Cars & Autos | Monday 1 April, 2019 2:00 am |

Lexus and the AIM VASSER SULLIVAN (AVS) race team competed in the second round of the IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championship at Sebring International Raceway on Saturday, earning a top-10 result at the 17-turn, 3.74-mile historic Florida road course.

The AVS No. 12 Lexus finished ninth in the Twelve Hours of Sebring with co-drivers Townsend Bell, Frankie Montecalvo and Aaron Telitz. The sister AVS entry, the No. 14 RC F GT3, finished 15th in the GTD class after an on-track incident forced the Lexus to the garage for repairs during hour five of the 12-hour endurance event. Co-drivers behind the wheel of the No. 14 Lexus included Jack Hawksworth, Richard Heistand and Philipp Frommenwiler.

Lexus currently ranks third in the championship point standings of eight manufacturers competing in IMSA’s GTD class. The No. 12 AVS team sits second in the GTD championship points, while the No. 14 team of Hawksworth and Heistand ranks seventh in the standings following two races.

The Lexus RC F GT3 will return to IMSA racing action on May 5 in the first sprint race of the season for the GTD class at the 15-turn, 2.5-mile Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course in Lexington, Ohio.

AIM VASSER SULLIVAN Driver Quotes

TOWNSEND BELL, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3

How was your race in Sebring under tough conditions?

“Probably the toughest ninth place I’ve ever had. Just never really had the pace frankly on long runs. Just kind of hung in there. The team really didn’t make any mistakes. We Just had a little contact there in the middle of the race. It wasn’t Frankie’s (Montecalvo) fault at all. Just kind of wrong place, wrong time for both cars. One of those awkward situations, but we really didn’t lose much from that. The AIM VASSER SULLIVAN guys fixed our Lexus RC F GT3 and we didn’t lose much time. Aaron (Telitz) and Frankie both did a great job. I’m proud of the team. It’s our second race and we’ve finished both of them without a whole lot of drama.”

 

FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3

Are you pleased with your finish after racing in tough conditions at Sebring?

“I think if we can walk away with a top-10 finish at Sebring it’s a good day. Hats off to all of the AIM VASSER SULLIVAN guys. They gave us a phenomenal car. The Lexus RC F GT3 made it through the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Not many teams can do that. To come away with a top-10 finish with the rain in the beginning and all kinds of different conditions. We got a lot of valuable championship points today.”