Back to back victories as IMSA heads to Canada

Off the back of victory last time out, Ben Barnicoat made it back-to-back IMSA wins over the weekend, as the championship headed to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. A stellar team performance in the pitlane and a decisive move on track combined to deliver a second successive victory for the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 and Vasser Sullivan.

Carrying the momentum of the previous IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship win into the weekend, Ben and his teammate, Jack Hawksworth, set the tone from the opening sessions, with strong pace throughout practice. This was then backed up in qualifying to secure P6 on the grid.

The race itself would prove to be a story of steady progress and clinical execution. Jack made up ground early as he moved up through the field, up into the final podium position with just under two hours remaining on the clock. This progress kept the #14 Lexus firmly in contention as the laps ticked by. As the pit window opened, a pitlane masterclass from the team followed, gaining vital track position. This put the RC F GT3 within striking distance of the lead, and set up the chance of a move for the win.

Ben, taking over for the latter stints, made no mistake when the opportunity presented itself, executing a strong and decisive move to take the lead on track. From there, he was in control, managing the gap to the chasing pack and bringing the car home to secure a second consecutive victory.

The result marks back-to-back wins for Ben, Jack and the team, underlining the steps they have made, the strength of the package, and the execution across the full race weekend.

Commenting after the win, Ben explained:

“Sulli (Sullivan) summed it up perfectly - I think me and Jack did a great job, but a lot of that was on this Vasser Sullivan team and the strategy. Our leader Geoff Fickling called an awesome race, got us the track position and then there was no turning back. Incredibly proud of him and Dwight (Brown) our strategist as well. The car is fast, but I actually don’t think it was the fastest one out there today. We just did the best job, and it was an awesome ‘together’ win.”

The championship now heads to Road America, 30 July-2 August, with Ben and the team looking to continue their winning momentum.