After sunset, at just past 6:30pm, Daytona International Speedway quickly got dark. The track became slippery and some cars briefly ran over the grass.

At around 7:30pm, when two DP cars were competing side by side and came to the Bus Stop chicane, they encountered the #41 Dempsey Racing Fishing Capital RX-8. The two DP cars made contact with the #41 machine, punting it into a half spin. There was damage to the bodywork on the #41 car, which subsequently stopped on track. After a check by the crew, it was deemed to be less than serious, and after replacing body panels and starting the engine, they found no other problems with the car.

Meanwhile, the #70 SpeedSource RX-8 had improved its position to 9th in class by 8 pm, advancing to 5th at 9 pm, and settling into 7th at 10 pm, remaining in a strong position for longer than expected. At 11 o'clock, the #70 RX-8 was 4th in class and 15th overall, while the #42 Team Sahlen RX-8 was 18th and the #40 Dempsey Racing Visit Florida RX-8 19th.

As night continued, the temperature at Daytona continued to drop. One car with suspension woes was shown on the monitors showering sparks as it made its way to pit road.