Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s Battle Adversity in Sprint Race at VIR

Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s Battle Adversity
in Sprint Race at VIR

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ALTON, Va. (Aug. 25, 2025) –The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s battled hard in Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway. Ben Barnicoat and Aaron Telitz earned an eighth-place result in the GTD PRO category in the No. 14 Lexus while Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson finished ninth in the GTD class behind the wheel of the No. 12 RC F GT3.

The Vasser Sullivan team started off the weekend with a GTD pole position, as Jack Hawksworth piloted the No. 12 Lexus to lead the GTD class to green. However, Hawksworth was penalized for a lap one incident with the No. 021 car. The penalty did not deter the No. 12 team, as they worked hard to make up ground during the remainder of the 2 hour, 40 minute race, with Hawksworth eventually giving way to co-driver Parker Thompson, who brought home a ninth-place finish in class.

The No. 14 Lexus had a challenging qualifying session in GTD PRO, but showed tremendous fight from the drop of the green flag. With the less than ideal starting position, the No. 14 team hoped to employ some alternate strategies to gain precious track position, but unfortunately the cautions did not fall to their benefit.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s return to action for the six-hour Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 21, the penultimate race on the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Championship. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.

Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race?
“We had a great start to the weekend. We didn’t have the pace but we were able to have a really good quali yesterday and start in the front. We got a good start to the race and I don’t know why, but they called a drive thru penalty on me. From that point on in a race like this, your day is done because it’s all track position. That was it for us.”

PARKER THOMPSON, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
Can you talk about your race today?
“Obviously a disappointing day for our Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F team. I’m already looking ahead and we’ll focus on what we can do to have a great run at Indianapolis.”

BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
Can you talk about today’s race?
“We tried our best and our best was a P8. Don’t feel like we could have done a lot different out there to change our end result, in all honesty. We had a clean start and the guys did a fantastic job in the pits and I feel like we made the best strategy calls we could. Ultimately, we were lacking a lot of speed this weekend and it really showed there in the race. We lacked speed but it wasn’t for lack of effort from everyone from Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing USA. We’ll analyze and see if there is anything we could have done to do a better job and try to improve things for the Indianapolis six-hour race.”

AARON TELITZ, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race today?
“A really tough day here from the start with our Lexus RC F, we just didn’t seem to have the pace here. We had a tough start and fell back a little bit. Just never got in a groove and never got going. All of our strategy gambles that we tried didn’t play out with the way the cautions fell, so unfortunately P8 was the best we were going to do today. We’ll regroup and see where we can improve and come back swinging at Indianapolis.”

About Lexus
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 nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.

Sam Mahoney
Lexus PR
980-900-8573
[email protected]

Pam Jansen
Golin for Lexus Racing
386-631-2489
[email protected]

Bill Janitz (weekend on-site PR contact)
Golin for Lexus Racing
330-353-5936
[email protected]

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