Ben Barnicoat’s Mosport victory rewards Vasser Sullivan’s tactical precision
With the GTP field absent, IMSA’s GTD Pro class took centre stage at Mosport, where Ben Barnicoat combined decisive overtaking with Vasser Sullivan’s smart pit strategy to secure a long-awaited Lexus victory
IMSA is awash with British racing talent – including Ben Barnicoat
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Not every round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship features the LMDh prototypes similar to those that star in the World Endurance constellation. This allows the names from other classes to shine.
Mosport Park’s round is one such event. The swooping pre-1978 Canadian Grand Prix venue is a classic road course, and played host to LMP2 cars fighting it out for overall honours, as well as the customary slugfest in the GTD Pro class.
Unlike its LMGT3 equivalent in the WEC, GTD Pro has no stipulation for an amateur in each driving crew. As such, it boasts a galaxy of top-notch talent. And it was Ben Barnicoat who stole the show at Mosport.
Whose drive at Mosport broke a Lexus hoodoo
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The Derbyshire expat was a race winner when he was team-mates with George Russell in European Formula 3 a decade ago, and has since forged a very successful career as part of an all English line-up with Yorkshireman Jack Hawksworth in the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F team – they were champions in 2023. Add in Porsche team-mates Nick Tandy and Harry King, and Alexander Sims with Corvette, and it’s no wonder that Barnicoat has quipped that the GTD Pro Brits are always checking the BRDC Gold Star points.
Hawksworth started the Lexus sixth, but got up to fifth early on, then conserved energy. When a caution was called shortly after 40 minutes, the team was able to short-fuel as a result and install Barnicoat for the final two hours. The quick pitstop leapfrogged the car to second, and Barnicoat jumped Nikita Johnson’s McLaren for the lead as the race went green. “Ben did an amazing pass there to get the lead,” acknowledged Hawksworth.
Barnicoat did the rest, hanging on to beat the Tandy/King Porsche and break what had become a Mosport jinx for Lexus. “Our great leader Geoff Fickling [Vasser Sullivan engineer and strategist] called an awesome race, got us the track position, and then there was no turning back,” enthused Barnicoat.
Next stop for the two Brit chums? They went to Atlanta to see England vs Argentina.
TGR
Driver briefing notes
BMW’s WEC wise guys and a first WRC win for Pajari
● WRT’s strategy maestros gave a BMW win at Interlagos in the WEC, with Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor prevailing. Short-fuelling the slower sister car held up the Cadillacs. Ferrari trio James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi were second.
● Toyota’s new Finnish star Sami Pajari, inset, right, with co-driver Marko Salminen, took his maiden WRC victory in Estonia. Pajari led home Oliver Solberg in a 1-2, with Adrien Fourmaux’s Hyundai third. Three weeks earlier, Sébastien Ogier had taken another triumph for Toyota on the Acropolis Rally.
● Arrow McLaren has dropped Christian Lundgaard from its IndyCar squad for 2027, but what a retort from the Dane at Road America: he won from last, following a first-lap collision. David Malukas chased him home in second place. Next time out, at Mid-Ohio, Lundgaard completed a team 1-2 behind Pato O’Ward.
