ANOTHER ONE COMING HOME – HAWKSWORTH, BARNICOAT CONQUER CANADA
Race Summary:
Jack Hawksworth qualified and started sixth in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 today at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). He quickly gained a position on the start and then advanced to fourth about 30 minutes into the race.
Just before the caution was displayed about 40 minutes into the two-hour-40-minute sprint race, Hawksworth moved into third. Under the yellow, he brought the No. 14 to pit lane where the crew performed a fast and flawless pit stop for four tires, fuel and a driver change to Ben Barnicoat. Although they returned to the track in second, Barnicoat quickly claimed the top spot in Turn 1 as the field went back to green.
With just over an hour remaining, Barnicoat made the team’s final scheduled pit stop for four tires and fuel. Once pit stops cycled through, the No. 14 was back in the lead and never looked back.
Hawksworth and Barnicoat led 78 laps en route to their second consecutive victory. The win marked the first victory at CTMP for both drivers and the first-ever CTMP victory for the Lexus RC F GT3.
Race Quotes:
Jack Hawksworth:
“I couldn’t be prouder of this Vasser Sullivan team and everyone here. It was just perfect execution to get us the track position and then a flawless day from everyone. I couldn’t be prouder of Ben (Barnicoat) and couldn’t be prouder For the team. Super stoked and we’re excited for the rest of the year. This was a track which I’ve never won at, and Lexus has never won here, so we just ticked that one off. Finally conquered Canada and now we’ll go off to the rest of the tracks. We’ve got VIR, which we’ve never won at so maybe target that one. We’ll go and have some fun and win some more races.”
Ben Barnicoat:
“Sulli (Sullivan) summed it up perfectly – I think me and Jack (Hawksworth) did a great job, but a lot of that was on this Vasser Sullivan team and the strategy. Our leader Geoff Fickling called an awesome race, got us the track position and then there was no turning back. Incredibly proud of him and Dwight (Brown) our strategist as well. The car is fast, but I actually don’t think it was the fastest one out there today. We just did the best job, and it was an awesome ‘together’ win.”
TELITZ, PEDERSEN SECURE RUNNER-UP FINISH FOR THE NO. 12 AT CTMP
Race Summary:
Benjamin Pedersen qualified and started third in today’s Canada Grand Prix in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 before quickly moving into the runner-up position. He eventually took the lead and paced the field for 12 laps before making the team’s opening pit stop.
Following a service for four tires, fuel and a driver change to Aaron Telitz, the No. 12 rejoined in second. Telitz remained among the top three before making the team’s final stop for four fresh tires and fuel. He returned to the track in eighth before cycling back to second with one hour remaining.
Telitz maintained the runner-up position through the checkered flag, completing a double-podium day for Vasser Sullivan.
Race Quotes:
Aaron Telitz:
“Obviously, a great team day all around. The 14 car winning here – the first win ever for the RC F GT3 at Mosport. It’s one of our better tracks on the schedule so it’s kind of wild that it took us this long to get it. Congrats to the 14 boys. On the 12 side, we had a great, clean race. Benjamin (Pedersen) did such a great job at the start getting us up there into first place at the stop and then just getting jumped there in the restart and falling back to P2, we just settled in and that’s all we had. A great championship day. We closed in on the championship gap, and I can’t wait to get to my home track at Road America in a few weeks.”
Benjamin Pedersen:
“It was an overall great day for the 12 car. P2 and closed up the points to P1 in the championship. A great championship day and a huge congratulations to the Vasser Sullivan team with our sister car, the No. 14, for the win. Overall, a great day for Lexus and Vasser Sullivan and already looking forward to the next round at Road America.”
Notes:
No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3:
Hawksworth and Barnicoat are the full-time drivers of the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season in GTD PRO, with Kyle Kirkwood competing in select endurance races.
Today’s win is the best finish the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 at CTMP and the first win for both Hawksworth and Barnicoat at the circuit.
Hawksworth has been with the program since its inception in 2017 and is contesting his eighth season with Vasser Sullivan. The 2023 GTD PRO champion has scored 13 wins with the team and 14 total IMSA victories. Hawksworth has captured 12 pole positions with Vasser Sullivan, 16 total with Lexus and 17 overall career poles in IMSA and now leads IMSA for most poles in the modern era. Hawksworth has two pole positions at CTMP, the first in GTD PRO in 2023 and the second last year in GTD, where he also earned his best finish of third.
Barnicoat is in his fifth season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. The 2023 GTD PRO Champion has nine IMSA wins, seven in GTD PRO and two in GTD in as many starts.
No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3:
Telitz and Pedersen are the full-time drivers of the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in GTD with Frankie Montecalvo joining the duo for all the endurance races.
The No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus team has three podium finishes of third at CTMP, the first coming in 2019 with Montecalvo and Townsend Bell, again in 2025 with Hawksworth and Parker Thompson, and today’s runner-up finish with Telitz and Pedersen.
Telitz is competing in his eighth 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 six wins and five poles in IMSA.
This is Pedersen’s first season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He earned his first win with the team and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series at Long Beach in April. He progressed through the open-wheel ranks with campaigns in British Formula 3 and Formula 4 United States championships before advancing to INDY NXT and the NTT INDYCAR Series. Over the past two seasons he previously competed in IMSA’s LMP2 class, earning three top five finishes in 2025.
Vasser Sullivan Lexus:
This was the sixth time Vasser Sullivan and Lexus competed together at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The team now has one victory and three podium finishes on the permanent road course north of the border.
The Canada Grand Prix was the fourth of six sprint events in the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar season. The others are the Long Beach Grand Prix, Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, Virginia International Raceway and the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 2026 IMSA season marks the eighth year Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have partnered together. During that time the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s have earned an impressive 18 wins, 53 podiums, and 29 poles. They have won the GTD PRO Championship in 2023 and the GTD Sprint Cup Championship in 2020.