Thompson and Vasser Sullivan Charge to Second at Sebring
Parker Thompson and the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 returned to the front of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship field this weekend, securing a hard-fought second-place finish at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Alongside teammates Jack Hawksworth and Frankie Montecalvo, Thompson played a key role in the team’s charge to the podium, leading laps deep into the endurance contest before an aggressive late-race move from a competitor forced them to surrender the top spot.
After a challenging start to the season at Daytona, the strong result at Sebring puts the No. 12 squad firmly back in the championship fight. With two races now complete, Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing sits sixth in GTD team standings.
The No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 showed its pace early in the weekend, as Hawksworth qualified third in GTD on Friday. The team backed that up with a commanding race performance, leading 73 laps and running at the front of the class throughout the twelve-hour event.
Taking over driving duties during the sunset hours, Thompson delivered two strong stints. Coupled with well-executed and well-timed pit stops by the Vasser Sullivan crew, he made multiple overtakes to push the No. 12 Lexus to the front of the GTD field. With just over three and a half hours of total drive time, he helped position the car for Hawksworth to take the final stint.
In the closing minutes, Hawksworth fought to defend the lead before contact from a competitor forced him to surrender the top spot. Despite the setback, the No. 12 crew secured a well-earned P2 finish, marking an important comeback after their early retirement at Daytona.
With Sebring in the books, Parker Thompson and the Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing squad set their sights on the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19-20.
Parker Thompson
“To be frustrated with second place at a race like Sebring tells you everything you need to know about this No. 12 team,”said Thompson. “The Lexus RC F GT3 was strong, and the crew executed all day. We put ourselves in position to win, but unfortunately, things didn’t go our way in the final minutes. That said, this result proves what we’re capable of. The fight for the 2025 championship is on!”
