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Vasser Sullivan is an American organization involved in motorsports. It was founded in 2010 by James “Sulli” Sullivan as SH Racing to compete in motocross. In 2011, the team partnered with KV Racing Technology to form KVSH Racing. Following a two-year hiatus after the demise of KV Racing Technology, Sullivan and former KV co-owner Jimmy Vasser announced that they had formed Vasser Sullivan. The organization has competed in racing series including: the Red Bull Global Rallycross Series under the SH Rallycross/DRR banner, the IndyCar Series where it has competed as co-entrants with KV as well as with Dale Coyne Racing, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship where it formerly partnered with Aim Autosport as Aim Vasser Sullivan before later competing independently.
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| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Team principal(s) | James “Sulli” Sullivan, Jimmy Vasser |
| Current series | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| Current drivers |  Ben Barnicoat Mike Conway Jack Hawksworth Kyle Kirkwood Frankie Montecalvo Aaron Telitz Parker Thompson |
| Teams' Championships | IMSA SportsCar Championship: 2023 |
| Drivers' Championships | IMSA SportsCar Championship: 2023 |
James Sullivan
editSullivan founded SH Racing after graduation from Baylor University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in entrepreneurship.
In addition to racing, Sullivan co-founded sports nutrition supplement firm Protein Bullet and the Dallas-based private equity fund Modena Capital Group.
SH Rallycross
editSH Racing competes in Global Rallycross. With Scott Speed behind the wheel it competed in the 2013 X GAMES Los Angeles in a partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
SH Rallycross/DRR was launched as SH Rallycross in 2014 to compete in the Red Bull Global Rallycross Series. The team captured the bronze medal, earning its first podium finish, in its third event at the 2014 X GAMES, in Austin, Texas. SH Rallycross/DRR is led by Sullivan, Dennis Reinbold and Jimmy Vasser. In 2016 it fielded a Ford Fiesta ST. SH Rallycross/DRR has made 33 RBGRC starts, earning 17 heat race wins, eight finals podiums and one finals victory. The team finished fourth in the championship standings in 2014 and 2015. It had its best season in 2015 with four podium performances in the finals, including a win in Washington, DC. It was the only Red Bull Global Rallycross SuperCar team to make it to each main (final) event.
KVSH Racing
editKVSH Racing is co-owned by venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven 1996, Indy car champion Jimmy Vasser and Sullivan.
The group was formed in 2011, finishing eighth in the Indianapolis 500. The team won the Indianapolis 500 in 2013 with driver Tony Kanaan and fielded an entry in the IndyCar Series for four-time series champion Sebastien Bourdais. Bourdias is the only Indy car driver to win four consecutive championships, from 2004 to 2007. Bourdais finished 10th in the championship standings in 2014 and 2015. He was placed 14th in 2016 on the strength of 11 top-10 finishes in 16 races, including a victory at Detroit Race 1.
Sports Car Racing
editVasser Sullivan Racing announced a partnership with AIM Autosport and Lexus in October 2018 to form the AIM Vasser Sullivan team which debuted in IMSA competition at the 2019 Rolex 24.[1] The combined effort recorded their first win in the third race of the 2019 season with Jack Hawksworth and Richard Heistand finishing at the front of the GTD class at Mid-Ohio. The partnership resulted in numerous podiums and wins over the 3 seasons that it existed but in late 2020, Vasser Sullivan announced that it was splitting from AIM Autosport in order to establish a new team base in North Carolina. The team was rebranded back to just Vasser Sullivan Racing for the start of the 2021 season and has been operated out of their Charlotte, NC base since that time. Team manager Greg Cates, who has a history with multiple sports car teams ranging from Joest Racing to 3GT Racing was hired in 2020 and the rest of the crew was built out with engineers, mechanics, and other technical personnel hired from experienced IMSA, IndyCar, and NASCAR teams.[2]
Geoff Fickling was appointed as the race engineer for the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 bringing experience from sports car and open wheel cars while Chris Andrews was appointed as the race engineer for the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 with experience ranging from sports cars to NASCAR. Former Porsche mechanic and pit coach Travis Morgan was brought in as the car chief for the No. 14 while NASCAR veteran Jesse Goldin was appointed to be the car chief on the No. 12.[3]
Vasser Sullivan saw further expansion ahead of the 2022 season as Lexus Racing signed Ben Barnicoat who joined Jack Hawksworth in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 that competes in the GTD Pro class of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar championship. Barnicoat joined the team at the behest of Hawksworth who was the person to reach out to him to bring him into the fold.[4] With Barnicoat being added to the No. 14 Lexus, Aaron Telitz was moved to the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 alongside Frankie Montecalvo.[5] Richard Heistand and Townsend Bell would return to join the No. 12 Lexus at the Rolex 24 at Daytona while Kyle Kirkwood joined the No. 14 squad in the same race and for the remaining endurance races that season.
