DALLAS (Dec. 8, 2025) – Lexus and Vasser Sullivan today announce the driver lineups for the No. 12 and No. 14 RC F GT3 entries competing in the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTD and GTD PRO classes.

Lexus factory drivers Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat return as the full-time duo in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2026 campaign, joined by INDYCAR driver Kyle Kirkwood for select endurance events. Vasser Sullivan veteran Aaron Telitz will pair together with Benjamin Pedersen in the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 for the full season. Frankie Montecalvo once again takes on endurance driver duties for the No. 12 team, and the trio will be joined by Esteban Masson for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Hawksworth returns to the No. 14 and the GTD PRO class for his 10th season with Lexus after running with the No. 12 team in 2025 that finished third in the GTD class points standings.  Hawksworth will look to add another championship to his resume this season, which would couple the class title he earned with Barnicoat in 2023. To-date, the Bradford, England-native has 11 career victories, 32 podiums and 13 pole positions with Lexus since 2017.

Barnicoat enters his fifth season with Lexus and Vasser Sullivan, all of which have come in the No. 14 in GTD PRO competition. Last season, the No. 14 team finished 10th in the GTD PRO standings with Barnicoat and Telitz. The 28-year-old from Chesterfield, England, heads into 2026 with seven career victories and 19 podiums with Lexus and Vasser Sullivan, as well as the 2023 GTD PRO championship.

Jupiter, Florida-native Kirkwood is back for his seventh season with the Vasser Sullivan Lexus program. In his previous six seasons, Kirkwood has been part of three victories, including Detroit and Petit Le Mans in 2022 and the 2024 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

After a season in GTD PRO with the No. 14 entry, Telitz returns to the GTD class and the No. 12 for the 2026 season, his eighth year within the Vasser Sullivan team. In a one-off GTD start at Long Beach last season, the Wisconsin native earned a podium finish with Montecalvo in the No. 89 Lexus entry. Telitz has earned five career victories, 16 podiums and five pole positions so far with Lexus and Vasser Sullivan.

Copenhagen, Denmark-native Pedersen makes his debut with Vasser Sullivan this season after competing in IMSA’s LMP2 class the last two years, where he accrued three top-five finishes in 2025. Prior to his IMSA tenure, Pedersen climbed the ranks in open wheel racing, with seasons in the British Formula 3 and Formula 4 United States championships, followed by the INDY NXT and INDYCAR series.

Montecalvo returns for his eighth season within the Vasser Sullivan program as the endurance racer for the No. 12 team. In 2025, Montecalvo earned three podium finishes – two with the No. 12 at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, and the podium with Telitz at Long Beach. The New Jersey-native has two career victories, 17 podiums and five pole positions with Lexus and Vasser Sullivan.

Twenty-one-year-old Masson rounds out the Vasser Sullivan Lexus lineup for 2026, taking on his first Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. The Montreal, Quebec-native has had a very-accomplished young career, with championships in the French F4 (2021), Europcup-3 (2023) and European Le Mans Series (2025). Masson has also raced the RC F GT3 with the Akkodis ASP Lexus team in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) the last two seasons, which includes a podium-finish at the 6 Hours of Imola event in 2025.

Lexus and Vasser Sullivan begin the 2026 IMSA season at Daytona International Speedway for the Roar before the Rolex 24 (Jan. 16-18, 2026) and the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona (Jan. 24-25, 2026). To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.

Quotes
Jeff Bal, Director of Motorsport, Lexus Racing
“We’re extremely fortunate to once again have one of the sport’s premier driver lineups with Vasser Sullivan for the 2026 IMSA season. The Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing team have worked incredibly hard over the offseason, fully focused on reclaiming the championship glory we achieved a few years ago. There would be no better way to begin our championship push than capturing victory at the season-opening Rolex 24, a win we’ve been chasing for a long time. We cannot wait to get back on the track!” 

Jimmy Vasser & James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan, co-owners, Vasser Sullivan Championship Racing
“We head into the 2026 season with unfinished business, focused on capturing another championship and securing our first Rolex 24 victory. Our 2026 driver lineup is a carefully crafted blend of experience, continuity and youthful energy that will fuel this pursuit.”

Jack Hawksworth
“I’m really excited to be back alongside Ben (Barnicoat) and Kyle (Kirkwood) in the No. 14 Lexus this season. We’ve had some historic victories together and of course, the 2023 GTD PRO championship. We’re coming into the 2026 IMSA season in a stronger position as a race team, and I know each of us drivers and every crew member within our Vasser Sullivan program are determined to bring championship performance and championship execution to the track next season. I can’t wait to get started!”

Ben Barnicoat
“I’m delighted to be continuing in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Championship Racing team for our fifth consecutive season together with Lexus Racing in 2026. Last year was not the season we had planned for, but in some of my hardest days, this team, which is now more like a family, were with me every step of the way. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be back, and I can’t wait to repay everyone that stuck by me by fighting to get another IMSA championship for the team. Having Jack (Hawksworth) back in the No. 14 for the full season and having Kyle (Kirkwood) join us for the endurance races is a lineup I’m extremely excited to be a part of again. We’ve shared some special moments together and achieved so much in our time racing as a trio, and I have no doubt we will be adding to that long list of success in 2026.”

Kyle Kirkwood
“I’m extremely excited to join the Vasser Sullivan team once again for the 2026 season. I’ve had some of the most enjoyable moments over the years with this team and I always look forward to getting in the Lexus RC F GT3 alongside the highly attributed lineup of Jack (Hawksworth) and Ben (Barnicoat). This group has a proven track record, and I know with the hard-work and perseverance we have shown, we will have great success this season.”

Aaron Telitz
“It’s an absolute honor to be back full-time in the No. 12 with Lexus and Vasser Sullivan. We have a really exciting group around us for the 2026 season. Benjamin (Pedersen) has already gotten a year of IMSA experience under his belt and he’s a proven winner in the junior formula categories. I look forward to working with him in his first season in GT cars. It’s great to have Frankie (Montecalvo) back for all the endurance rounds as well. He’s a proven winner in our program!”

Benjamin Pedersen
“I’m absolutely ecstatic to be joining Vasser Sullivan and Lexus for the 2026 IMSA season! The team’s professionalism, resources and hard work mentality is unmatched, and I can’t wait to get underway with this strong driver lineup!”

Frankie Montecalvo
“I’m looking forward to another season of the endurance rounds with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. This will mark my eighth consecutive season with the team. Every year we have been stronger and stronger, so I have nothing but confidence going into the first race at the Daytona 24 hour next month.”

Esteban Masson
“I’m super excited to have my IMSA and Rolex 24 debut come with such an experienced, competitive and dedicated team as Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. Having such a strong lineup as we do in the No. 12 team provides an ideal opportunity to get the result we want. Looking forward to the Roar and the long race ahead of us in January. Can’t wait to be there!”