October 22, 2026
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Ben signed off the 2026 IMSA campaign at Petit Le Mans, with a rollercoaster battle over 10 hours
It was a landmark weekend for Ben, with the season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta marking his 50th race with Lexus since joining the brand in 2022. Kyle was once again in the line-up alongside regular teammate Jack, reuniting the trio who took have enjoyed previous success over previous seasons. The team showed strong pace from the opening practice sessions, and Jack took on the final qualifying run of the year, ending the session in P12.
The race began in damp but drying conditions, with Jack at the wheel. With a drying line appearing, the team switched to slicks just after the 10-minute mark, and Jack gained positions in the opening laps. Quick work from the crew helped to move the #14 Lexus inside the top-10 for the first time, and a first full course yellow arrived at the 1-hour mark as Kyle took over for his first stint.
Ben was in the car for his first laps at the following pit cycle, when another caution brought strategy more in to play. Ben remained on track, gaining track position and moving the #14 into the race lead for the first time. A sudden downpour then saw several teams react and switch for wets, while Ben continued on slicks in increasingly difficult conditions, holding the lead. A further caution then closed the pitlane and prevented a planned switched to wets, and Ben was eventually able to pit for a change of tyres and driver when racing returned to green. Another full course yellow followed shortly after, before the rain worsened and the race was suspended just before the four-hour mark.
When racing resumed with six hours remaining, the #14 Lexus sat P14. The track was drying again, and the field was split across different tyre choice, which saw a reshuffle of the order once again. As the restart played out, the GTD Pro Lexus climbed up to P5, before the team rolled the dice once more and gained track position as further strategies played out. The decision saw the team regain the lead once again at the mid-point of the race, before yet another caution was thrown.
With a failed drivers’ cooling system, the team were then forced to switch drivers every stint for the remaining hours, and Kyle retook the lead shortly after the restart. Ben continued this strong charge when he returned to the cockpit with four hours left, and the off-sequence strategy saw the #14 briefly drop back in the order but then continue to climb over the course of each hour. With two hours remaining, Ben was back in the car and at the head of the field.
Holding the lead into the final hour, it became an intense battle between defending the position and conserving fuel. A full course caution with 20 minutes remaining offered some respite and an opportunity to save fuel as Ben fought gallantly to defend the final podium position. With green flag running resuming with 10 minutes left, the team was forced to bring Ben in for one final splash of fuel, and he rejoined to take the chequered flaf in P10, bringing the service of the RC F GT3 to a close for IMSA in 2026.
Commenting after the chequered flag, Ben explained:
“That was one heck of a day. We were first, we were last, and we were first again. The cool suits failed two hours into the race, and we all had to dig as deep as we could, and we were there until almost the very end. We had to roll the dice a few times and were right on the edge of putting everything on number 14 at the casino. We were so close, but we lost it at the end. That’s racing. We literally gave it everything we had today. I’m very proud of everyone. I’m sorry that I couldn’t quite hang on there at the end. We all tried our best and it didn’t work out. Hell of a day, hell of a race and I’m really proud to be part of this team.”
The result concludes the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship, which saw Ben and his Vasser Sullivan teammates secure pole position at the Sebring 12 Hours and Laguna Seca rounds, with victories in Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Ben is back in action with an exciting return to the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale in Portimão, Portugal later this month, over the weekend 15-18 October.