Hawksworth and Barnicoat even took up an apartment together in Huntersville, NC which is near the Vasser Sullivan shop and the Lexus Racing facilities.[6] Vasser Sullivan Racing won the IMSA GTD Pro championship with the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2023 season and retained Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat as full season drivers for the 2024 season.[7] Vasser Sullivan Racing also placed third in the IMSA GTD championship but elected to swap in Parker Thompson into a full-season role alongside Frankie Montecalvo for the 2024 season. Aaron Telitz will return in an endurance driver role. [8]
Results
editComplete IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results - No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 2 |
SEB 9 |
MDO 5 |
DET 3 |
WGL 9 |
MOS 3 |
LIM 13 |
ELK 9 |
VIR 7 |
LGA 11 |
PET 11 |
8th | 236 | |
| 2020 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 12 |
DAY 2 |
SEB 5 |
ELK 1 |
VIR 10 |
ATL 5 |
MDO 10 |
CLT | PET 8 |
LGA 8 |
SEB 9 |
13th | 223 | |
| 2021 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 13 |
SEB 6 |
MDO 2 |
DET 5 |
WGL 11 |
WGL 2 |
LIM 10 |
ELK 6 |
LGA 10 |
LBH 13 |
VIR 13 |
PET 3 |
8th | 2538 |
| 2022 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 15 |
SEB 7 |
LBH 3 |
LGA 8 |
MDO 3 |
DET 4 |
WGL 16 |
MOS 6 |
LIM 8 |
ELK 3 |
VIR 4 |
PET 13 |
8th | 2602 |
| 2023 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 5 |
SEB 5 |
LBH 3 |
LGA 12 |
WGL 1 |
MOS 6 |
LIM 12 |
ELK 5 |
VIR 5 |
IMS 14 |
PET 12 |
3rd | 2927 |
Complete IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results - No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
edit(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 5 |
SEB 15 |
MDO 1 |
DET 1† |
WGL 5 |
MOS 12 |
LIM 6 |
ELK 4 |
VIR 13 |
LGA 9 |
PET 9 |
6th | 237 | |
| 2020 | AIM Vasser Sullivan | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 9 |
DAY 1 |
SEB 1† |
ELK 3 |
VIR 4 |
ATL 10 |
MDO 1 |
CLT 8 |
PET 2 |
LGA 11 |
SEB 12 |
4th | 265 | |
| 2021 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 16 |
SEB 7 |
MDO 13 |
DET 4† |
WGL 6 |
WGL 1† |
LIM 3 |
ELK 5 |
LGA 6 |
LBH 4 |
VIR 3 |
PET 15 |
7th | 2640 |
| 2022 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD Pro | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 4 |
SEB 7 |
LBH 2 |
LGA 2 |
WGL 4 |
MOS 5 |
LIM 3 |
ELK 1 |
VIR 3 |
PET 1 |
2nd | 3277 | ||
| 2023 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD Pro | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4L V8 | DAY 3 |
SEB 2 |
LBH 1 |
LGA 2 |
WGL 1 |
MOS 4 |
LIM 2 |
ELK 2 |
VIR 2 |
IMS 3 |
PET 8 |
1st | 3760 |
Complete IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results - No. 17 Lexus RC F GT3
edit(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Vasser Sullivan Racing | GTD | Lexus RC F GT3 | Lexus 5.4 L V8 | MDO 7 |
DET 1 |
18th | 649 |
† Points only counted towards the WeatherTech Sprint Cup and not the overall GTD Championship. * Season still in progress.
