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- Category: Road Racing
April 21, 2024
Long Beach, California – Following a GT class track-record pole by Parker Thompson on Friday, the No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3 captured the GTD class victory in the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday. Thompson, along with Ben Barnicoat, delivered Lexus and Vasser Sullivan’s second consecutive win on the streets of Long Beach (GTD PRO class winners in 2023) and the second consecutive win this season for the team following the GTD PRO victory at Sebring last month.
The No. 89 was in control for most of the 100-minute sprint race on the way to victory. Thompson led the way early on, building a multi-second gap to the pack behind him during his 40-minute stint. With one hour and two minutes remaining, Thompson brought the No. 89 into the pits where Barnicoat took over and followed suit. The Brit never looked back during his run, even with a late-race caution, ultimately reaching victory lane when the checkered flag flew.
The victory marks the second GTD class victory for both drivers, coupling Barnicoat’s class win at Detroit in 2022 and Thompson’s win last season at Watkins Glen. Overall, this is Barnicoat’s seventh career IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship win and the second for Thompson.
Jack Hawksworth and Frankie Montecalvo came home 15th in the GTD class with the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3. The No. 12 started on the front row next to its sister car with Montecalvo behind the wheel. However, an early-race penalty dropped the New Jersey native to the rear of the GTD class. Montecalvo fought his way back up the field before handing the wheel to Hawksworth with just over an hour remaining. Hawksworth also showed tremendous grit, battling his way up the running order before suffering left rear damage to the Lexus RC F after contact with 33 minutes remaining, which ended the day early for the No. 12 team.
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team returns to action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 12. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.
Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
BEN BARNICOAT, No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3
What does it mean to get another win here Long Beach?
“I have to say a huge thank you to the team. Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing USA, TRD (Toyota Racing Development). We’re on a bit of a roll at the moment, but we had a fantastic season last year, and Daytona is just a small bump in the road. Very lucky to be on this team with all the work they put in, with the hours of dedication to excellence. I don’t believe there’s any other GT team operating, pushing as hard as we are. The results aren’t a shock. You get what you put out, right? I’ve put so much into this and I’m just happy I can deliver the results for them. To go back-to-back here at Long Beach is special. This track is amazing and it’s an amazing venue. The atmosphere of having this race with INDYCAR; I owe Jimmy (Vasser, co-owner) and Sulli (James Sullivan, co-owner) big thank you’s to race in the GTD class today. They gave me a rocket ship RC F GT3. It’s pretty special to be back up here.”
PARKER THOMPSON, No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3
Was it a pretty straightforward race from the pole position today?
“It’s pretty tough when you know execution is the only thing between you and winning the race. There were a lot of pros that qualified yesterday, so I was up against a pretty tough field at the start. But I controlled the race from the start beginning and got a good jump, got into turn 1, handled a couple restarts and saved our Lexus RC F GT3 to make sure Mr. Platinum himself beside me (Ben Barnicoat) could bring it home. It was good!. Really cool, you know the number 89, the significance behind that is 1989 was the first time Lexus came stateside to the U.S. Awesome to honor them and get the win for them. Back-to-back at Long Beach is fantastic.”
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How would you describe your day?
“It was a very disappointing day. About everything that could go wrong did from the start. The No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus guys worked hard all weekend so I’m very disappointed for them, but no doubt they’ll come back fighting.”
FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
What was your race like today?
“It was a tough day for the 12 car. The Vasser Sullivan team gave us a great car and we had a great starting position. But sadly, we received that penalty on the start. And then, we decided to chip away and get our places back one-by-one. But at the end of the day, we had to retire early due to some contact. Congrats to the No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3 for getting the win. Would’ve loved to be there in the end with them up front. Want to thank Vasser Sullivan for the great car and team. Also, I want to thank Lexus for keeping us in the mix.”
About Lexus
The Lexus RC F GT3 enters its eighth season in the GTD class, and third year in the GTD PRO category, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Over the last six seasons, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have combined to earn 13 wins, 39 podium finishes and 19 pole positions with the RC F GT3. Lexus won its first full-season IMSA GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship on the strength of two wins and podium positions in nine of 11 races in 2023.
Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
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April 17, 2024
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April 16, 2024
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April 16, 2024
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April 11, 2024
St-Hubert, Quebec - Alexandre Tagliani and Jean-Frédéric Laberge are delighted to announce their participation in the SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS championship, co-driving the #92 St-Hubert | BFL Canada | Groupe Mach | Arobas Personnel Porsche 992 GT3 R entered by Montréal Motorsport Group (MMG).
This marks a return to endurance racing for Alex Tagliani, who had previously participated in a number of IMSA prototype races. Since the 2000s, the Lachenaie-born driver has had the opportunity to drive a wide variety of cars, including sportscars. This time, he'll be competing in the SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America series in the Pro-Am category with Jean-Frédéric Laberge.
