Hawksworth Ruled Out Again; Two-Driver Lineup at The Glen

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Jack Hawksworth has been ruled out of competing in this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, with Vasser Sullivan opting for a two-driver lineup in its GTD Pro class Lexus RC F GT3 entry.

Lexus confirmed on Thursday that Hawksworth “continues to work towards” returning to the lineup after an injury sustained in a motocross incident last month. He missed the DPi and GTD-only race at Detroit as a result.

Hawksworth’s name was absent from the initial entry list for the third round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup released last week, although it showed a “TBA” slot, indicating that a third driver may have been considered.

However, the No. 14 Lexus will feature only Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood, who are fresh off securing Vasser Sullivan and Lexus’ first GTD class victory of the season at Detroit earlier this month.

Watkins Glen will mark Barnicoat’s first appearance at the 3.4-mile circuit, while Kirkwood finished sixth in the GTD class in last year’s race.

“I’m super excited to be back in the No. 14 SealMaster Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3,” said Barnicoat. “It’s great to be racing with Kyle again following our GTD win together at Detroit.

“It’ll be my first time driving at Watkins Glen. It’s known to be one of America’s greatest circuits, so I can’t wait to get on track.”

Kirkwood added: “We have some momentum rolling over from Detroit with our GTD win there, so that will be very handy.

“Watkins Glen is a track that the RC F GT3 thrives at with the high grip and high-speed corners.

“Last year, we put the No. 14 on the pole and had awesome stints all the way through the race when what seemed to be a sure win was stripped away from us with an untimely caution on the last pit cycle.

“We are without a doubt aiming for a win this weekend after last year’s unfortunate circumstances.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John