3GT Racing - Lexus F Performance Racing fields Lexus F entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

3GT Racing Earns First Win at Mid-Ohio

May 7, 2018 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

LEXINGTON, OHIO (May 7, 2018) — The 3GT Racing team had a nearly perfect weekend of racing at the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the first sprint race of the season.

On Saturday, the two Lexus RC F GT3 cars, No. 14 and No. 15, came through qualifying with the top two starting positions for Sunday’s race. Jack Hawksworth earned the team’s first pole of the season in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 and the No. 14, with Kyle Marcelli in the driver’s seat, started the race P2.

When the 2-hour, 40-minute race ended on Sunday, it was Dominik Baumann in the No. 14 taking the victory lap. With Jack Hawksworth in the No. 15 finishing, P4. And the 3GT Racing team cars had led every lap of the race.

Victory Mid Ohio

Paul Gentilozzi, 3GT Racing’s Managing Partner said this is what the team is supposed to do.

“Winning is important,” he said. “And I’m sure that I hate losing more than I like winning, but I’m not jumping up and down, because we did our job. This is what our team is used to doing. I celebrate the drivers and everybody here. Everybody that’s part of 3GT, from every sector, because they helped us win.”

Marcelli, who had won the Continental Sports Car Challenge on Saturday, started the race in the No. 14 and maintained the P2 position until Baumann took over driving duties.

“I was more nervous today watching the finish of the race than I’ve ever been driving to the finish of a race,” Marcelli said. “Dominik did a great job with the all the pressure that came with those last couple laps. This is a huge win for the team.”

Baumann moved the No. 14 from P2 into the lead when the No. 15 went in for their first driver change. And once Baumann got there, he never left.

“I just kept thinking no mistakes, get to the finish line, stay focused,” Baumann said. At times he led the class with a gap of as much as 20 seconds.

“I felt the pressure coming with 15 minutes to the end,” he said. Alvaro Parente was closing the gap, but Baumann staved him off.

“I was a little bit lucky with traffic,” Baumann said. “On that last lap, Parente closed the gap so quick that I tried to defend with everything I got. I was happy to see the white flag. To get the first win is a great feeling.”

Hawksworth, who earned the race’s fastest lap and led the GTD class for the first 43 laps, said it was a great day for the team and shows all the hard work everybody has put in.

“David (Heinemeier Hansson) did a fantastic job in that second stint and held (Alvaro) Parente off,” Hawksworth said. “I think we lost some time and when I was back driving, I was faster but really slow to overtake (Lawson) Aschenbach. I spent the whole stint trying to get past him. Finally passed him for 4th.”

Heinemeier Hansson, co-driver in the No. 15, said his job was to, as much as possible, keep the lead that Hawksworth had earned once the driver change put him behind the wheel of the No. 15.

“I had a wonderful battle with Parente,” Heinemeier Hansson said. “I held him up for a good ten laps. It was wonderful to see the team get the first win and for us to get fourth after that amazing pass by Jack (Hawksworth) there at the end. It was an exciting race.”

For John Gentilozzi, the team’s Technical Director, the win was closer than he had hoped or expected it to be.

“Given where we were early in the race I felt like we were going to finish further ahead,” he said. “Certainly, full credit to the Acura team and Parente for digging in and driving hard. But Dominik was able to push in his last stint and keep ahead of him. We had a bit of a bad break in traffic and that let the Acura catch up and really Dominik had used quite a bit of his tires, so it was hard for him to stay in front, but he drove hard. And at the end of the day, we won.”

About 3GT Racing
3GT Racing was formed to race the Lexus RC F GT3. Owned and operated by five-time Trans-Am Series Champion, Paul Gentilozzi and his longtime partners, Tony and John Gentilozzi, the East Lansing, Michigan-based team principals have been involved in motorsports for more than 48 years and have claimed more than 75 victories and 15 manufacturer and driver championships.

Filed Under: Race Reports Tagged With: Acura Sports Car Challenge, David Heinemeier Hansson, Dominik Baumann, Jack Hawksworth, John Gentilozzi, Kyle Marcelli, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

3GT Racing Qualifies Top Two Positions at Mid-Ohio

May 7, 2018 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

LEXINGTON, OHIO (May 5, 2018) — 3GT Racing’s Lexus RC F GT3 cars will lead the GTD class when the green flag waves at the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at 1:05 p.m., Sunday, May 6.

