LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2022) – The Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 entries both earned top-10 finishes in Saturday’s Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo earned a third-place finish at the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Ohio road course where Lexus served as the entitlement sponsor of the race weekend.
Montecalvo started the race sixth in the No. 12 Lexus. The Vasser Sullivan team made a strategy move and pitted just 30 minutes into the race for four fresh tires and fuel. Montecalvo ran a second stint and was in fifth place when he turned the driving duties over to Telitz, who got as high as third place before needing to save fuel late in the race. It marks the second podium finish for Telitz and Montecalvo in the last three races.
Jack Hawksworth and Richard Heistand finished seventh at Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sprint race. The Vasser Sullivan No. 17 Lexus RC F GT3 led the GTD field for three laps in the Lexus Grand Prix. However, two separate incidents during the early stage of the race resulted in two drive through penalties for the No. 17 Lexus.
Lexus and Vasser Sullivan travel next to Detroit to take on the Raceway at Belle Isle Park on Saturday, June 4. To follow all of the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by using #LexusRCFGT3, #LexusPerformance and #LexusRacing.
Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
AARON TELITZ, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
What are your thoughts on today’s Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio?
“A good day here at the Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. Our Lexus RC F GT3 car was running really well out there. Frankie (Montecalvo) did a good job at the start doing a double for us, getting in some clean air and just running a clean race. He handed it off to me and I had a big task to do with a big fuel number to hit. It turned into a fuel saving race. I thought we did as good of a job as we could. We didn’t have the speed to catch up to the BMW’s when we were saving that much fuel although everyone else was too. Solid points day for us, which is good. So, we’ll keep this momentum going heading into Detroit.”
FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race?
“A lot of bumps and hits out there on the start. I thought we had a great car and a great strategy. The Vasser Sullivan team did a great job. I’m not sure how some of those other guys made the fuel up, but Aaron (Telitz) did a great job keeping his pace, saving fuel and putting us in P3 at the end. So, we’ll take it.”
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 17 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race?
“It was a frustrating day. It was looking good at one point when we cycled through to the lead. We were off strategy slightly, but we had track position and we were building a gap, so we were looking good but obviously we got the drive through penalty and that killed the race for us. Just a tough day and frustrating but it is what it is, and we’ll move on.”
RICHARD HEISTAND, No. 17 Lexus RC F GT3
How was your race today?
“I don’t even know what to say. I’d be curious to see how close to the start-finish line I was passing the first car at the start of the race. I got the jump when I heard green, but it’s on me to remember you can’t pass until the start-finish line. It’s completely on me. It’s a shame, but it’s a penalty and it put us in a tough spot. Somehow, we ended up back in it, but we got a second penalty, having to pit and then trying to get over we nudged the LMP2 and I guess he spun. That was my second penalty of the day and it let our Vasser Sullivan team down. It’s hard – it was a tough day.”
