3GT Racing - Page 13 of 19 - Lexus F Performance Racing fields Lexus F entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

3GT Racing, Lexus in Canada for seventh IMSA race

July 7, 2017 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

This will be the first time at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park for 3GT Racing and the Lexus RC F GT3 cars, No. 14 and No. 15. And the first time for driver Jack Hawksworth of the No. 15 car.

Hawksworth recorded the fastest lap of the race in the GTD class in last weekend’s six-hour endurance race at Watkins Glen, NY. Both cars finished in the top ten at the Sahlen’s Six Hour of the Glen, the No. 14 car finished sixth, the

“We are so close to getting the result we deserve,” Hawksworth said. “We have a very fast car and it was evident at Watkins Glen, that we’re better in the pits in terms of tire change and things like that. And in sprint races, like the one at CTMP, it’s absolutely crucial to be quick. I’ve been saying that we’ve been getting better, inching closer and closer and it feels like right now we’re knocking on the door. Hopefully this is the weekend we get the win.”

Alon, co-driver of the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3, has a little more experience at CTMP. Alon has driven at Mosport for the last three years, finishing third in the PC class in 2016.

“It’s a great course, very cool,” Alon said. “It’s very high speed, great flow. Our car is really good and I think we have a serious shot at doing well. We will have to have a good race with no issues, no penalties, and if that happens, I believe we’ll be at the podium.”

The No. 14 team. Pruett and Karam, has earned four top-ten results in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3. Both drivers are fond of CTMP and have experience at the 2.459-mile twisting track.

Karam won the pole at CTMP in the Pro Mazda Championship race in 2012, he said it’s his favorite track. “I’m really excited to be back at CTMP,” he said. “There’s just something about this track that fits my style. It’s very high speed, really flowing, a great rhythm track. It’s a lot of fun and I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Pruett raced the prototype class at CTMP in 2014 and 2015. He also raced Trans Am and IMSA and between them, visited Mosport three times and won three times.

“I think the Lexus RC F GT3 has shown real strength with fast tracks and fast turns so hopefully this will be a good track for us,” Pruett said. “I feel like we turned a corner in Detroit that carried through to The Glen. I hope we continue the momentum through to our time here at Mosport.”

The green flag drops on the Mobil Sports Car Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. The race can be viewed live on FS1 beginning at noon and on FOX Sports Go. The race will also be streamed live on IMSA.tv and the IMSA Mobile App.

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 46 years and they have claimed more than 75 victories and 15 manufacturer and driver championships.

Filed Under: Team PR Tagged With: 3GT Racing, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Jack Hawksworth, Lexus, Mobil Sports Car Grand Prix, Robert Alon, Sage Karam, Scott Pruett

3GT earns first top five finish, both cars finish in top six

July 3, 2017 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

The 3GT Racing team’s Lexus RC F GT3 cars, No. 14 and 15, finished in the top six in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition Sunday in the Sahlen’s Six at The Glen.

Paul Gentilozzi said: “We have now entered into a competitive window where we have the opportunity to challenge for race wins. Our next accomplishment is to assure we do not make mistakes as a team or drivers to give us the track position to challenge at the end of each race.”

The No. 15, driven by Jack Hawksworth, finished 5th, the best result this season. Hawksworth seemed to be on a path to the pole early in the race. He started in third position and within the first hour of the six-hour endurance race, had moved into first and held the lead for 56 laps.

The No. 15 car earned 9 of the fastest 10 laps during the race and Hawksworth had the fastest lap of the race in the GTD class with a time of 1:44:786.

Hawksworth said he was happy with the car’s performance.

“I just had the freedom to drive the heck out of it. There was nothing to lose,” he said. “I was going for it, trying to make stuff happen. We obviously had a little bit of bad luck there in the middle of the day with a penalty, but we came back strong and got a top-five. Again, close but no cigar, but we’ll take a top-five, so I’m happy.”

Hawksworth shared driving duties in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 with Robert Alon and Austin Cindric.

