Vasser Sullivan, Lexus “Had to Step Up” in GTD Pro Debut

Photo: Lexus

Jack Hawksworth believed that Vasser Sullivan and Lexus “had to step up” in order to take the fight to the other factory and works-supported teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro class this year.

The No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 effort, with season-long driver Ben Barnicoat, finished second in the drivers, teams and manufacturers’ championships following two victories in the final three races, including the program’s first long-distance endurance win at Motul Petit Le Mans.

It came in the first year of IMSA’s new all-pro GT3-based class that saw involvement from five full-season manufacturers, including Lexus, which featured an all-factory driver-crewed car for the first time in North America.

“I’ve always been somebody that wants to race against the best and compete against the best,” Hawksworth told Sportscar365.

“I feel that’s the same throughout our whole team.

“We saw this as a new challenge, a new opportunity to go and compete against some of the proper big factory teams.

“We looked forward to the opportunity and it meant more by the end of the year when we were able to beat those guys and compete against them and have your days where you can outperform them.

“We had to step up. But to be honest, I’d say that’s just the philosophy of our team in general.

“Regardless if we race in GTD or GTD Pro, [team owners] Jimmy [Vasser] and Sulli [Sullivan] and everyone involved have the mindset of wanting to keep improving every year.

“That’s the Lexus philosophy as well — kaizen. It’s the way of constantly looking to improve and make things better.”

While Hawksworth was sidelined for two GTD Pro races due to injuries sustained in a motocross accident, his new-for-2022 co-driver Barnicoat felt that the chemistry built in the opening races of the season quickly came back when the veteran Lexus pilot returned to the wheel at Lime Rock Park in July.

That event kick-started a four-race podium streak for the Hawksworth and Barnicoat, culminating with class wins at Road America and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Photo: Lexus Racing

“Obviously, losing Jack mid-season was quite a blow to us,” Barnicoat told Sportscar365. “I think the championship would have been very hard to win otherwise but we would have been a lot closer.

“As soon as Jack was back, we were all helping him through his rehab and getting him stronger and fitter. And once we got settled back into it, I felt like the last few races were extremely strong.

“We won two of the last three races and we should have been a bit stronger than where we were at VIR.

“That was a great way for us to end the year and it really sets us up well as a team for the winter in terms of finding these marginal gains for what’s to come next.”

Barnicoat echoed Hawksworth’s thoughts on the competitiveness of the season as a whole.

“The Porsche was extremely strong, but I take great pride in beating the Corvette for second place because you saw how dominant those guys were through the GTLM era and the huge support and following they have behind them in IMSA,” he said.

“In all fairness they have a GTLM car, which they’ve brought back to GT3 [spec], where we’ve got the oldest GT3 car on the grid.

“Some might look at that and say that’s quite a swing in terms of what the vehicle could potentially have. We’ve done an amazing job — the team and Lexus — in extracting the most out of our car and being able to race and beat these guys fair and square.

“It’s a big achievement and hopefully we can do the same again next time around.”

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Bal: Hawksworth’s Injury Put “Things into Perspective”

While finishing runner-up in its first year with an all-pro driver lineup exceeded their expectations, it was the human factors, on and off the track that Lexus Motorsports senior manager Jeff Bal reflected on the most.

Bal said he remembered the day in May when Hawksworth called him from a hospital bed in England to share the news of his accident.

“That call put things into perspective,” said Bal. “You get so focused on the competition and trying to come out and do everything you can to win and help the team and then reality sets in.

“Jack’s one of the most competitive human beings I’ve ever met. While we’d like to think he lives in a [protective] bubble when he’s not in the car, he’s got an itch that he needs to satisfy as well. Motocross was that outlet for Jack when he wasn’t racing the Lexus.

“My hat’s off to Jack, TRD and our team of orthos in getting him back in record time. To go from a broken back and a shattered ankle, two surgeries later, to be back in the car [in just over a month]. He’s incredibly fortunate things didn’t go the other way.

“The minute Jack was cleared to return to the U.S., he was already eying his return to his seat. He would have run Watkins Glen if we let him. He had a cast on his foot and did everything he could to convince us he was ready to go. Telling him ‘no’ was one of the most difficult chats I’ve had with him.

“To have him come back was a huge personal test for him and to be able to observe him in the simulator and then watch him deliver after missing The Glen and Mosport. Having Jack return brought a midseason boost to everyone on the team. It was really, really good.”

Photo: Lexus Racing

The addition of Barnicoat to Vasser Sullivan’s lineup was also a strong point, with the two having met for the first time during last year’s Motul Petit Le Mans, less than 12 months ago.

“To get a chance to meet with him and discuss the opportunity with Lexus as he was coming to the end of his relationship with another manufacturer, was really fortunate for us,” Bal said.

“It turned out that Ben and Jack not only hitched up like brothers right away but for Jack it was uplifting because he knew he had someone who was going to push him further.

“You have a gifted young pro on the rise in his career who, alongside Jack, can motivate each other to new levels. In many ways, they’re a perfect match and are nearly inseparable off track as well.

“It’s great to have them both together with Vasser Sullivan and the Lexus team. They’re always around the crew, offering to help in every capacity.

“If 2022 was any indication of the long-term potential of this group, we’re going to enjoy watching this team continue raising hardware for many races to come.”

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