Vasser Sullivan Racing’s newfound partnership of longstanding veteran Aaron Telitz and latest co-driver Benjamin Pedersen is already off to profitable methods after simply three rounds.
The duo, driving the #12 Lexus RC F GT3, delivered a GTD class victory in IMSA’s spherical earlier this month on the Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore. It not solely stood at Telitz’s sixth victory and first since 2023 (Watkins Glen), but in addition shined a highlight on Pedersen’s adaptation to the workforce and to GT racing.
Returning to the highest step of the rostrum is undoubtedly welcomed by Telitz, 34, who acknowledged on an IMSA media availability on Monday he hadn’t beforehand identified the Dane previous to the 2 being put collectively because the full-time lineup in January.
“I’ve identified of him when he was arising by way of the IndyCar ladder system, identical to I did,” stated Telitz. “So, we have got a very comparable background there, however I would by no means labored with him till this 12 months, beginning at Daytona. We simply hit it off.
“Yeah, he is actually just like me in quite a lot of methods. I do know loads about what it is like to return from an open wheel background after which get into sports activities vehicles.”
And that has seemingly helped Pedersen’s adaptation, having spent a lot of his early profession within the junior formulation ranks earlier than his solely IndyCar Collection marketing campaign in 2023 with AJ Foyt Racing. He spent the next two years contesting LMP2 equipment in each the European Le Mans Collection (2024-25) and IMSA (2025).
“Anytime he had a query with one thing or was fighting one thing, I knew precisely the place he was coming from,” Telitz stated. “So yeah, it is simply helped us get the ball rolling actually fast right here.”
When requested by Motorsport.com what he’s seen when it comes to Pedersen’s growth on this newest transition, Telitz provided extra particulars.
“The large factor with Benjamin is anytime you inform him he must strive one thing totally different, or possibly his braking method coming from open wheel – it was these brake hits that have been extremely steep and possibly like slightly little bit of overlap with brake and throttle and a giant fats GT automobile – it is probably not the best way to go about it essentially,” Telitz stated.
“And anytime you inform him to strive one thing else, he goes and does it instantly, and he figures out how you can grasp it. That is been how he is taken his growth so shortly from by no means pushed a GT automobile, to doing his third IMSA race in GTD and profitable, is as a result of he picks up on issues so shortly.
“Like in a brief weekend at Lengthy Seashore, you get two practices, and then you definately go straight into qualifying. And we even had a five-minute penalty, so we did not get to do all of qualifying. We nonetheless qualify up close to the primary three rows. After which within the race, he strikes ahead from there. It is simply how he retains getting higher session after session, even in a brief weekend. That helps make these outcomes doable.”
#12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3: Aaron Telitz, Benjamin Pedersen, with workforce house owners Jimmy Vasser and James
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen through Getty Pictures
Though the opening two rounds have been a battle, the win in Lengthy Seashore vaulted the pair to 3rd within the GTD championship standings, 103 factors behind chief Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Barrichello (930-827).
“Yeah, we have not felt like we have needed to climb out of a gap essentially,” Telitz stated. “You understand, two races right into a 10-race season. You’ve got received 80 % of the season left to go. The entire you are digging your self out of is rarely that deep at that time. It is possibly while you get to the halfway level by way of, you’re six races, seven races in, and you’ve got had a few dangerous weekends in a row. That is while you really feel like, ‘Oh, we have got a short while to dig us out of our gap.’ We did not really feel that manner.
“We knew we have been gonna have photographs to win this 12 months. We had possibilities to win final 12 months. It simply did not fall our manner both. To this point this 12 months, you recognize, the primary alternative we have needed to win, we have grabbed it by the horns and we have performed it.”
And so they’ll have one other likelihood to take action this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a spot Telitz has nice reminiscences from capturing the Professional Mazda (now Indy Professional 2000) Championship in 2016, however hasn’t fairly cracked the rostrum there in three earlier IMSA begins.
“Yeah, I really like going to Laguna Seca,” Telitz stated. “It is a good looking place, a good looking racetrack, and though I haven’t got quite a lot of nice outcomes to indicate for it in IMSA, in earlier sequence that I ran in, I’ve received quite a lot of nice reminiscences and large wins and securing championships there.
“We’re simply hoping to have a clear, clear race weekend. Laguna Seca traditionally will not be an ideal observe for our Lexus RC F GT3, however the perfect half about IMSA is, you do not have to all the time be the quickest. You’ll be able to have clear races, and good pit stops, good technique, and get your self able to nonetheless come residence with a trophy.”
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