Barnicoat, Hawksworth Deliver Championship in ‘Oldest’ GT Car
By John Oreovicz
(This is the third in a series reviewing the class battles in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Up today is Grand Touring Daytona Pro.)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Homologated for international competition in 2017, the Lexus RC F GT3 is the “oldest” car participating in the GT classes – Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) or Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) – of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
In 2023, it was also the most successful.
Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat won twice (Long Beach and Watkins Glen International) and tacked on seven more podium finishes in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus, meaning all they needed to do was roll off the grid at the season-concluding Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 14 to clinch the GTD PRO class crown.
The combination of an established sports car platform, a stout driver lineup that included breakout IndyCar star Kyle Kirkwood as the third driver for IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events, and a hungry, up-and-coming team turned out to be the right mix to win the GTD PRO championship.
Former Indy car driver Jimmy Vasser and entrepreneur James “Sulli” Sullivan began partnering with Indy car teams in 2011 and were part of Tony Kanaan’s victory in the 2013 Indianapolis 500. In 2019, they transferred their focus to sports car racing and IMSA by establishing what has turned into a very successful relationship with Lexus.
“For all of us, it was a tremendous leap of faith,” said Jeff Bal, senior manager, Motorsports, Partnerships and Experiential Marketing for Lexus. “We were at the point where we were going to shut down our program after two years where we struggled, quite frankly, with a car that wasn’t originally built as a GT3.
“It started with a phone call to Vasser, and at the time, they were Indy car guys,” Bal continued. “They hadn’t spent much time in sports cars, so it was a big mutual leap of faith together. Their ability was to bring the team together with camaraderie where everyone has a role that’s defined. We’re relatively still new to competitive GT racing, and Vasser Sullivan have accomplished a tremendous amount in a short time. We wouldn’t want to do this with anybody other than Jimmy and Sulli.”
Hawksworth, who has collected a total of 11 IMSA race wins, has been a key part of the Lexus GT3 effort from the very beginning.
“I’ve been with the program since it was formed at the end of 2016, all the way through the different teams and people who have touched this program over the last seven years, and to see it grow has been incredible,” Hawksworth reflected. “It’s not always been easy. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs along the way. It’s been quite the journey, really.
“I just feel very grateful and thankful to Lexus, TRD (Toyota Racing Development) and Vasser Sullivan, who have stood by me and put their trust in me for a long time,” he continued. “To finally get a championship alongside two fantastic drivers in Ben and Kyle, it’s been a dream come true for me this year. It’s been an awesome journey and I’m very proud of what we achieved this year.”
Like Hawksworth, Barnicoat is on the younger end of the sports car driver spectrum (they are 32 and 26, respectively), and he’s also a former open-wheel formula car convert. The duo finished second for Lexus in the GTD PRO standings in 2022, capping the season with two wins in the final three races (Road America and Petit Le Mans) before their relentless consistency earned the 2023 crown.
“If someone had told me at the 2021 Petit Le Mans that in two years’ time I’d be a GTD PRO champion, I don’t know if I would’ve believed it,” marveled Barnicoat, who made his WeatherTech Championship debut at that ’21 race with another GTD team before joining Vasser Sullivan in ‘22. “That was always the goal when we set out on this program, but it’s been phenomenal.
“I’m very lucky to race alongside Jack, as he is definitely one of, if not the best guy in IMSA right now,” he added. “There is no one else I’d rather go racing with. I feel I have joined an amazing family with Lexus Racing and Vasser Sullivan, who I am hugely proud of.”
The Lexus RC F has served as the marque’s halo car since its introduction in 2016. Lexus and TRD are reportedly developing a new GT3 platform for future homologation, but the current RC F GT3 is clearly still getting the job done.
“It means a lot to get this championship with the RC F, for sure, really special,” Hawksworth said. “I’ve been driving this car since the end of 2016. There’s advantages and disadvantages to having a car that’s been around longer. Yes, we have a homologated GT3 car, but credit to Jimmy and Sulli and Lexus and everyone at TRD, because they’ve found ways to squeeze more out of the car and the race team every single year. That’s how we’ve managed to do it – getting 1 percent better every couple of months.”
No. 79 Mercedes, No. 3 Corvette Grab Their Share of Glory
While the No. 14 Lexus captured the GTD PRO driver, team and manufacturer titles with the sheer consistency of nine podiums in 11 outings, other teams had their shining moments. Most notably, the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, which topped the class with four victories in 2023 and finished second in points.
The No. 79 bookended the season with wins at a pair of the prestigious endurance events – the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Motul Petit Le Mans. In between, full-season co-drivers Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon also won at another pair of iconic tracks: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Corvette C8.R GTD went out with a hurrah, with No. 3 Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor triumphant at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and VIRginia International Raceway. Corvette is shifting to the new Z06 GT3.R with programs in both GTD PRO and GTD.
Aston Martin (No. 23 Heart of Racing Team) and Porsche (No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports) each picked up a class win this year as well. And with GTD PRO set to double in size of full-time entrants in 2024, including two more full-time manufacturers (BMW and Ford), the challenge becomes even greater and sweeter.
“I saw an entry list for next year and started licking my lips,” Hawksworth said. “You want as much competition as you can, with the best teams and the best drivers up against you. The series is only getting stronger next year and, if anything, it’s kind of relit the fire again, if you will. I’m already thinking about Daytona next year and how cool it would be to be back here at Petit Le Mans next year defending our title.
“We know we need to keep getting better, and that’s what we’re going to do.”