Robert Alon, who was unable to hold Hawksworth’s lead position when he took over at the first driver change said that he felt the car definitely deserved a podium. “A few things went wrong for us today,” Alon said. “There was a penalty, I lost quite a bit of time there, it just wasn’t a good day. The car felt good, and in the end Jack brought it back.”

Cindric, who has been racing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, drove with 3GT Racing in the two previous endurance races, at The Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sebring.

“I wish this six-hour race would have been a 12-hour race, because I really feel like we would have had a shot at a podium with a little more time,” Cindric said. “The car was great to drive and I’m so glad I had the opportunity. Thanks to 3GT Racing and Lexus.”

Sage Karam and co-pilot Scott Pruett, earned their third sixth finish, in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3.

“We ran a great pace today,” Pruett said. “We continually make great strides forward. The penalty today is something you have to live with, but doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. Other than that, we continually are making strides forward and it was nice for 3GT Racing to have a top-five with the 15 Lexus finishing fifth. We’ve got to keep fighting for a win.”

The race in Watkins Glen, NY, an 11-turn, 3.4-mile course, was the third endurance race of season and the sixth race in the 11-race series.

Karam, who had an incident with the No. 14 during qualifying on Saturday, praised the crew for the work they did getting the Lexus RC F GT3 back together in time for the Sunday race.

“It was a great race for the No. 14 and No. 15,” Karam said. “The team’s best finish at fifth and both cars inside the top six – that’s great. We had a penalty which pushed us back and as hard as we worked to get back up front, it wasn’t enough. But we push harder and harder every time. I’m really excited for the future of this squad. It’s only going to go up from here.”

Next up is the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario, Canada. The race will be Sunday, July 9 from 12:05 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

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 46 years and have claimed more than 75 victories and 15 manufacturer and driver championships.

Filed Under: Race Reports Tagged With: IMSA, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Jack Hawksworth, Lexus, Paul Gentilozzi, Robert Alon, Sage Karam, Scott Pruett, Six Hours of The Glen, Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen International

3GT Racing qualifies at the Glen for Sunday endurance race

July 2, 2017 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

3GT Racing’s Lexus RC F GT3s qualified in third position (No. 15) and 9th (No. 14) during the GTD qualifying session, among a field of 17, at Sahlen’s Six at the Glen in Watkins Glen, NY.

At the end of the 15-minute qualifying session, with a fastest lap of 1:46:724, Jack Hawksworth in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3, earned the third starting position.
Hawksworth said he thought the car felt good, a lot like it did in practice where he was leading the pack for many laps.

“I’m happy with 3, but feel like we might have done better. I was pushing a little too hard,” Hawksworth said. “I was on my fast lap, the penultimate lap before the red comes up, then I backed off and, that would have been the lap that we might have finished better. I got into some traffic near the end, tried to pass the traffic, put a wheel in the wet and spun around. Clipped the right rear, not a lot of damage, just some body work.”

Sage Karam qualified the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 earning a 9th starting position. With less than three minutes left in the session, Karam hit the wall coming out of turn 9, leaving the front end damaged.

“I made a couple mistakes. I had a pit speed violation, then hit a puddle and the car spun. I couldn’t save it. I feel bad for the guys because they have to put the front end back together,” Karam said. “The good thing is, it’s not as bad as we first thought.
3GT Racing Technical Director, John Gentilozzi, said the team fully expects to have both cars at the starting line of tomorrow’s endurance race.

“Obviously this wasn’t the qualifying result we hoped for,” Gentilozzi said. “Jack did really great job out there, put us third on the grid. Unfortunately, Sage, coming out of turn 9, caught a little bit of the water left on the track and couldn’t save the car before it touched the wall. Right now, it looks like we’ll be able to get everything put together and work our way forward.”

The green flag will drop on the six-hour endurance race at Watkins Glen will be televised live Sunday, July 2 at 10 a.m. (ET) on FS1 until 1 p.m. (ET) when it switches to FS2.. This is the sixth race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

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 46 years and have claimed more than 75 victories and 15 manufacturer and driver championships.

