Two Top-10s for Lexus, Vasser Sullivan in Rolex 24

Lexus Racing at the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona

During the 64th edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which took place from January 21 to 26, 2006, at the Daytona International Speedway, Lexus Racing and Vasser Sullivan managed to bring home top-ten finishes. After a grueling 24 hours of racing, the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 came in ninth place in the GTD class, and the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 team finished 10th in the GTD PRO class.

The No. 12 team began the race in 14th place, with Danish driver Benjamin Pedersen behind the wheel in his first race for Lexus and Vasser Sullivan. He eventually handed the car over to Frankie Montecalvo, before Aaron Telitz and then finally Esteban Masson, on his IMSA debut, took over. By Saturday night, the team had reached a top-five position. Poor visibility then forced a more than six-hour caution period on early Sunday morning. After the caution, each of the drivers took at least one more turn behind the wheel. While they weren’t able to hold onto that top-five spot, they still finished a respectable ninth out of 21 teams.

The No. 14 team started in 11th position in the GTD PRO race piloted by Jack Hawksworth, who was making his 10th start at the Rolex 24 for Lexus. He was followed by Kyle Kirkwood, who drove the next two hours before handing off to Ben Barnicoat. The three drivers continued trading off throughout the twice-around-the-clock endurance race, and the team led a lap during the long caution period. Disaster then nearly struck with around three and a half hours left in the race. Kirkwood pulled in for a pit stop, which took longer than usual because the car needed several repairs. The team was then charged with a drive-through penalty while leaving the pit area. Despite these setbacks pushing them further back in the order, the team continued to manage the race well and capitalized on other teams’ mistakes to take home a 10th-place finish.

Lexus and Vasser Sullivan will be back in action on Saturday, March 21, when they take on the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway. If you’re interested in learning more about Lexus Racing or want to browse our extensive selection of new and pre-owned Lexus vehicles, we invite you to visit our dealership in Evansville.