Complete IndyCar Series results
edit(key)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pos. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SH Racing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | STP | ALA | LBH | SAO | INDY | TXS | MIL | IOW | TOR | EDM | MDO | NHA | SNM | BAL | MOT | KTY | LSV | ||||||||
| Dallara IR-05 | Honda HI7R V8 |  Tomas Scheckter
|
07 | 8 | 23 | 22 | C | 32nd | 52 | ||||||||||||||||
| KV Racing with SH Racing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | STP | ALA | LBH | SAO | INDY | DET | TXS | MIL | IOW | TOR | EDM | MDO | SNM | BAL | FON | ||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t |  Tony Kanaan
|
11 | 25 | 21 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 18 | 9th | 351 | |||||
| 2013 | STP | ALA | LBH | SAO | INDY | DET | TXS | MIL | IOW | POC | TOR | MDO | SNM | BAL | HOU | FON | |||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Tony Kanaan
|
11 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 21 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 24 | 24 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 3 | 11th | 397 | |
| KVSH Racing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | STP | LBH | ALA | IMS | INDY | DET | TXS | HOU | POC | IOW | TOR | MDO | MIL | SNM | FON | ||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t |  Sébastien Bourdais
|
11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 19 | 1* | 9 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 10th | 461 | ||
| 2015 | STP | NOL | LBH | ALA | IMS | INDY | DET | TXS | TOR | FON | MIL | IOW | MDO | POC | SNM | ||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Sébastien Bourdais
|
11 | 6 | 21 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 1* | 9 | 17 | 23 | 20 | 10th | 406 | ||||
| 2016 | STP | PHX | LBH | ALA | IMS | INDY | DET | ROA | IOW | TOR | MDO | POC | TXS | WGL | SNM | ||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Chevrolet IndyCar V6t | Sébastien Bourdais
|
11 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 24 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 14th | 404 | ||||
 Stefan Wilson
|
25 | 28 | 34th | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | STP | PHX | LBH | ALA | IMS | INDY | DET | TXS | ROA | IOW | TOR | MDO | POC | GAT | POR | SNM | |||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Honda HI18TT V6t | Sébastien Bourdais5
|
18 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 7th | 425 | |||
| 2019 | STP | COA | ALA | LBH | IMS | INDY | DET | TXS | ROA | TOR | IOW | MDO | POC | GAT | POR | LAG | |||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Honda HI19TT V6t | Sébastien Bourdais5
|
18 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 30 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 11th | 387 | |||
| 2020 | TXS | IMS | ROA | IOW | INDY | GAT | MDO | IMS | STP | ||||||||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Honda HI20TT V6t |  Santino Ferrucci
|
18 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 23 | 13th | 290 | ||||||
| 2021 | ALA | STP | TXS | IMS | INDY | DET | ROA | MDO | NSH | IMS | GAT | POR | LAG | LBH | |||||||||||
| Dallara DW12 | Honda HI21TT V6t |  Ed Jones5
|
18 | 15 | 20 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 28 | 9 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 19th | 233 | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Lexus partners with AIM Vasser Sullivan". 16 October 2018.
- ^ "Vasser Sullivan's Off-Season Transformation "Paying Off" – Sportscar365". 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Teamwork Making The Dream Work At Vasser Sullivan - SPEED SPORT".
- ^ "Lexus GTD Pro Signing Barnicoat "Thriving" in New Environment – Sportscar365". 20 January 2022.
- ^ "Telitz Moves to No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus in GTD – Sportscar365". 21 December 2021.
- ^ Ingram, Jonathan (2023-05-12). "Vasser Sullivan Lexus Duo Winning in IMSA GTD Pro, Fueled by Mexican Food, Sushi".
- ^ "Hawksworth, Barnicoat to Defend Title with Vasser Sullivan – Sportscar365". 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Vasser Sullivan swap Parker Thompson, Aaron Telitz for 2024 season". 20 November 2023.