Lexus and Vasser Sullivan eager for Sebring after tough Rolex 24 at Daytona

Lexus and Vasser Sullivan showed tremendous fight and determination during the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona after claiming front row positions for the 24-hour endurance event, however the results did not showcase the team’s overall performance. Challenges on the race track resulted in an 11^th-place finish for the No. 14 RC F GT3 in the GTD PRO class and a 15^th-place finish for the No. 12 RC F GT3 in the GTD category.

Starting from pole position, the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 was in contention for the GTD class win throughout the 24 hours. Aaron Telitz started the race sharing the car with Parker Thompson over the first few stints, where the No. 12 RC F GT3 was the dominant car early on. After pacing the field for most of the first three hours, they handed the wheel to Ritomo Miyata who also led the race in his Rolex 24 debut, running in the top-two the majority of his first run late Saturday afternoon.

Frankie Montecalvo jumped in the No. 12 for a double stint as nightfall came over Daytona International Speedway and ran a consistent pace. Once a yellow flag waved with a little more than 17 hours remaining, Telitz jumped back in the Vasser Sullivan Lexus, going from fourth to first on the ensuing restart. He and Thompson managed to fight for the lead throughout the night hours and stayed within the top five Sunday morning. On the final pit stop, however, with Thompson fighting for a podium position, the car caught fire in the pit lane, which led to a retirement and a 15th place finish. In total, the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 led 146 laps.

The No. 14 RC F GT3 started their GTD PRO title defense by overcoming early adversity in the Rolex 24 to finish in 11th place with drivers Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, Kyle Kirkwood and Mike Conway. Starting second, Barnicoat took the early lead for the first 40 minutes of the race, leading 14 laps. At the first pit stop, Conway hopped in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus for his first stint, but was hit by a spinning competitor on the ensuing restart which put the team in the garage for repairs. Through incredible teamwork and efficiency, the crew finished all adjustments in just over an hour to get the car back out in the race.

By clicking off laps and staying out of trouble, the No. 14 team was able to get back into the top ten by midnight as other competitors faced their own issues. Unfortunately, the car had to retire in hour 16 of the 24-hour endurance event due to overheating issues and ultimately came home 11th.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s return to action at Sebring International Raceway for the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16. Live flag-to-flag coverage will be on Peacock for authenticated subscribers, along with television coverage on the USA Network from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.