a title wide open for the taking.

The team to beat? That has to be the reigning champions: KBR.

They split into three mini-teams for a recent six-hour warm-up event - and swept the podium with first, second, and third. Their 24-hour lineup features a roll call of Daytona royalty: James King, Ashley Mayston-King, Lee Schnitzler, Peter Stockwin, and James Bettison.

As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve added Brad Philpot to the squad - a Nürburgring winner and popular YouTuber. It’s a seriously stacked team. That said, they did only manage sixth in last year’s May edition, proof that even the best can be undone by bad luck over 24 hours.

Open Throttle are another podium favourite. Led by Karlis Elmanis, they bring serious firepower - Bobby Trundley, five-time DMAX Champion and Daytona’s poster boy, Cameron Das, YouTuber and Euroformula champion and Luka Nik, two-time Sandown Park champion.

They came fourth last year, despite setbacks, and will be aiming much higher this time out.

Then there’s Six Helmets Racing - former winners and no strangers to the podium, having finished in the top three six times. Their roster is stacked with experience, but their trump card could be Clayton Ravenscroft - a driver who has won just about everything in UK karting. He’ll be tough to match over a stint.

Further down the field, but not to be ignored, are a trio of veteran squads: Raven Motorsport, Voltarol Racing Team, and GDR Motorsport. All three have been regulars at this event since 2016, but none have cracked the podium - yet.

Keep an eye on Algorithmic Ascendancy, too. They came 8th here last year and have strong pedigree - Club100 Endurance Champions in 2009 and 2020, and 24-hour podium finishers at Teesside. They’ll be looking to improve on last year’s showing.

Right behind them in 2024 were TRX Motorsport’s DMAX team - a consistently competitive outfit who won’t be far from the front.

And that’s just the start. We’ll be profiling more of the DMAX contenders as the race unfolds. Stay tuned.

Starting off with the SODI category in which 31 teams are competing – the top three in the past two occasions have been identical.

And if history tells us anything, there’s one team everyone will be watching - and likely fearing: CSM Racing.

Captained by the legendary Andrew Strike, with support from Scott Clenghan, Kallum Jones, and returning young talent David Metcalfe, CSM have dominated this category, winning it three times in a row.

In October, they tackled the race with just three drivers - pulling off 3-hour stints each - and still took victory, finishing a remarkable 10 laps clear of second place. This year, with Metcalfe back in the fold, they’re back to full strength.

The team they finished ahead of both in October and May return – Some Random Bloke – who have been competing in this event for nine years, amassing several podium finishes in that time. They usually compete as a team of four, but star driver Dean Hale is unavailable due to F1 commitments at Monaco. His absence will be felt.

DNH Miles-Shelby Squad finished third at the last two, though they reckon they would have finished second but for a refuelling mistake in Autumn. They have a rapid team of three – Murphy Thompson held the SODI lap record here last year (more on that shortly), and experienced captain Chris Thompson is master strategist and lightning-fast racer, and Laurence Vines is rapid too!

They’re one of four DNH teams in the race - all improving with each event. Expect some intra-team rivalry there!

Speaking of lap records, Team Slipstream are newcomers to this event, featuring Milton Keynes’ protégé twins Jacob and Charlie Csepreghi, who both broke the SODI lap record in the same event – with the latter being the current holder. They’re joined by Alfie O’Brien, another Daytona protégé, their team captain and wet-weather weapon. Matteo Ehrenfeuchter has never raced at Daytona Milton Keynes but won at Club100 last year. There may be relative inexperience in this team in terms of age – but the ability is certainly there. Plus, a tonne of ballast!

TRX Motorsport finished in fourth place in October and are always challenging for a podium at Daytona Milton Keynes. Their team of five drivers – Keiran Phillpott, Tom Nunn, Ryan Bentley, Sam Gadd and Sean Pope have the consistency to stay in the mix, but they’ll need to step it up to reach the podium.

Maple Motorsport are another serious threat. They’ve entered just one SODI team this year, but it’s a strong one: Darren Holliday, Chris Cleaver, Lily Jeffs, Dan Webber, and James Holliday. All are championship regulars at Daytona Tamworth—and Lily took the Jamie Chadwick Series crown last year.

And let’s not forget Team BRIT - a professional outfit with pedigree. Their lineup includes Aaron Morgan and Noah Cosby, both of whom are racing in the Britcar Endurance Championship this year - in McLarens, no less.

That’s just a snapshot of the grid. With 31 teams, countless variables, and 24 hours ahead, anything can happen.

Could 2025 be the year of the underdog?

After all, Tottenham Hotspur finally won a trophy…

We asked our community on Wednesday what they do to prepare for a big race.

Luke Dodman has been smashing full-body workouts all week whilst listening to Slipknot.

Lewis Francis prefers peace and quiet with some calming tunes. Toby Prosser and Alfie Shrubb go the other way—music loud, nerves off.

Darcie Batty follows the Jamie Vardy method: a can of Red Bull before every race.

@boydinho_ keeps it spiritual - sign of the cross on himself and the kart, always gets in from the right.

Ellis Seaman cracks every joint pre-race. Cartoon energy.

Lee Robson? Same socks. Every race. No exceptions.

Alex Ibanescu channels his inner Baba Vanga, visualising the race start and predicting what’s to come.

The Daytona Milton Keynes team has been flat out this week - repainting kerbs, polishing trophies, prepping burgers, and yes, powering through an unholy amount of admin.

It takes a phenomenal effort to deliver an event of this scale, and the team has left no stone unturned.

Our engineers and fleet testers have worked tirelessly to ensure the karts are running at their very best. Thanks to them, parity across the grid is tighter than ever - giving drivers a truly level playing field for the challenge ahead.

Want a spot on the live feed?

We’re featuring the best from our community throughout the race - so if you want your words seen by a few thousand Daytona aficionados, drop us a DM on Instagram, message us on Facebook, or email marketing@daytona.co.uk

Today’s question:

You’ve just pulled off a legendary triple overtake in your final stint, sealing victory at the Daytona 24 Hours. As you cruise back into the pitlane, chequered flag in hand, the crowd on their feet…

What song is blasting from the Daytona sound system as you’re welcomed in like a hero?

Let us know. We might even play it if you win.

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours.

We’re back with another round-the-clock epic. After October’s 24-hour showdown, the teams are back, the engines are fired up, and the countdown is on.

Over the next 48 hours, we’ll bring you rolling updates from the track, pitlane, and - on occasion - the pavilion. Expect drama, endurance, and a bit of chaos.

Strap in. It’s going to be a wild ride.