Jack Hawksworth, in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 won his first pole position, with a fastest lap time of 1:19:317. Kyle Marcelli, in the No. 14, was less than a tenth of a second behind, with a 1:19:370 lap.

This is the first sprint race of the season and marks the return of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series to the 13-turn, 2.258-mile course.

Paul Gentilozzi, Managing Partner of 3GT Racing, and five-time former Trans-Am Series Champion, said his teams have had a great history of success at Mid-Ohio and that he’s hoping at race time, success with 3GT will continue that tradition.

“I’m excited for everybody on the team,” he said. “drivers, engineers, mechanics, everybody on the team and we’re all hoping that tomorrow we get to continue this success.”

Hawksworth said he was focused on finishing as close to the lead as possible. pushing through qualifying to get the lead was part of the strategy.

“Pushing through to get the lead was what we really wanted,” he said. “We want to have, in the 15 car, the gold driver in first, the silver second and then the gold third. So, we needed to pull a big gap in the beginning of the race. I wanted us to have that. I made a little mistake there near the end that might have let me go a little faster, but I’m very happy with the result.”

Marcelli was equally happy with the results in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3. “We worked hard at the test a couple weeks ago to get the car where we wanted it to be and I’m really happy with the results,” he said.

John Gentilozzi, Technical Director of the 3GT Racing team said that locking out the front row at Mid-Ohio is special.

“We had our first pole last year and now to get both cars in the front row, is a very nice thing,” he said. “Jack put in a great drive and Kyle put down a really great lap. That was an impressive performance by them both. All we have to do now is take that into tomorrow’s race.”

The Mid-Ohio race begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 6 and will be streamed live on FSGO with FS2 authentication. Or you can listen via IMSA.com, Radio LeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio.

Filed Under: Race Reports Tagged With: Jack Hawksworth, John Gentilozzi, Kyle Marcelli, Mid-Ohio, Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, Paul Gentilozzi

3GT Racing Heads to Mid-Ohio for Season’s First Sprint Race

May 2, 2018 by brendafperformance Leave a Comment

EAST LANSING, MI (May 3, 2018) — The 3GT Racing team won’t have far to go as they head to the next race in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, is only 230 miles from the team’s home in East Lansing, Michigan.

This will be the first sprint race of the season and marks IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s debut at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

It’s been a long time between races, 46 days since the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and the 3GT Racing crew and drivers are more than happy to get back on the track. The team tested at Mid-Ohio on April 23.

Jack Hawksworth, driver of the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 said he’s more than ready to see that green flag drop on Sunday, May 6.

“The test was great, and the track is really fun to drive,” Hawksworth said. “But it’s also a track that makes overtaking another car very difficult. So, the race can be a bit processional from a driver’s perspective. And the thing about sprint races is that you’re pushing 100 percent, right from the start.”

Hawksworth said anything can happen in the 2-hour, 40-minute race, but the test has left him feeling confident in the car and the crew. “Our team has really jelled,” he said. “The team has been together longer, and we’ve got good chemistry. Our pit stops are quicker, our car is more reliable and faster. We had good starts to the season. I’m feeling good about Mid-Ohio.”

David Heinemeier Hansson, co-driver with Hawksworth in the No. 15, said the last time he raced at Mid-Ohio was 2012. “And that was ALMS,” he said. “So, this will be an interesting change for sure. The last six years have been all about endurance, I like mixing it up,” he said.

The No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 will be sporting new sponsor logos for the race. Allegheny Health Network’s Autoimmunity Institute will be branded on the doors and Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. (AARDA) will be on the side. Kyle Marcelli, co-driver in the No. 14, has been ambassador for AARDA for two years.

Besides testing with the team in April, Marcelli accrued GTD driving experience at Mid-Ohio in 2016 and 2017.

“I’m fairly familiar with the course. I have a good feeling for which bumps and curves to use to your advantage,” he said, adding that with family and friends in the area, it feels a little like a second home.

The Canadian driver has high expectations for the race. “We were running top three for the first six hours of Daytona and Sebring,” Marcelli said. “I think we have the whole package now. There’s no reason to believe we can’t make the podium.”

