Vasser Sullivan made adjustments to its driver lineup for the Long Beach event due to the GTD Pro category not competing at the temporary street circuit. Jack Hawksworth, fresh from victories at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Long Beach last year in GTD Pro, will partner with Frankie Montecalvo in the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3. The No. 89 entry will feature Parker Thompson and Ben Barnicoat, who also claimed a GTD Pro win at Sebring and triumphed with Hawksworth at Long Beach last year.
Team Principals Jimmy Vasser and James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan expressed their anticipation for the Long Beach Grand Prix, regarding it as a special event for their team and Lexus. Their singular aim is to win again, and they believe pairing Montecalvo and Hawksworth in the No. 12 car, along with Thompson and Barnicoat in the No. 89, gives them the best chance of achieving that goal.
This strategy of fielding additional entries for non-GTD Pro rounds isn’t new for Vasser Sullivan. In 2022, for races at Mid-Ohio and Detroit, they entered two GTD entries, resulting in victory at Belle Isle with Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood. Jeff Bal, Senior Manager of Motorsports for Lexus, expressed excitement about returning to the Long Beach streets and the honor of having Vasser Sullivan run a second GTD entry alongside the No. 12 RC F GT3.
In homage to Lexus’s 35 years in the U.S. luxury automotive race, the team will run the number 89 alongside the No. 12. Lexus’s reputation for quality, reliability, and guest experience since entering the U.S. market in 1989 is highlighted. Bal emphasized Lexus’s commitment to continuous improvement in both its products and racing endeavors, echoing the brand’s ethos of “No best, only better.”
The partnership between Vasser Sullivan and Lexus aims to uphold the brand’s legacy and push the boundaries of excellence in motorsports. The decision to adjust the driver lineup reflects their determination to maximize their chances of success at Long Beach, leveraging the experience and skill of their drivers in pursuit of victory.
