Stellar First Lap Move Propels Lexus Vasser Sullivan No. 12 Team to Podium at Laguna Seca
No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 team brings home third-consecutive, runner-up finish
Salinas, Calif. (May 11, 2025) – The Vasser Sullivan No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 scored another second-place finish with drivers Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson in the GTD class to lead the way for the team during Sunday afternoon’s race at Laguna Seca. In GTD PRO, the No. 14 Lexus, driven by Aaron Telitz and Marvin Kirchhöfer, battled hard all race long and brought home a seventh-place finish in the GTD PRO class.
The Lexus Vasser Sullivan No. 12 team qualified seventh, but Thompson made a jaw-dropping move in turn one at the start of the race, driving to the outside of the GT field, racing up to second in just the opening corners of the event. As early pit strategies began to take shape, Thompson moved into the lead of Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute timed race.
Thompson settled into second-place following the team’s first pit stop of the day before completing his second stint and handing the car over to Hawksworth for the final run to the finish. From there, the Lexus factory driver delivered a smooth performance to the checkered flag for the No. 12 Lexus Vasser Sullivan team, securing a third-straight runner-up finish, following their strong showings at both Sebring and Long Beach.
The No. 14 car qualified eighth among the GTD PRO class, but Telitz, who started the race, quickly made moves of his own into sixth-place and challenging those in the top-five. However, prior to the first scheduled pit stop of the day, Telitz was forced off the racing surface by a competitor, impacting the handling of the RC F GT3 for he and Kirchhöfer for the rest of the race. They were able to manage the car and compete to the end, bringing home a hard fought, seventh-place finish.
With the No. 12 car scoring another podium finish, the result pushes Lexus into second-place in the GTD Manufacturer Standings, behind class-leading Mercedes-AMG. This goes along with being second in the Driver and Team championships for GTD as well. For the No. 14, they held position at seventh in the highly competitive GTD PRO Manufacturer points.
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s will return to action on the streets of Downtown Detroit on Saturday, May 31, where the GTD PRO class will compete in the Detroit Grand Prix on the 1.7-mile street course. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.
"It was a mega race for us. We qualified further back than we would have liked, but Parker (Thompson) just ripped the start and took it all the way up to first, which really put us in position to fight and run up front the whole race. We had to go slightly off strategy ourselves at the beginning, but in many ways it worked out because Parker was able to jump to the lead and put some good laps in. The Mercedes were quicker than us, we did our best to stay with them, and then the final 10 laps were about what we could to stay there should anything have happened. To get second-place, full credit to this Lexus Vasser Sullivan team. They gave us a great race car. It’s always a tricky track for us, so to escape here with a second, we are really happy with that. Hats off to the team, Parker - really everyone, just a mega day."
- JACK HAWKSWORTH
"Most of my race was there in turns one and two to be honest, which is famous here at Laguna Seca. Prior to the race, we had spoken about the difference between the inside and the outside lanes for the start. I was pretty sold on going to the inside, but when I saw it open up, I decided to send it on the outside and it worked out pretty well. From there, I knew we were in a good position and knew it would force some others to mix up the strategy a bit. It was my job to keep the car clean and be ready to hand it off to Jack (Hawksworth) to bring it home. This was such a good day for us. It’s not been our strongest track, so to leave here with a good points day and now head to some tracks that have historically been good to us, it was a good day for our team. Can’t wait to see what this Lexus Vasser Sullivan Racing team can do on as we go back east coming up."
- PARKER THOMPSON
"Our No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 car was running really well, and we were up battling around the top-five in GTD PRO. Our race took a turn after that contact, which affected the car's handling, but our tough Lexus RC F GT3 soldiered home. We picked up some seventh-place points, which is better than what it could have been, and we are on an upward trend at least. With the effort that the team has been putting in, I wish today would have been a little better in terms of result, but we were really glad to make it to the finish and the car was quite good balance-wise. It’s normally a track we struggle with, but we continue to find speed and balance, so I was happy with that."
- AARON TELITZ
"Obviously it wasn’t the result we were hoping for. Aaron (Telitz) had a really good start and made his way up to P6, but when he was fighting his way up into the top-five, the contact limited our pace. From that moment on, it became a bit more difficult to attack towards the front. Finishing P7 isn’t the result we wanted, but from a team effort perspective, everyone maximized the job. Really appreciate that from the whole Lexus Vasser Sullivan team. I was also very happy to see the No. 12 finishing P2 (in GTD PRO), so a good team effort on their side as well, and very well deserved."
- MARVIN KIRCHOFER