Dominik Baumann, driver in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3, was happy with the April test at the Mid-Ohio course, which was new to him. But then every race for the rest of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season will be new for the Austrian driver.

Baumann said the course, known for its deceptively interrelated corners and changing elevations, made him feel right at home. “It reminds me of many European tracks,” Baumann said. “And it really suits the car.”

His strategy for prepping for the sprint race doesn’t change much from his endurance race prepping. Baumann said sprint race or longer doesn’t matter to him, his philosophy is simple: “When I’m in the car, I just go as fast as I can.”

The Mid-Ohio race begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 6 and will be streamed live on FSGO with FS2 authentication. Or you can listen via IMSA.com, Radio LeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio.

Filed Under: Team PR Tagged With: 3GT Racing, Allegheny Health Network, David Heinemeier Hansson, Dominik Baumann, GT3, IMSA, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Jack Hawksworth, Kyle Marcelli, Lexus, Lexus RC F, Lexus RC F GT3, Mid-Ohio

Allegheny Health Network, AARDA and Race for RP Sponsoring 3GT Racing’s No. 14 Lexus at Mid-Ohio

May 2, 2018 by brendafperformance Leave a Comment

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN (May 2, 2018) — 3GT Racing will have a change in sponsorship for the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for the first sprint race of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Mid-Ohio.

The No. 14, with drivers Dominik Baumann and Kyle Marcelli, will sport new sponsorship logos representing the Allegheny Health Network’s Autoimmunity Institute, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. (AARDA) and the Race for RP (relapsing polychondritis).

“The AHN Autoimmunity Institute is a major step forward towards achieving our goal of having medical providers bringing a coordinated approach for the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disease,” said Virginia T. Ladd, president and executive director of AARDA. Marcelli has been an ambassador for AARDA since 2016 and wears the logo on his helmet.

3GT Racing – Allegheny

There are more than a hundred autoimmune diseases impacting nearly 50 million Americans. Patients often must be seen by multiple doctors and specialists before being correctly diagnosed and beginning treatment. Marcelli said it is an honor to promote the work.

“I have worked closely with AARDA for a couple of years and it is impressive to see how much progress is being made through their efforts,” Marcelli said. “I’m happy to promote the unprecedented work of AHN.”

The AHN Autoimmunity Institute has opened its doors to patients with a wide variety of autoimmune disease at its primary base in Pittsburgh, at the West Penn Hospital. The Institute combines multispecialty care with cutting-edge research, patient education and advocacy to advance the treatment of autoimmune diseases and accelerate discovery of a cure.

“With this unprecedented venture, we need to be innovative in our communication program,” said Dr. Joseph Ahearn, Chair of the Institute. Dr. Susan Manzi, Chair of the AHN Medicine Institute and Director of the Lupus Center of Excellence in the AHN AI said: “We were pleased to learn of Kyle’s success as an ambassador for AARDA and his ability to reach the public and generate awareness for the need for autoimmune disease care and research. We are delighted to be on board with Kyle and his team.”

As sponsors, Allegheny Health Network will be branded on the doors of the Lexus RC F GT3 No. 14 and the AARDA and Race for RP logos will be on the side and rear quarter panel. 3GT Racing’s Managing Partner, Paul Gentilozzi, said the team is happy to welcome the trio as sponsors for this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“We know Kyle has worked closely with these organizations and believes strongly in the work they do,” Gentilozzi said. “We look forward to helping them, through motorsports, raise awareness about their efforts.”

The Mid-Ohio race begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 6. The race will stream live on FSGO with FS2 authentication. Or listen with live commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio.

About 3GT Racing

3GT Racing was formed to race the Lexus RC F GT3. Owned and operated by five-time Trans-Am Series Champion, Paul Gentilozzi and his longtime partners, Tony and John Gentilozzi, the East Lansing, Michigan-based team principals have been involved in motorsports for more than 48 years and have claimed more than 75 victories and 15 manufacturer and driver championships. https://3gt-racing.com/

About AHN Autoimmunity Institute

The AHN Autoimmunity Institute is an unprecedented venture focused on advancing the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure of all autoimmune diseases. The Institute’s focus is on improved outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and quality of life, and decreased cost of care, through collaborative multispecialty care, cutting-edge research, advocacy and education in attacking these chromic diseases. https://www.ahn.org/specialties/autoimmunity-institute

About AARDA

The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical and efficient manner. https://www.aarda.org/

About Race for RP

Race for RP supports research, awareness programs, and care for those who are affected by relapsing polychondritis (“RP”) and related diseases. RP is a rare, debilitating, and in some cases, fatal disease that attacks the patient’s cartilage, including in the ears, nose, joints, and lungs.

