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Thompson Claims Pole Position for 2025 Grand Prix of Long Beach

Apr 11, 2025

LONG BEACH, CA — Parker Thompson has claimed pole position for the 50th running of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, qualifying the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with a time of 1:17.877 on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. Thompson will start the 100-minute sprint race and share driving duties with full-season teammate Jack Hawksworth.

This marks Thompson’s second consecutive pole at Long Beach and the third straight for Vasser Sullivan Lexus in GTD competition at the event—an achievement unmatched by any GT team since the inception of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The Canadian enters this weekend as the defending GTD race winner, having secured victory at Long Beach in 2024 alongside then-teammate Ben Barnicoat. He and Hawksworth will now look to continue that momentum in the No. 12 SealMaster-liveried Lexus RC F GT3 as they pursue the 2025 GTD championship title.

“This GTD field is so tight, you can never be too confident,” said Thompson. “I told everyone coming in here my mentality is I didn’t put it on pole last year and I didn’t win the race last year. So it’s good to get another one and I think it paid a lot of dividends for me to get it done. Jack Hawksworth and I are hungry to get this Vasser Sullivan Lexus Racing team another championship. Really, the hard work is done today. We start at the front of the field, and that’s usually where the clearest road is. So tomorrow, we think big picture, and we will try to get that beautiful Long Beach trophy, but we leave here with points first and foremost.”

Thompson is in his second full season with Vasser Sullivan and Lexus, having made his IMSA debut with the team in 2023 as part of their endurance lineup. Including today’s result, he now has four career IMSA pole positions—three of them earned in 2024 at Daytona, Long Beach, and Watkins Glen.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be broadcast live on USA Network and Peacock, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 12.