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Two Top Five GTD Pro Finishes For Vasser Sullivan On Streets Of Detroit
DETROIT (June 3, 2024) – Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat achieved a second-place podium finish in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 at the Detroit Street Circuit on Sunday. Vasser Sullivan teammates Parker Thompson and Frankie Montecalvo also secured a top-five finish with a fourth-place result in the GTD PRO category during Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race.
Hawksworth began from the third position on the GTD PRO grid and quickly advanced to second place after a competitor required repairs on pit road. Barnicoat took over the No. 14 Lexus on lap 20, returning to the track in second place. During his stint, a GTD PRO competitor collided with the Lexus, causing damage and steering issues for the remainder of Barnicoat’s race. Despite this, he managed to maintain his position and secure second place.
This podium finish marks the second of the season for the defending GTD PRO champions, who previously won the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. Thompson and Montecalvo were running in the Vasser Sullivan No. 15 Lexus entry for their first career GTD PRO starts, as the GTD class did not compete in Detroit. Montecalvo started 10th and handed over to Thompson early in the race. They worked their way up through the field to achieve a fourth-place result, their best of the season.
Upcoming Events
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team will next compete in a six-hour endurance race at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, June 23.
Driver Quotes
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3:
"It was a solid weekend. We started on the back foot a bit, but the Vasser Sullivan boys did a good job all weekend with our Lexus RC F GT3. We had a good qualifying effort and a good race. Plenty of action today. Ben (Barnicoat) did a good job bringing it home with quite a bit of damage on the car and we’ll come out of here with a second-place finish."
BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3:
"So, obviously, that was a crazy race but first I think we’ve got to look at where we started this weekend. On Friday morning in practice, we were lacking quite a bit of pace to our competition. A credit to this Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing organization. We worked hard all-day Friday and just kept on improving every time we hit the track which allowed Jack (Hawksworth) to qualify in the third position which was a fantastic spot on a street course like this that is so tight and hard to pass on. Then, heading into today I think we all knew it was going to be a crazy race. Obviously, we had that very early yellow, but Jack was hanging in P2 after the 3 Corvette broke down. Then I hopped in and got going after the yellow and the 4 Corvette braked super early into turn 3. The gap was there, I went for it and then once I was in the gap I think he realized he braked too early, tried to cover me off and just drove me into the wall. Obviously, we hit him, dropped back a spot, and from that point I’m just very fortunate that we were able to finish the race. The car had a lot of damage, but we still showed fairly good pace and was able to hang onto P2 comfortably. Obviously, I’m sorry to the Vasser Sullivan guys that the car is scraped up, but I’m very happy with a P2 finish and good points. With six races to go, we’ve just got to keep working."
PARKER THOMPSON, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3:
"We’re in Detroit; there are lots of casinos here so why not put it on 15 and see what happens? Huge hats off to Colin Mason and Chris Andrews. These guys have been really good on the box. They just needed one to fall their way. Their excellent strategy, excellent pit stop, and great execution from what is normally the 12 team that was the 15 team this weekend. Great to get my Vasser Sullivan boys a good result. They’ve deserved this one for a long time. Glad we delivered it here. Know it’s not a points day for us, but it just gives us some momentum rolling into Watkins Glen, which is a place where we know our Lexus RC F GT3 is so fast."
FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3:
"It was a crazy day all around. We started pretty far back and not where we wanted to be, but we got a P4 – our best finish of the season – in a different class. We’ll take that. I’m happy for the 14 boys – they got a podium out of it and we were right there behind him. I wish we would’ve had a little bit more time; I think we could’ve got up there with them."
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