SALINAS, Calif. (May 4, 2026) – Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen led the way for Vasser Sullivan with a sixth-place result for the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD class during Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship race at Laguna Seca. Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat ran among the top three for much of the race with the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 before finishing ninth in GTD PRO.

In GTD action, Pedersen started the race in fifth and ran the first 45-minute stint in the sixth position before turning driving duties over to Telitz. During that first pit stop, the No. 12 team was assessed two drive-through penalties and fell back to the eighth position, however Telitz was able to work his way back up to the sixth-place result when the checkered flag flew.

In GTD PRO competition, Hawksworth earned his 16th career IMSA pole position on Saturday to tie the record for the most poles in IMSA history and led the class field to green. He went on to lead 40 laps during his first stint and cycled back to second place during his second stint before Barnicoat jumped into the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3. Barnicoat ran second most of his time in the race, however the No. 14 fought tire degradation late and were forced to pit for a splash of fuel with under seven minutes to go and went on to finish ninth in GTD PRO.

Lexus and Vasser Sullivan next compete in a 100-minute sprint race at the Detroit street circuit on Saturday, May 30. To keep up with all the racing action, follow @GAZOORacingUSA on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
Can you talk about today’s race?
“Obviously, a very disappointing day at Laguna Seca. Fantastic qualifying by Jack (Hawksworth) yesterday and ultimately it just didn’t work out today. We notoriously struggle with tire degradation at Laguna Seca and when the sun came out this afternoon it really bit us. There were two strategies going into the race and we were on the one that lost with the highest tire degradation and just fell back. I did everything I could. It’s difficult circumstances for everyone on the pit stand and we didn’t end up with a good result, which is a shame after a great Saturday. It is what it is, and we’ll try again in Detroit.”

JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race?
“We had a good weekend going and we ended up on the wrong side of it there at the end with the yellows and the stops. We just didn’t have things fall our way, unfortunately, and that was that.”

AARON TELITZ, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
Can you take us through your race today?
“Pretty tough day here at Laguna Seca. The Vasser Sullivan team gave us a great Lexus RC F to work with. Benjamin (Pedersen) had an awesome first stint staying right with the lead guys and saving a lot of fuel. When we came out of the pits, we had a great pit stop and jumped a couple cars and were going to cycle up to fourth, but it wasn’t meant to be with a couple of penalties on pit road. That set us back and we just kind of recovered the best we could and ended up sixth.”

BENJAMIN PEDERSEN, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race today?
“Tricky day here on the 12 car at Vasser Sullivan. The strategy didn’t quite work out for us. All in all, we had a good car. Definitely in contention to fight for the podium, but just a couple mistakes on pit lane put us in a tricky situation for the rest of the race. We’ll regroup and analyze what we can do better and come out swinging for our return.”