Hawksworth and Barnicoat master the chaos at The Glen
It is not often that a driver acts as a fortune teller, but Jack Hawksworth called it perfectly. After securing his 17th IMSA pole position, he predicted the need to avoid the chaos at Watkins Glen. He and his co-driver Ben Barnicoat did exactly that, guiding their No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing with Dreyer & Reinbold Lexus RC F GT3 to a beautiful victory. They led 83 of 171 laps, staying disciplined while the pit wall masterfully navigated fuel strategy in the final 15 minutes to secure the top spot without a single mark on the machine.
This win is particularly emotional for Barnicoat, who missed much of last season with a back injury. "We’d be completely lying to you if (we said) we thought it was going to take this long to win again," he remarked. The pair finished ahead of the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO and the third-placed No. 64 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3, proving that even in a race plagued by nine full course yellows, the right decisions make all the difference.
Meanwhile, the GTD class saw a masterclass from Manthey 1st Phorm. Despite starting near the back, the No. 912 Porsche trio of Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera, and Richard Lietz clawed their way forward with clinical strategy. By undercutting their rivals, they found clean air and led the final eight laps to take the win over the No. 120 Porsche of Wright Motorsports and the No. 068 Aston Martin of Car Blanche. For Pera, it was a special first victory in America at such an iconic, challenging track.
