After two seasons on the racetrack, Lexus and 3GT Racing announced on Monday the end to their partnership following the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The announcement came in identical press releases from both parties on Monday.
After two seasons on-track with the Lexus RC F GT3, 3GT Racing earned two race wins, including the historic first North American victory for the RC F GT3 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in May, as well as a win at Virginia International Raceway in August. Over its two-year IMSA campaign, the team has combined for three podium finishes, five pole positions and nine top-five results.
“(Team managing partner) Paul Gentilozzi and the 3GT Racing team played an integral role in assisting Lexus in the development of the RC F GT3,“ said Cooper Ericksen, vice president Lexus marketing. “We are grateful for our partnership and for the growth we experienced together as Lexus returned to the racetrack. We wish them well in their future endeavors.”
Lexus and 3GT Racing first partnered together in 2015 to assist in the development of the RC F GT3 race car during the 2016 season before making their debut in IMSA competition at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“We started this journey with Lexus in the spring of 2015; we have been exceptionally proud of the progress of the program on-track,” said Paul Gentilozzi, managing partner of 3GT Racing. “In addition, we have made friends within the Toyota/Lexus organization that will remain friends for years to come. The cultural growth of our experiences with TCD in Japan and the technical exposure with TRD here in the U.S. have been invaluable. In our 48 years in motorsports, we can look back at this with success. We now move to a new chapter that will take us past 2020 on-track.”
The RC F GT3, based on the production Lexus RC F high-performance sports car, is a global effort to assist in growing the awareness and performance of the manufacturer’s F Performance vehicle lineup.
“It’s been exciting for Lexus to get back into sports car racing, and we couldn’t have done it without 3GT Racing,” said Mark Egger, motorsports manager, Lexus division. “We have engaged with many new fans who are now more aware of the Lexus F Performance brand through our racing program. We appreciate all that 3GT Racing has done to assist us in this effort."
3GT Racing has yet to announce its 2019 race plans.
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