  Lexus Racing at the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona
Lexus Racing and Vasser Sullivan secured top-ten results during the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona, held from January 21 to 26, 2006, at the Daytona International Speedway. Following a taxing 24-hour endurance challenge, the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 claimed ninth place in the GTD class, while the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 crew earned a 10th-place finish within the GTD PRO category.
The No. 12 car started the event in 14th, with Danish driver Benjamin Pedersen making his debut for the Lexus and Vasser Sullivan partnership. The driving duties were subsequently shared among Frankie Montecalvo, Aaron Telitz, and Esteban Masson, who was also making his IMSA debut. The team climbed into the top five by Saturday evening, but a lengthy six-hour caution due to low visibility slowed progress on Sunday morning. Despite falling out of the top five after the restart, the team managed a solid ninth-place finish out of a 21-car field.
In the GTD PRO class, the No. 14 team kicked off from 11th position with Jack Hawksworth, marking his 10th Rolex 24 start with Lexus. Kyle Kirkwood and Ben Barnicoat shared the remaining stints throughout the day-and-night marathon, even leading a lap during the extended caution. Late-race complications arose when a pit stop for repairs took longer than anticipated, followed by a drive-through penalty. However, the crew remained resilient, taking advantage of competitors' errors to fight back for a 10th-place result.
Lexus and Vasser Sullivan are set to return to the track on Saturday, March 21, for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. To discover more about the Lexus Racing program or to explore our current inventory of new and pre-owned Lexus models, we encourage you to visit our dealership in Springfield.
