DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Vasser Sullivan announced today that it will field two Lexus RC F GT3 entries in the GTD (Grand Touring Daytona) class for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, taking place April 18 on the streets of Long Beach, California. The 100-minute sprint race will feature a single GT class in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Championship.
Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen will share driving duties in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. This event will mark Telitz’s fifth start with the team at Long Beach, while Pedersen will make his first appearance in the race. Pedersen previously competed on the street circuit in 2023 while driving in INDYCAR. In last year’s event, the No. 12 entry captured the pole position with Parker Thompson, who teamed with Jack Hawksworth to finish second.
Hawksworth and Frankie Montecalvo will co-drive he No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. The pairing has previously raced together at Long Beach in 2024, where they qualified on the front row before finishing 15th. The No. 89 entry finished third in this race last year in the GTD class with Telitz and Montecalvo behind the wheel.
The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock starting at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18.
Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan, co-owners, Vasser Sullivan Championship Racing
“Long Beach always puts the spotlight on teamwork and execution. We know what it takes to win this iconic race, and having Aaron and Benjamin in the No. 12 alongside Jack and Frankie in the No. 89 gives us two chances to bring home our third victory.”
Jeff Bal, Senior Manager, Lexus Motorsports
“Having our full-time GTD duo of Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen in the No. 12, along with Jack Hawksworth and Frankie Montecalvo sharing the No. 89, gives us two exciting opportunities to capture victory again on the streets of Long Beach. This is a historic event, and we’ve been fortunate enough to win twice in recent years as well as a few other podiums here with the Lexus. We’re also excited to pay homage to the significance of the number 89 for Lexus, which is a nod to the debut of the Lexus brand, dating back to 1989. We look forward to getting on track with Vasser Sullivan as the Lexus RC F GT3s prepare to battle our fierce GTD competitors on the streets of Long Beach.”
Telitz is competing in his eighth IMSA season, all with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He teamed with Hawksworth to win the 2020 GTD Sprint Cup driver, team and manufacturer championships. He has earned five wins and five poles in IMSA.
This is Pedersen’s first season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He progressed through the open-wheel ranks with campaigns in British Formula 3 and Formula 4 United States championships before advancing to INDY NXT and the NTT INDYCAR Series. Over the past two seasons he previously competed in IMSA’s LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) class, earning three top five finishes in 2025.
Hawksworth has been with the program since its inception in 2017 and is contesting his eighth season with Vasser Sullivan. The 2023 GTD PRO champion has scored 11 wins with the team and 12 total IMSA victories. Hawksworth has captured 10 pole positions with Vasser Sullivan, 14 total with Lexus and 15 overall career poles in IMSA.
Montecalvo is contesting in his eighth season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus. He has scored two victories, the first in 2020 at Road America and the second at Watkins Glen in 2023. He has earned five poles with the team.