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Lexus

VICTORY FOR NO. 14 RC F GT3 ETCHES LEXUS, VASSER SULLIVAN IN SEBRING HISTORY BOOKS

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2024) – The Vasser Sullivan No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 was victorious in Saturday’s Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway with drivers Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood. The win marks the primary for Lexus and Vasser Sullivan within the historic 12-hour occasion.  

Hawksworth led the GT subject to the inexperienced flag on Saturday after incomes the primary Twelve Hours of Sebring pole place for Lexus and Vasser Sullivan in Friday’s qualifying session. He led your complete stint nonetheless following the primary pit cease the No. 14 Lexus was accessed a drive via for a pit street process penalty. The trio of drivers was in a position to work their approach again to the entrance of the GTD PRO subject with an important technique put in place by the Vasser Sullivan crew. They mixed to steer 133 laps across the 17-turn, 3.74-mile street course en path to this system’s third GTD PRO endurance victory.

Hawksworth, Barnicoat and Kirkwood gained the primary endurance race for Lexus and Vasser Sullivan within the 2022 Petit Le Mans, and Hawksworth and Barnicoat gained the 2023 Six Hours of the Glen final season. The driver trio completed second at Sebring only one yr in the past.

Lexus and Vasser Sullivan additionally claimed a Sebring victory on the Florida street course in 2020 with Hawksworth and Aaron Telitz, profitable a dash occasion added to the IMSA schedule that yr.

Parker Thompson, Frankie Montecalvo and Telitz completed 13th within the GTD class in Saturday’s race.  

Thompson began second within the GTD subject and jumped into the category lead simply after crossing the start-finish line to start the race. The trio of drivers led 54 laps and ran within the top-10 the vast majority of the day nonetheless a number of racing incidents in the course of the 12-hour occasion would relegate the No. 12 staff to a 13th-place end.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus staff returns to motion on the Long Beach Street Circuit for the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, April 20.  To sustain with all of the racing motion, comply with Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok through the use of #LexusEfficiency.

Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes

JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3

Can you discuss how a lot of a battle it was on the market on the finish right this moment?

“Yeah, it was. We knew it was going to be a battle. These long races, you have to do everything perfectly. Everyone has to do their job absolutely perfectly just to be there to even have a chance at the end. Then you just hope that the cards fall your way. As Ben (Barnicoat) touched upon, we had a tough day. But the team, we made good steps over the off-season. We wanted to come and show what we could do. This has been a proper bounce-back. Today everyone was perfect. We had the one obviously drive-through early in the race, a wobble there. Other than that, it was rock solid all day. The guys on pit lane were unbelievable. Ben (Barnicoat) and Kyle (Kirkwood) were absolute monsters out there. Yeah, we ended up in the fight there at the end. Come out on top. I couldn’t be prouder of everybody on this Lexus and Vasser Sullivan team.”

BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3

How a lot does it imply to the Lexus and Vasser Sullivan organizations to win the 12 Hours of Sebring?

“This is big. Obviously big for the group. All the Lexus racing crew have been grinding, working so laborious, in search of perfection yr in and yr out. I’ve been fortunate to step in this system at such a superb time. First yr we acquired Atlanta with the Petit Le Mans win, which was extremely big. Last yr we gained Watkins Glen after which the championship. Now we ticked off Sebring. We’ve simply acquired Daytona left to go.

We had an actual tough begin to this season, however that efficiency right this moment confirmed why we have been champions final yr. That was undoubtedly a champion’s comeback and acquired our season effectively and really again on monitor. We’re trying ahead to going from right here.”

KYLE KIRKWOOD, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3

What does it imply to win the 12 Hours of Sebring right this moment?

“I’ve never been so nervous in my life watching a race car that you are part of go around a race track other than today. It got to the point where Ben (Barnicoat) and I would literally have to walk off the stand and not watch because of how nerve-wracking it was watching Jack (Hawksworth) absolutely send it on every single car that was out there. To be honest, we didn’t really have the pace, the raw pace, at the end of the race. Jack just knew at every moment that he had a chance to pass somebody, he’d just send it in there and keep them behind him. It ended up paying off. It reminds me of our win at Petit. Similar situation to that. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys right here. Of course, the Vasser Sullivan and Lexus team as well. These two drivers right here, it’s like you put them in the car, and they’re automatic. They get in, they send it, do everything perfectly. I’m proud to be a part of this team.”

PARKER THOMPSON, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3

How are you feeling after the 12 hours of Sebring?

“The 12 car just needs a little luck because when I look back at this weekend. We did everything right. Unfortunately, the race didn’t fall our way. The Sebring 12 hours stands for me the craziest race that I’ve ever done, the second time in a row this year in 2024. We’ve got the Lexus RC F to win. We just need to piece it together and we need a little luck to do so. Things didn’t fall our way, but I couldn’t be prouder of our Vasser Sullivan team. We don’t give up and that was true all the way through the race. We kept digging all the way through and I’m proud of myself for not giving up. Three and a half hours in the car was definitely a challenge, but it’s nice knocking those boxes off. And, now as we’re about to start the sprint season, I’ve never been more confident in this group. They believe in me, and I believe in them and let’s go win some races for the 12. Congratulations to the 14 team on their GTD PRO win today!”

FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3

How was your race?

“It was a good day. Congratulations to the 14 car for winning the Sebring 12 hour. It was a really great job and a team effort. We had a really good run going, we stayed upfront for a long time and everyone on this car did a good job. No complaints there. We’ll take this as another learning experience and continue working hard and getting ready as we go into Long Beach with our Lexus RC F GT3.”

AARON TELITZ, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3

How was your race?

“First of all, what an amazing day for this Vasser Sullivan team and Lexus winning the 12 Hours of Sebring with the 14 car. This is a massively historic race and a really huge deal for the brand and team to get a big win at another one of these endurance races. Congratulations to our teammates. On the 12 car side, we had some issues earlier in the race that just kept on developing as the race went on and really hindered our performance unfortunately, and we weren’t able to battle for the win. At least we finished this race so that’s a great step in the right direction for us. I’m looking forward to getting back with the boys at the Six Hours of the Glen and until then I hope they win a couple sprint races.”

About Lexus
The Lexus RC F GT3 enters its eighth season within the GTD class, and third yr within the GTD PRO class, competing within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Over the final six seasons, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have mixed to earn 13 wins, 39 podium finishes and 19 pole positions with the RC F GT3. Lexus gained its first full-season IMSA GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship on the power of two wins and podium positions in 9 of 11 races in 2023.

Lexus’ ardour for courageous design, imaginative know-how, and exhilarating efficiency permits the luxurious life-style model to create wonderful experiences for its clients. Lexus started its journey in 1989 with two luxurious sedans and a dedication to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to satisfy the wants of worldwide luxurious clients in additional than 90 international locations. In the United States, Lexus automobiles are offered via 244 sellers providing a full lineup of luxurious automobiles. With eight fashions incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxurious hybrid chief. Lexus additionally provides 9 F SPORT fashions, one F efficiency mannequin and one F mannequin. Lexus is dedicated to being a visionary model that anticipates the long run for luxurious clients.

BMW

Sebring 12 Hours: BMW M Team RLL narrowly misses the rostrum.

Sebring. Strong efficiency, however missing the required racing luck – that is how the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA) could be summarized for the BMW M Team RLL. In the second race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA collection) season, the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 crossed the end line in fourth place after a race that was thrilling till the top. The sister automotive with quantity 24 completed sixth. In the GTD-PRO class, Paul Miller Racing narrowly missed the rostrum with the #1 BMW M4 GT3, ending in fourth place. Turner Motorsport took sixth place within the GTD class with the #96 BMW M4 GT3.

 

In a balanced race within the high GTP class, Connor De Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), and Maxime Martin (BEL) within the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 stayed on the entrance of the pack all through the race distance. They even led the race at occasions. However, after the final of quite a few yellow phases, they simply missed out on a podium end within the remaining dash. Jesse Krohn (FIN), Philipp Eng (AUT), and Augusto Farfus (BRA) within the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 had been unfortunate with a gradual puncture and a broken rear wing. Nevertheless, they scored vital factors by ending sixth and even fought their means again from a lap down.

In the GTD classes, the BMW M Motorsport groups additionally lacked the required racing luck to have fun on the rostrum. In the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3, Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, and Neil Verhagen (all USA) completed fourth within the GTD-PRO class. In the GTD class, Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Jake Walker (all USA) took sixth place. During the race, each vehicles had led their courses.

 

Comments after the race:

 

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “The 12 Hours of Sebring were exciting until the end. The places were only decided in the last hour. Our BMW M Hybrid V8 showed during the race that its pace is good. In the end, we were a bit unlucky with the timing of one of the last yellow phases, as it allowed some competitors to come back into the fight for the lead. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for a podium in the end, but it’s good to see that our hard work since Daytona has paid off and we were able to significantly improve both the performance and the reliability of the cars. For that, I thank everyone at BMW M Motorsport and the BMW M Team RLL. In the GTD categories, the BMW M4 GT3 has shown that it can compete for the win here. Overall, we have proven in all classes that the performance is fundamentally right. With a bit more racing luck, we hope to convert that into podium places.”

 

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW M Team RLL): “Last year we were very lucky and finished second. This time our cars were much stronger, but with a bit less luck, we finished fourth and sixth. That’s okay, but not yet where we want to be. The team’s pit stops were good, the cars were reliable, but of course, we can still improve a bit more with a view to the next races.”

 

Maxime Martin (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 4th place): “We showed good potential, but unfortunately didn’t quite make it to the podium. We had a clean race, and it’s of course annoying to be the first crew not on the podium. My first Sebring race in the top category was a great experience. It feels good to be able to fight for the overall win in such a race. The track is tough, but I had a lot of fun.”

 

Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, sixth place): “We still don’t know what was wrong with our car. It felt strange for all drivers, and we couldn’t drive the lap times we needed. I had it first, then the problem also occurred with Philipp and Augusto. We now need to analyse this precisely. Nevertheless, I think we did damage limitation. We got important points. It could have been much worse.”