​A masterful move in the pit lane proved to be the defining factor for Vasser Sullivan Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 earned its second consecutive GTD Pro victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The weekend had begun with a cautious note, with the team lining up sixth on the grid for the two-hour and 40-minute Chevrolet Grand Prix. Jack Hawksworth opened with a solid stint, maneuvering through the field to climb into fourth before the pit window opened.
The race’s decisive moment arrived 42 minutes into the first pit cycle, when engineer Geoff Fickling and strategist Dwight Brown orchestrated a brilliant short-fill stop. Rather than topping off the fuel tank, the team chose a rapid, lean fueling strategy that produced a blistering 46.179-second stop. The quick pit action pushed the Lexus out ahead of its rivals on pit lane, creating valuable track position at a critical juncture.
Ben Barnicoat immediately capitalized on that advantage once the field rejoined the track. On the ensuing restart, he delivered a flawless move, catching Nikita Johnson off guard and executing a decisive pass on the No. 59 RLL Team McLaren 720S GT3 Evo to seize the lead. From that moment, the No. 14 machine controlled the pace, leading 78 of the remaining 118 laps and ultimately crossing the finish line 1.993 seconds ahead of the competition.
Hawksworth praised the execution, noting that the team’s pit stop was nearly perfect: the crew got the tires on swiftly, fueled efficiently, and ensured the car was ready to go at the start of the next stint. “The guys executed a really good pit stop; they were able to get the tires on really fast and get the fuel in, get the probe out, and we beat some cars on pit lane,” Hawksworth said. “Ben did a great job to catch the McLaren sleeping there on the restart and controlled the race. Perfect execution.”
The victory carried emotional weight for a pairing that has endured a famously roller-coaster run at the demanding Canadian track. A conservative qualifying strategy left the team sixth on the grid, using only one set of tires while competitors had two, which many might have seen as a disadvantage. Yet starting from deeper in the field proved to be a blessing in disguise, turning what could have been a setback into a strategic triumph. The duo joked after the race about how front-row starts had previously cursed their efforts, making their late-race surge from sixth position feel like a remedy.
The triumph also marked a historic milestone for Lexus, as the RC F GT3 platform claimed its 20th IMSA victory. Impressively, 18 of those wins have come with Vasser Sullivan, with Canadian Tire Motorsport Park marking the ninth different IMSA circuit at which the team has stood on the top step. With four races remaining in the season, the consecutive victories have boosted Hawksworth and Barnicoat back into championship contention, now just 150 points behind Paul Miller Racing’s Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen.
The standings remain tight, with only 60 points separating second through sixth place, setting up a tense, momentum-filled closing stretch. Yet the Vasser Sullivan squad isn’t dwelling on the math. “I think the pressure is on everyone else,” Barnicoat said. “We had potential from Sebring to win and it’s just never really gone our way. Now every race feels more promising, and we’re focused on keeping the momentum going.”