Filed Under: Team PR Tagged With: AHN Medicine Institute, Allegheny Health Network, American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Autoimmunity Institute, Dominik Baumann, Dr. Susan Manzi, Kyle Marcelli, Race for RP, Susan Manzi, Virginia Ladd, Virginia T. Ladd

3GT Racing’s April Testing Aims to Bring May Podium

April 28, 2018 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

Shortly after the checkered flag dropped at the last 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the Motul Petit Le Mans, 3GT Racing’s Technical Director, John Gentilozzi, began thinking about how best to use the 46 days in April, between races.

Six weeks is a long time between the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series race at Sebring and the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Mansfield, Ohio. Especially for a team that has never raced at Mid-Ohio. Mid-Ohio has not been a part of the IMSA WeatherTech series since 2012.

Being a Michigan-based team, 3GT Racing knew full well how risky April weather can be in the Midwest. The team selected April 23 for the test date and it turned out to be a smart choice. The winter of 2017, in Michigan and northern Ohio, had been slow to develop into a warm spring and teams that tried to test earlier in April had to cancel because of snow.

Kyle Marceli

The test was especially important for the 3GT Racing drivers who had never raced GTD at Mid-Ohio. Jack Hawksworth, driver in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3, had raced Indy car at the track in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He pointed out that the track may be the same but it’s very different when you’re driving a GTD car.

“Sure, the track is the same, but the corner speeds are different just because of the car,” Hawksworth said. “It helped a lot to test. From a driver perspective, anytime you can be on the track it’s helpful. The more times you go, the better it is.”

Kyle Marcelli, in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, had accrued GTD driving experience at Mid-Ohio in 2016 and 2017. He worked closely with Gentilozzi before the 3GT test to put together a few pointers for drivers Dominik Baumann and David Heinemeier Hansson, Heinemeier Hansson raced ALM at the course in 2012, but both were new to racing GTD on the 15-turn, 2.4-mile road race course with unusual elevation changes.

“With any track there are nuances, details that take a little bit to learn,” Marcelli said. “Like bumps and which curves you can use to your advantage. I expected everybody would get up to speed quickly, and they did. But I was glad to be able to provide a few particulars that might have taken more laps to learn.”

The May 6 Mid-Ohio race is the third in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series and the first of the seven sprint races of the season. The first two races of the season included the 24 Hours at Daytona and the 12-Hours of Sebring. The upcoming sprint races run 2-hours, 40 minutes.

“You prepare for sprint races like any other race,” Marcelli said. “But we’re going in with a bit more expectation. For the first six hours of Daytona, and at Sebring, we were running top three. So, I know that we have the whole package, the drivers and the cars, that do well in sprint races. I’m setting a high bar for myself and thinking that there is no reason to believe we won’t be on the podium at Mid-Ohio.”

Gentilozzi said that testing at a new track is also important for the team. To find the perfect setup, the team prefers to grind out a lot of iterations. And there’s never enough time during a normal race event, especially if the track is new to the series.

“Sometimes when you go to a new track, you can reference other, similar, tracks to generate a good setup,” Gentilozzi said. “Mid-Ohio is unique due to the composition of the pavement, the banking of the corners and the elevation changes. It requires some different setup concepts than what we use at other circuits. But with two cars running for a full day you can get a lot of work done. I think we hit on a good combination during the test and we are excited to get back to the track and see how we measure up. “

The 2-hour, 40-minute race at Mid-Ohio will start at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, May 6.

About 3GT Racing

Kyle Marcelli drives the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3

Filed Under: Team PR Tagged With: 3GT Racing, Kyle Marcelli, Lexus, Mid-Ohio, Paul Gentilozzi, Testing