In an exceptionally competitive race in the GTD Pro class, the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing with Dreyer & Reinbold brought home the hardware after starting from pole and putting in a fast, clean race in the mixed-up, caution-ridden IMSA Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.
The last time the GTD Pro Lexus squad was in victory lane was in March 2024 with a win at Sebring. This season has been a slow burn, but with the team’s show of pace this weekend at one of the calendar’s most challenging tracks, they have shown once again the team’s and the driver line-up’s championship-contending capability.
On top of getting back into the win column, the Vasser Sullivan team competed with a special addition to its team name on this weekend’s entry list, Dreyer and Reinbold. This was a tribute to longtime friend and partner of Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan, IndyCar Series legend Dennis Reinbold, who recently passed. Winning with the tribute moniker on the car adds another layer of meaning to this victory.
“It was definitely an emotional day, and there were definitely some redemption stories in there. Everything that happened here last year, and mine and Ben [Barnicoat]’s first win together since 2024 and Ben’s first IMSA win since he broke his back, so some good stories come out of the day,” said longtime Vasser Sullivan driver Jack Hawksworth.
Ben Barnicoat suffered a season-altering injury last season, breaking his back and missing Sebring, Laguna Seca and Detroit in 2025, making his return at Watkins Glen with a disappointing DNF, and finishing the season with some decent mid-front-pack results. This return to the front means a lot to him in particular; he views it as an nevitability as well as a homecoming.
“It’s been too long. Obviously, 2024 Long Beach is the last time I was here [in IMSA] as a race winner.
“Jack and I have had a season apart, not racing together, but this year we got the band back together. The team is in a great place, and to be honest, it’s a shame it’s taken this long,” said the Derbyshire driver. “We were in great form in Sebring, we had an issue with the pit stop, Laguna Seca didn’t work out, Detroit, we were very close. So it just felt like a matter of time this year.”
“Really proud of everyone on the team for doing a great job today. I think it was eight or nine cautions, so so many hard decisions to make. There were points where we had to overtake cars, and you know, Jack and I both got it done, and now it’s nice to end up in victory lane.”
The #14 car squad was quick in every session, finishing fourth and second in the two practice sessions, then taking pole late Saturday evening. The race saw Hawksworth and Barnicoat both at the top of their game, facing the chaotic race with a steady hand, and leading 83 of 171 racing laps at the Glen.
Heading into the second half of the season, this result is just the kind of confidence boost this team could use to turn consistent top-10 finishes into more steady, hard-fought battles for podiums and wins to come.
“We made the right calls on the pit stand, made the right decisions on the racetrack, and there was a lot of decisions to be made throughout the race with all the cautions and action, and the Vasser Sullivan team, Ben, everybody involved, all just put together a perfect race,” Hawksworth commented, praising his crew post-race.
“It was exciting to the end, and I couldn’t be more proud of everybody. It’s super exciting to see what we can do now that we have a bit of momentum. We feel now that we’re rocking and rolling.”
The biggest decider in the GTD Pro field came, once again, over whether a late-race fuel-saving run to the finish is feasible, with teams relying on a potential late-race caution to get them home. This decision is purely a gamble, and has caught out the #14 not so long ago back at Laguna Seca when luck was not on their side.
“It was the exact same situation we faced in Laguna Seca a couple of races ago, and at that race we ended up on the wrong side of it.”
The team ended up having to take a late-stage splash of energy ahead of the finish, bleeding track position and dropping from third to last in class after qualifying on pole and running in the top three all race. This time, however, their decision was to bring the car in and take control of their own fate in the race, which made all the difference in the end.
“This time, we boxed early to cover off the car behind, and then fortunately, there were no more yellows to the end. There’s always an element of rolling the dice whichever way you go. Today we were on the right side of it,” said Hawksworth.
A team like this has all of the race-winning ingredients, but as in IMSA racing fashion, it was at the mercy of Lady Luck the past season and a half. The issues they have faced have only made the team stronger, with a bigger drive to win. As Hawksworth himself said in the press conference, he would “never not believe in this team.”
“It was just a matter of time until we got it done again. We just needed to work through some issues and kind of put it all together. I feel like we’re a better race team for it, we’re better drivers for it, and yeah, excited to go out and get into the meat of the season, and just get our heads down and go for it from this point.”
“It was when, not if,” added Barnicoat.
Image courtesy of Jack Webster
