IMSA GTD Class Drivers Reflect On Milestones, Past Successes And Sebring Expectations

Poster Image Credit: IMSA (2026)

IMSA GTD Class Drivers Reflect On Milestones, Past Successes And Sebring Expectations

Jack Hawksworth of the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD PRO marked his upcoming 100th IMSA start with Lexus—a milestone that surprised him until recently highlighted by the team's PR efforts. Hawksworth reflected on a decade-long journey with the program, from its early days in 2017 to consistent competitiveness, championships (including the 2023 GTD PRO title with Ben Barnicoat), and race wins. 

He highlighted the 2024 Sebring victory as a standout memory and praised the team's reliability and strength in tough endurance conditions. Despite the RC F GT3's age, Hawksworth emphasized a positive mindset, noting recent progress, a strong lineup including Kyle Kirkwood (fresh off an IndyCar win), and the car's historical suitability for Sebring's mix of high-speed, bumpy, high-degradation sections. He views the track as more representative of the season ahead compared to Daytona's straight-line demands, expressing confidence in contending for the win.

ROXY RETURNS! AO Racing's Roxy To Make Endurance Debut At Sebring - Rexy sidelined due to tooth injuries at Daytona, paving the way for Roxy's endurance debut - Image Credit: AO Racing via Dailysportscar (2026)

BEGIN ZOOM Call Interview - Edmund Jenks, Motorsports Journal & Alessio Picariello, No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) (GTD PRO)

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: My question is more of a fan base type one, and I wanted to ask Alessio how he finds the fans and the reaction to driving Rexy or Roxy? With its unique personalized livery, I wanted to get his take on that. 

ALESSIO PICARIELLO: “I mean, it's insane to see how many people are loving this livery, and it's getting more and more every year. So, when I got to experience it first in Daytona last year, I was amazed, and in Sebring, I feel like it's even more. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how it is this year. This year we will use the Roxy livery. So, it's the first time for me driving, I mean, driving a pink car, a pink dino! So yeah, I think, I mean, the concept for sure is nice and it's good for motorsport that it attracts so many people. Every time when we have the autograph session, when you see the queue, it's absolutely crazy. So, it's nice. It's nice for us as drivers to drive such a famous car, let's say.”

EDMUND JENKS - Motorsports Journal: Also, are they planning to do the, I guess, the change of the teeth in the front every time there's a race win? Like they do with the green Porsche. 

ALESSIO PICARIELLO: “Well, I think it depends on how many times they will use Roxy this year. We don’t get the info as drivers. It’s Roxy this time, and I guess it will have the, the, the, the golden teeth for the 2024 championship. But on race wins, we don't have any this year, so if we win Sebring, I guess Rexy will have a golden tooth for the next round.”

ENDS

Alessio Picariello, defending GTD PRO winner from 2025 with the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) - nicknamed "Roxy" - shared his evolution at Sebring. Initially disliking the bumpy, unique layout and IMSA's endurance demands as a young Silver driver, he grew to appreciate it through WEC runs and prior IMSA experiences, culminating in last year's near-perfect victory. With new teammates Nick Tandy (experienced but "old school") and Harry King (making his Sebring race debut after testing), Picariello noted quick chemistry built in Daytona, shared mindsets, and no major concerns about King's adaptation. He described minor evolutions in the updated Porsche as setup-focused with slight reliability gains, expecting a fun, competitive outing.

Tom Gamble of the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in GTD highlighted a strong season start, including a near-win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and third at last year's Sebring. He credited the team's reliability, strategy, and ability to stay clean in traffic—key for Sebring's challenging overtaking and elbows-out finales. 

With new teammate Dudu Barrichello joining Zacharie Robichon, Gamble expressed excitement for the warm Florida weather and ambitions to improve on last year's podium, potentially challenging the dominant Winward Mercedes. He appreciated the relief from WEC postponements easing travel, while noting his second IMSA year brings greater familiarity and comfort across tracks.

Philip Ellis, stepping in for Russell Ward (travel issues) in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GTD, joined alongside Ward and Indy Dontje ... the trio aiming for a Sebring hat-trick after wins in 2024 and 2025. 

Ellis recounted the intense Rolex 24 finish, including a close front-straight incident with Nicki Thiim, and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges to secure a third Rolex victory. He stressed preparation for the final hours: focusing practice on late-race conditions (cooler temps, dirty track), maintaining car integrity, staying calm under pressure, and leveraging strategy. Sharing data with the sister GTD PRO Mercedes aids setup, while the car's age benefits from BoP, tire focus, and deep team knowledge rather than constant development.

These 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring previews underscore Sebring's demanding nature of bumps, heat, strategy, traffic, and reliability—while highlighting defending strengths, milestone moments, and competitive ambitions across GTD PRO and GTD.

The 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring event features a packed 55-car field across classes, with live streaming on Peacock starting at 10 a.m. ET, plus additional coverage on NBCSN from 5 p.m. ET and the IMSA YouTube channel.

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: #IMSA, #Sebring12, #WeatherTechChampionship, #Mobil1TwelveHoursOfSebring, #GTDPRO, #GTD, #RespectTheBumps, #VasserSullivan, #AORacing, #HeartOfRacing, #WinwardRacing, #MotorsportsJournal, #TheEDJE