Thompson and No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus End 2024 with Podium at Petit Le Mans

Oct 13, 2024

Braselton, Georgia

Parker Thompson, alongside teammates Frankie Montecalvo and Aaron Telitz, secured a third-place finish in the GTD class at the 2024 season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans. Driving the SealMaster-liveried No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, the team concluded the season on the podium at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, taking home third place.

Starting 18th in the GTD class, Thompson drove the opening stint, quickly advancing seven positions before an early yellow flag brought the field together. A strategy call brought the team into the pits, where Montecalvo took over and continued the charge, moving up through the field and taking the race lead before handing the car off to Telitz. Telitz also put in a strong stint, regaining third before Thompson returned to the pilot’s seat in the critical sunset hour. The No. 12 again powered to the front, leading a total of 68 laps during the 10-hour contest. With Telitz behind the wheel in the final hour, an incident forced the car off-track and demanded an unscheduled pit stop immediately after. Falling as far back as tenth, the team fought back to recover a podium finish before the checkered flag.

Reflecting on the race, Parker Thompson said:

“Unreal day for the 12 team. I’ve been saying this for a long time that we push through adversity, but man, we’ve had a lot of adversity this year. Finally, we came through from the last spot in GTD all the way to the podium. It was an awesome drive by every driver on this team and an awesome job by our Vasser Sullivan crew. We had a solid first stint, which got us into the top 10 easily with some brake and fuel savings, and we cycled through our rotation. Everybody put their absolute A-game on. Huge thanks to Lexus Racing, TRD, and Vasser Sullivan for a podium. Exciting for everyone on this program.”

A podium at Petit Le Mans was a fitting conclusion to Parker Thompson’s 2024 season, his first full-time campaign with Vasser Sullivan in IMSA’s top series. Standout moments included a pole position and a win at Long Beach, a pole in his very first qualifying attempt at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and another pole at Watkins Glen — Thompson’s performances have set the stage for what promises to be an exciting future in 2025 and beyond.