This will not be Jean-Frédéric Laberge's first time behind the wheel of a GT3 or touring car, as the Quebec City native is a Porsche Cup regular, having competed in the series from 2012 to 2014, in addition to winning the championship in his opening season.
The duo will run as part of an all-Quebec team, with only the car itself being of German origin. Tagliani and Laberge have entrusted the task to the newly-formed Montréal Motorsport Group (MMG) team, which includes some familiar faces at the heart of the operation, such as Éric Côté, who will lead the project.
"I'd like to thank Jean-Frédéric for investing so many resources into putting this project together," said Alex Tagliani. "It should be a very good year. I'd also like to thank the sponsors who are supporting us on this adventure, without forgetting all the people behind the scenes who made it possible for Jean-Frédéric to get his hands on the car, which was the first challenge."
"This return to racing, and behind the wheel of a Porsche 992 GT3 R in GT World Challenge no less, is really exciting," added Jean-Frédéric Laberge. "Starting this adventure with Alex is even better."
Very few entirely-Quebecois teams have been able to make their mark on the international racing scene. It is not only the drivers and crew that originate from la Belle Province, but the partners who have joined the adventure are also from there as well. "It's fantastic to see St-Hubert, which I've been representing for a number of years, on the front of a Porsche," explained Tagliani. "Last year, the yellow and red NASCAR Canada car, draped in St-Hubert colours, that we unveiled at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières was a great crowd pleaser for whom this brand is well ingrained within Quebec’s culture.
"BFL Canada is a leader in global insurance brokerage solutions. I'm fortunate that they've been supporting me as a spokesperson as of last year. I've been sporting the Groupe Mach logo for several years now, and it's an honour to be able to have them on the car, as we built the Tag E-Karting and Amusement centre in partnership with them, which is a one-of-a-kind venue in Canada."
He continued by saying; "I'm also delighted to be able to announce the arrival of Arobas Personnel, a giant in the field of personnel recruitment. Jonathan and Alain de Moscovaki's passion for cars and racing only fuels my desire to offer them a great experience."
Racing a Porsche 992 GT3 R is a dream come true for Tagliani and Laberge; "it's exciting, because we all have a career wish list, and with all the cars I've been fortunate enough to drive throughout career, I find this next chapter very exciting as we're all Porsche enthusiasts," expressed Tagliani.
The SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship is a European Endurance series with several branches, including the American sub-series, which includes several classes. SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge features GT3 machinery in both Pro and Pro-Am classes simultaneously battling for victory. During an event, drivers will have two 90-minute races. In the Saturday event, Driver 1 must start the race. Typically, Driver 1 is the 'amateur' driver, while Driver 2 is the 'pro' entry. On Sunday, it's the other way round. This makes for an exciting show, and leaves plenty of room for different strategies to unfold
The first event on the calendar for MMG takes place on May 4th and 5th at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. All events can be viewed live on the GT World YouTube channel.
About Mach
Founded in 2000, MACH plays a major role in the Canadian real estate landscape. It designs and manages real estate developments that are inclusive, sustainable and harmoniously integrated into their communities. Today, MACH is one of Canada's leading private real estate owners and developers, and the largest in Quebec. Representing over 45M ft², its real estate portfolio includes more than 250 properties, including some of Montreal's landmark buildings, such as the Sun Life Building, Le 1000 De La Gauchetière, the CIBC Tower, Place Victoria and the KPMG Tower. Complexe Jules-Dallaire and Place de la Cité in Quebec City also feature.
Their ability to anticipate trends and react quickly and effectively to the ever-changing market enables them to create, develop and manage living and working environments, commercial spaces and entertainment venues designed to enhance the quality of life of their occupants and users. MACH does this with passion, in an innovative, responsible and thoughtful way. It imposes the utmost rigor on itself and adheres to best practices in governance and sustainable development.
About BFL Canada
Founded in 1987 by Barry F. Lorenzetti, BFL CANADA is one of Canada's largest employee-owned and operated risk management, insurance brokerage and benefits consulting companies. When turning to BFL CANADA for your insurance, risk management and benefits consulting needs, you will be working with a team of specialized professionals who understand your industry.
About Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert
St-Hubert Group employs more than 6,000 employees in its two divisions. Established in 1951 in Montreal, St-Hubert BBQ Ltd has over 120 rotisseries in Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick serving more than 28 million meals a year. St-Hubert Group is also a Retail division that manufactures and distributes several food products, including these products under the St-Hubert brand and other trademarks such as: sauces, soups, ribs, meat pies and chicken pot pies. The company has a longstanding tradition of innovation and constantly works at meeting the needs of its customers.
About Arobas Personnel
Founded in 2001, Arobas Personnel has established itself as a leader in the recruitment and consulting industry. With an extensive reach spanning across Canada, the United States and France, Arobas Personnel prides itself on delivering fast, efficient solutions to customers worldwide. Arobas Personnel specializes in recruitment, staffing and IT & technology consulting. They are committed to providing superior recruitment services, tailored to the unique needs of each client.