Lexus will partner with AIM VASSER SULLIVAN to campaign two Lexus RC F GT3 race cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the 2019 season.
AIM VASSER SULLIVAN is a newly formed motorsports entity that includes AIM Autosport, a championship-winning organization, partnering with IndyCar winning team owners Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan to compete in IMSA’s GT Daytona (GTD) class beginning in 2019.
“We believe AIM VASSER SULLIVAN is a great fit for our organization as we further evolve our race program,” said David Christ, group vice president and general manager, Lexus division. “Lexus F is a brand infused with motorsports technology and the high performance capabilities of the RC F GT3 on the race track has proven Lexus as more than just a luxury automaker.”
Vasser and Sullivan were allied and partners from 2011-2016 with KVSH Racing in the IndyCar Series. During that time, they won the 2013 Indianapolis 500 and went on to win five more IndyCar races over a three-year period (2014-2016). In 2018, they formed a partnership with Dale Coyne to establish Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan to compete in the IndyCar Series with driver Sebastien Bourdais. In its first year, the team earned multiple podiums including winning the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and finishing seventh in the 2018 championship standings.
“Sulli and I are excited and looking forward to entering a new chapter in our racing careers,” said AIM VASSER SULLIVAN co-owner Jimmy Vasser. “I have driven sportscars before, but my career was pretty much limited to the 24 Hours of Daytona, including a ‘class’ win in 1992 and second overall in 2008. The AIM VASSER SULLIVAN TEAM, with the support of Lexus and our sponsors, has the tools to get the job done and we are looking forward to this new challenge.”
AIM Autosport has won races and championships in every level of motorsports they have competed in with customer racing programs dating back to the 1990s, including the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GTD championship.
“Having the opportunity to campaign two mighty Lexus RC F GT3 race cars in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship next year in partnership with Jimmy and Sulli is fantastic,” said AIM VASSER SULLIVAN co-owner Andrew Bordin. “To compete for wins and Championships in this ultra-competitive class requires excellence in all aspects of racing and we now have all of the right pieces in place”
AIM VASSER SULLIVAN will operate from the current AIM facilities in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada and a newly established U.S.-based race facility located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The team will announce its 2019 driver line-ups in the coming weeks.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Lexus F, and the global motorsports effort has redefined the brand by showcasing its high performance characteristics.
“Lexus looks forward to partnering with AIM VASSER SULLIVAN as we continue the development of the RC F GT3 and look to expand onsite track activations to showcase our line of Lexus performance vehicles,” said Mark Egger, motorsports manager, Lexus division.
Lexus Partners with AIM VASSER SULLIVAN
The RC F GT3, which is based upon the production Lexus RC F high performance sports car, initially debuted in IMSA competition at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona with 3GT Racing. In two seasons, the RC F GT3 earned two race wins, three podiums, five pole positions and ran eight of the quickest GTD race laps.
