Race Summary:
- Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson piloted the SealMaster liveried No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 to a second-place finish in the 50th Annual Grand Prix of Long Beach.
- Thompson qualified on the pole and started the race. He drove the first stint, a total of 37 minutes of the 100-minute sprint race, leading the entire time, a total of 25 laps.
- He pitted and turned the driving duties over to Hawksworth. During the pit stop, the No. 12 team changed just the left side tires to gain time in the pits.
- Hawksworth came back on the track in third place.
- At approximately the 47-minute mark, Hawksworth overtook the team’s sister car and moved into second place. He held that position for the remainder of the race.
Race Quotes:
Jack Hawksworth:
“In terms of a points day, it was really good. The weekend as a whole was really great. We had a good car in practice and then Parker (Thompson) did a great lap in qualifying to get us upfront. The first half of the race was going really well and then we just were on the wrong side of the strategy there. We pitted too early, ended up in the prototype traffic and then they had clean air and were able to put in a couple laps and jump out ahead of us. I tried to put him under pressure for a while there. Our Lexus RC F GT3 had some good pace the first half of the stint and then just didn’t have enough to stay close to him and that was the race. Overall, it was a good day for the championship, and we’ll move on to Laguna Seca.”
Parker Thompson:
“We always knew coming into this race that it was a possibility that competitors that aren’t in the full time GTD championship would be willing to take more of a risk than we would, but it’s days like today where you’ve got to look big picture. We’re proud of our second-place effort and we’re holding our heads high to finish out the West Coast swing strong in Laguna Seca.”
NO. 89 VASSER SULLIVAN LEXUS RC F GT3
ROUNDS OUT THE PODIUM
Race Summary:
- Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo scored a third-place finish in the SealMaster liveried No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.
- Montecalvo qualified sixth and drove the first stint, a total of 40 minutes. He handed the car over to Telitz in sixth place.
- In a significant strategy move, the No. 89 team decided not to change tires and short-fueled the car, picking up valuable time in the pits. Telitz rejoined the race in second place.
- Shortly thereafter, the No. 89 gave up one position to their sister car, dropping to third. Telitz held that position until the end of the race.
Race Quotes:
Aaron Telitz:
“What a great team day all around here with a double podium for Vasser Sullivan. Obviously, we would’ve loved to see one of our cars win. On the 89 side, just a great job all around. Frankie (Montecalvo) did a really good job. When a couple of the other cars pitted, Frankie laid down a couple of quick laps and had a fast in-lap and then the Vasser Sullivan guys executed an amazing pit stop. Frankie is a driver change wizard. Our driver change was super fast. We didn’t change tires and that’s where we made up our spots into second and then just settled into third and luckily held on there.”
Frankie Montecalvo:
“I’m extremely excited to get a podium again with Aaron (Telitz). I feel like we’re three for three here in Long Beach and to share it with the 12 car up there is awesome. The Vasser Sullivan team did a phenomenal job all weekend and couldn’t be happier to get on the podium.”
- Hawksworth and Thompson are the full-time drivers of the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in GTD, with Montecalvo competing in all the endurance races.
- Today’s finish was the best finish for the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus in the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
- Hawksworth has been with the Lexus GT3 program since its inception in 2017 and is contesting in his seventh season with Vasser Sullivan. The 2023 GTD PRO champion has scored 11 wins with the team and 12 total IMSA victories. Hawksworth has captured seven pole positions with Vasser Sullivan, 11 with Lexus and 13 overall career poles in IMSA. Teamed with Ben Barnicoat, Hawksworth won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2023.
- Thompson is in his third season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus, this being his second season as a full-time driver after competing in the 2023 endurance races. The Canadian has two wins, the first coming at Watkins Glen in 2023 and the second in 2024 at Long Beach with Barnicoat. Including this weekend’s result, he has earned four career poles, with the others coming in 2024 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Long Beach, and Watkins Glen.
Notes:
No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3:
- Hawksworth and Thompson are the full-time drivers of the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in GTD, with Montecalvo competing in all the endurance races.
- Today’s finish was the best finish for the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus in the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
- Hawksworth has been with the Lexus GT3 program since its inception in 2017 and is contesting in his seventh season with Vasser Sullivan. The 2023 GTD PRO champion has scored 11 wins with the team and 12 total IMSA victories. Hawksworth has captured seven pole positions with Vasser Sullivan, 11 with Lexus and 13 overall career poles in IMSA. Teamed with Ben Barnicoat, Hawksworth won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2023.
- Thompson is in his third season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus, this being his second season as a full-time driver after competing in the 2023 endurance races. The Canadian has two wins, the first coming at Watkins Glen in 2023 and the second in 2024 at Long Beach with Barnicoat. Including this weekend’s result, he has earned four career poles, with the others coming in 2024 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Long Beach, and Watkins Glen.
No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3:
- Telitz and Montecalvo have been teammates at Vasser Sullivan Lexus for the past seven seasons. In addition to today, they have competed at the Grand Prix of Long Beach together in 2022 and 2023, where the duo scored third place results in all three attempts.
- Telitz is competing in his seventh IMSA season, all with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He teamed with Hawksworth to win the 2020 GTD Sprint Cup driver, team and manufacturer championships. He has earned five wins and five poles in IMSA.
- Montecalvo is contesting in his seventh season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He has scored two victories, the first in 2020 at Road America and the second at Watkins Glen in 2023. He has earned five poles with the team.
Vasser Sullivan Lexus:
- This was the fifth time Vasser Sullivan and Lexus competed in the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The last two seasons, they have earned back-to-back wins on the streets of Long Beach, with the No. 14 piloted by Hawksworth and Barnicoat victorious in the GTD PRO class in 2023 and the No. 89 of Barnicoat and Thompson capturing the win in the GTD class in 2024.
- The 2025 season marks the seventh season Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have partnered together. During that time, the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s have earned an impressive 15 wins, 46 podiums, and 24 poles. They have won the GTD PRO Championship in 2023 and the Sprint Cup Championship in 2020.
- The Grand Prix of Long Beach is the first of six sprint races this season. The others are at Laguna Seca, the Detroit Grand Prix, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Road America and Virginia International Raceway.