Media Contact:
Brenda Brissette Mata
Communications Dir.
[email protected]

3GT Racing ready for mid-season success at Watkins Glen

June 30, 2017 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

EAST LANSING, MI (June 30, 2017) — The sixth race in this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season will be Sunday, July 2 and East Lansing, Michigan-based 3GT Racing is in Watkins Glen, New York getting ready for the third endurance race of the season.

The team’s Lexus RC F GT3s, No. 14 and 15, are decked out in patriotic livery in honor of the Independence weekend celebration that will take place at Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

Driver of the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, and veteran sportscar champion Scott Pruett, newly inducted into both the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in June, has raced at Watkins Glen many times in his career. Most recently he was at the track, testing with the Lexus RC F GT3 and Pruett said he’s anxious to get back on the track.

“I think we are continuing to make progress and that’s the most important measurement of success right now,” he said. “And because Watkins is a six-hour race, we’ll have a completely different strategy. I’m anxious for these next few races. I think they will be real solid for us.”

Returning to take a turn in the driver seat in both cars on the 11-turn, 3.4-mile street course is 18-year old, Austin Cindric. Cindric has been racing full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He raced with the 3GT Team during the first two endurance races of the season.

“I’ve been keeping up with the guys and I’m excited to be back,” Cindric said. “I’m not sure how many times in my career I’ll be able to drive two different cars in the same race, so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

At the last race on Detroit’s Belle Isle, 3GT Racing earned two top ten finishes, marking the sixth top ten win for the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 and the seventh for the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3.

Jack Hawksworth, co-pilot with Robert Alon in the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3, earned the second fastest lap of the Detroit race and has twice qualified the No. 15 in second. Hawksworth said qualifying shows a real chance for a win.

“The speed is there,” he said. “We can’t always control what happens during the race. We know we have what it takes. We have qualified twice on the front row, the car has been fast, we know we have what we need to win, we just have to reproduce what we do in qualifying.”

3GT Racing’s managing partner Paul Gentilozzi agreed that the cars have shown excellent speed, adding that “fast cars don’t always win the race.”

“Just because you qualify in the front row, doesn’t mean three hours later you win the race,” he said. “We have shown good speed and great reliability, we’re still working on the BoP, but we’re continuing to make good progress.”

Sage Karam, Hawksworth roommate and competing driver in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, agrees that many factors can influence what happens under the checkered flag. “Like pit stops and driver changes, those can be a huge influence, too,” he said, adding that the track plays an important role.

“These upcoming tracks, Watkins Glen and next weekend’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, are important. They are both really, fast tracks, and in my opinion, these are the tracks I’ve been most looking forward to.”

Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will be televised live on FS1 beginning at 10 a.m. ET with continuing coverage on FS2 starting at 1 p.m. ET.

Filed Under: Team PR Tagged With: IMSA, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Jack Hawksworth, Lexus, Paul Gentilozzi, Robert Alon, Sage Karam, Scott Pruett, Six Hours of The Glen, Watkins Glen, Watkins Glen International

3GT Racing unveils patriotic livery for next race

June 29, 2017 by 3GT-Racing Leave a Comment

3GT Racing unveiled the patriotic livery design for the team’s Lexus RC F GT3 No. 14 and No. 15 that will be showcased at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen this weekend. The race on Sunday, July 2 is the sixth race in the 11-race IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season.

The blue chrome Lexus cars field a stream of stars and stripes across both sides and a rippling flag on each hood. The No. 14 is driven by the team of Sage Karam and recent Motorsports Hall of Fame member Scott Pruett. The No. 15 is co-piloted by Jack Hawksworth and Robert Alon.

3GT Racing was formed to race the Lexus RC F GT3 with the return to American sports car racing in 2017 by Lexus. The team is owned by five-time Trans-Am Series Champion, Paul Gentilozzi, who came up with the design for the patriotic theme.

“We hear a lot from race fans at every race about how beautiful these cars are,” Gentilozzi said. “The patriotic livery just adds to it. Can’t wait to see the cars at Watkins Glen.”