ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (August 3, 2026) – The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 entries fought hard to secure top 10 results in Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Road America. Provisionally, Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat finished sixth in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD PRO competition while Aaron Telitz, Benjamin Pedersen and Frankie Montecalvo earned a ninth-place result with the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD class.
Hawksworth started Sunday’s six-hour race from the back of the GTD PRO field after the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 had a setback during Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Hawksworth and Barnicoat took turns behind the wheel during the six-hour endurance event, running most of the race in the top 10. With just under two hours remaining, the Vasser Sullivan team made a great pit call just prior to a caution flag and were able to get up to second on the restart. Hawksworth held that position for the entire stint however the strategy didn’t play their way during the final stint and they finished sixth.
In GTD competition, Montecalvo started in the 12th position in the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 and worked his way into the top 10. A speeding penalty on pit lane after the second stint dropped the No. 12 entry to the bottom of the class, but Pedersen was able to get back into the top 10 by the time Telitz took over the car for the final stints of the race. They went on to finish ninth in the GTD class when the checkered flag flew.
Lexus and Vasser Sullivan next compete in a GT-only sprint race at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on Sunday, August 23. To keep up with all the racing action, follow @GAZOORacingUSA on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race weekend at Road America?
“This was a tough weekend for the whole Vasser Sullivan team. We didn’t really have the performance we hoped for to fight with some of our competitors. Then, obviously the accident in Practice 2 really put us on the back foot, but I have to say it was a great effort from the team to get the spare car ready. We fought hard all day today and we tried to make the most of things with strategy. We didn’t have the pace to race these guys, but we were able to get a decent result out of it. We’ll fight back at VIR in a few weeks.”
BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race today?
“Honestly, I think we owe this result today to the entire Vasser Sullivan racing team to come back from yesterday. The team worked hard to get our car ready for qualifying, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to set a time. On top of that, it was a very interesting race. There were a lot of incidents and a lot of cautions. We were running second there with an hour and 20 to go and that was looking really good, but it just didn’t fall our way. Sixth place was probably about the maximum that we had today. A bit of luck could have put us up a bit higher, but all things considered, we did what we could to maximize our day. We’ll head to VIR. Hopefully we can find a bit more speed and fight for the win.”
AARON TELITZ, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
What were the conditions in today’s race?
“On the 12 side today, it was a battle out there from start to finish. We had some highlights, and overall, it was a challenge, but it is good to get the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan RC F GT3 to the finish there in ninth place. We still are focused on the championship, and tough days when you can still bring it home in the top 10 – that’s what championships are made of. Benjamin (Pedersen) and Frankie (Montecalvo) did a great job today as well to overcome the penalty early. We’ll move on and better days are ahead.”
BENJAMIN PEDERSEN, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
What was your experience like racing the Lexus RC F GT3 at Road America?
“Pretty tough day here. We salvaged what we could with what we had. We focused most of our effort on energy savings and the fuel numbers throughout the race trying to make some strategy work with such a long race and such a long lap. We tried to really work it, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way. We gave it a good shot. Looking forward to racing at VIR next.”
FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race today?
“It was a very hard race out there today. The entire Vasser Sullivan team did an awesome job in the pits and on strategy to keep us towards the front and it was a great team effort to score points for the championship.”
About Lexus
Lexus in its 10th season in the IMSA GTD class, and fifth year in the GTD PRO category, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. In now eight seasons together, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have combined to earn 18 wins, 53 podium finishes and 29 pole positions with the Lexus RC F GT3. In 2023, Lexus won its first full-season IMSA GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship on the strength of two wins and podium positions in nine of 11 races.
Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With nine models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers seven F SPORT models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
Media Contacts
Sam Mahoney
Lexus PR
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Pam Jansen
Golin for Lexus Racing
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