LEXUS TABS HAWKSWORTH, BARNICOAT, KIRKWOOD FOR GTD PRO
Lexus Racing and its partner team Vasser Sullivan have nominated Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, and Kyle Kirkwood to drive the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for its debut in IMSA’s new GTD Pro category.
In Hawksworth and Kirkwood, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have two team veterans stepping up from the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s pro-am GTD class to GTD Pro, which replaces the factory-level GTLM category that was retired in November.
The new signing is England’s Barnicoat, who left a long engagement as a factory McLaren GT driver to take the full-time position alongside countryman Hawksworth and Florida’s Kirkwood, who is back for the endurance races.
“Together with Vasser Sullivan and TRD, we’re continuously finding ways to be competitive in North American sports car racing and drive the Lexus performance message to new levels,” said Lexus VP and GM Andrew Gilleland. “Racing in IMSA has helped strengthen awareness and consideration of Lexus performance models among our dealers, owners, and competitors alike. Our momentum is rapidly growing and everyone at Lexus is excited to race for an IMSA championship.
“Jack Hawksworth has been integral in the development and success of the RC F GT3 program from day one, and we are thrilled to have a driver of Ben’s Barnicoat caliber join the Lexus family. Paired with Kyle Kirkwood for the endurance rounds, our GTD Pro entry aligns perfectly with the Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing program. They are young, quick and poised to fight for the top step of the podium all season long. We know we’ve got something special here and we’re excited to get out and earn our first GT championship together beginning with Rolex next month.”