Thompson Readies for IMSA Showdown at Motul Petit Le Mans

Oct 11, 2023

Thompson Readies for IMSA Showdown at Motul Petit Le Mans

ATLANTA, GA

Parker Thompson is gearing up for an exciting finale of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The young Canadian is back behind the wheel of the No. 12 Lexus Racing USA RC F GT3 of Vasser Sullivan Racing. He will join Aaron Telitz and Frankie Montecalvo at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the Motul Petit Le Mans, reuniting the team that secured victory in the GTD class at Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen earlier in the season. They aim to replicate their success in the upcoming 10-hour endurance race this weekend.

Held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the Motul Petit Le Mans marks the fourth and final round of the Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC), a specialized championship within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, focusing on endurance rounds. The ten-hour Motul Petit Le Mans takes center stage this weekend with an 11:40 AM EDT start on Saturday.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Jimmy and “Sulli” of Vasser Sullivan Racing for the opportunity to join their team for this iconic event. We’ve had great results together, including a win earlier this season at Watkins Glen. This weekend, I’m focused on supporting Aaron, Frankie, and the entire No. 12 Lexus Racing USA crew, hoping to close out the 2023 season in the best possible way.” – Parker Thompson

Activities on track run from Thursday through Sunday, with a packed weekend schedule also featuring season finale events in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, and Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup. Those looking to take in all the race action at Motul Petit Lemans Qualifying can follow along at IMSA.TV. IMSA’s live streaming platform will broadcast all ten hours of Saturday’s race to viewers outside the United States. Within the United States, the big race will be available live on Peacock Premium.

About Vasser Sullivan Racing:

Vasser Sullivan Racing is owned by 1996 INDYCAR Champion, Jimmy Vasser and Dallas businessman, James “Sulli” Sullivan. Vasser Sullivan has been aligned with Lexus since 2019. During their four-year partnership, Vasser Sullivan and Lexus have amassed an impressive record securing 10 wins, 14 pole positions, and finishing on the podium a prominent 61% of the time. Vasser Sullivan were recently crowned 2022 Petit Le Mans Champions, giving Lexus its first IMSA endurance championship win. In 2022, the team finished second in the GTD PRO manufacturer, team and driver championships, finished second at the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and are the 2020 IMSA GTD Sprint Cup Champions. Vasser and Sullivan first partnered together to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES from 2011-2016 with Team KVSH. They teamed-up again for another four INDYCAR seasons as Dale Coyne Vasser Sullivan Racing. The Vasser Sullivan INDYCAR partnership has recorded six wins including winning the 2013 Indianapolis 500.

Event Information

2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Motul Petit Le Mans

Thursday, October 12, 2023
9:50 AM – Practice 1
2:35 PM – Practice 2
7:30 PM – Practice 3

Friday, October 13, 2023
3:20 PM – Qualifying

Saturday, October 14, 2023
8:45 AM – Warm Up
11:40 AM – Race Start

*All times EDT

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Parker Thompson Wins 2022 Carrera Cup North America Pro Championship

Sep 30, 2022

Parker Thompson Wins 2022 Carrera Cup North America Pro Championship

Atlanta, GA

In the final rounds of the 2022 season of Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands, Parker Thompson overcame an 11-point deficit to earn the Pro-class championship title. Driving the white, red, and yellow No. 9 machine of JDX Racing, Thompson earned a win and a third-place finish in two races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The result delivers him more points than all challengers and the series’ top accolade.

Thompson’s performance in the season finale was indicative of his season’s campaign. With five wins through sixteen rounds, Thompson was one of five Pro-class drivers to climb to the top of the podium. Where Thompson stood apart was consistency. Finishing in the top-three twelve times and the top-five fourteen times, Thompson was a constant presence at the front of the field. Thompson had more success avoiding trouble than other drivers in a sometimes tumultuous field of Porsche race cars.

The same held true this week at Road Atlanta. While other top performers fell victim to racing incidents, Thompson quietly drove to a victory and a third-place finish. The twenty-four-year-old Canadian easily buried an eleven-point deficit in championship points cinching the title with a sixteen-point cushion over his nearest competitor.

Parker Thompson
“I’m so proud of this JDX Racing team! All season long we battled, and usually from behind. We worked, we studied, and we never quit. That takes great leadership. Jeremy and JoAnne Dale along with Harrison Brix aren’t just the letters in JDX, they are the reason I have a career in Motorsports and a Championship today. Our partnership group with Kevin King at Byers Porsche, Bill, Beth, and Michael Wappler at Surgere, everyone at Shell Tap-Up, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, plus all of our people with boots on the ground for race days have shown a resounding commitment to our campaign. There is no doubt in my mind that we have earned this title on merit. I will never be able to thank Luke, Larry, Darryl, Dan and the rest of the crew at JDX enough for their time away from families invested on the #9’s success.

I’m still a young guy, but from the number of times I’ve finished second in championships, I sometimes feel like I’ve been around a long time. I’m so grateful to take this title. Porsche Motorsport North America and IMSA put on an outstanding series. The 992 Cup has been a pleasure to learn and drive, and the level of competition between drivers has been like no other series I’ve experienced. No doubt some of my fellow drivers might also be worthy champions, but I’ll take the title and offer full recognition to one team that clearly outdid the rest – even if we only had one car!”