Vasser Sullivan Racing’s newfound partnership of longstanding veteran Aaron Telitz and latest co-driver Benjamin Pedersen is already off to successful 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 Seaside. It not solely stood at Telitz’s sixth victory and first since 2023 (Watkins Glen), but additionally shined a highlight on Pedersen’s adaptation to the group and to GT racing.
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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 developing via the IndyCar ladder system, identical to I did,” mentioned Telitz. “So, we have a extremely related background there, however I might by no means labored with him till this yr, beginning at Daytona. We simply hit it off.
“Yeah, he is actually just like me in lots of methods. I do know rather a lot about what it is like to return from an open wheel background after which get into sports activities vehicles.”
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And that has doubtless helped Pedersen’s adaptation, having spent a lot of his early profession within the junior formulation ranks earlier than his solely IndyCar Sequence marketing campaign in 2023 with AJ Foyt Racing. He spent the next two years contesting LMP2 equipment in each the European Le Mans Sequence (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 mentioned. “So yeah, it is simply helped us get the ball rolling actually fast right here.”
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When requested by Motorsport.com what he’s seen by way of Pedersen’s growth on this newest transition, Telitz supplied extra particulars.
“The large factor with Benjamin is anytime you inform him he must attempt one thing completely different, or possibly his braking method coming from open wheel – it was these brake hits that have been extremely steep and possibly like a bit little bit of overlap with brake and throttle and a giant fats GT automobile – it is probably not the way in which to go about it essentially,” Telitz mentioned.
“And anytime you inform him to attempt one thing else, he goes and does it immediately, and he figures out the best way to grasp it. That is been how he is taken his growth so rapidly from by no means pushed a GT automobile, to doing his third IMSA race in GTD and successful, is as a result of he picks up on issues so rapidly.
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“Like in a brief weekend at Lengthy Seaside, you get two practices, and you then 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 potential.”
#12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3: Aaron Telitz, Benjamin Pedersen, with group homeowners Jimmy Vasser and James
#12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3: Aaron Telitz, Benjamin Pedersen, with group homeowners Jimmy Vasser and James
Though the opening two rounds have been a battle, the win in Lengthy Seaside vaulted the pair to 3rd within the GTD championship standings, 103 factors behind chief Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Barrichello (930-827).
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“Yeah, we’ve not felt like we have needed to climb out of a gap essentially,” Telitz mentioned. “, two races right into a 10-race season. You’ve got obtained 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 whenever you get to the halfway level via, you’re six races, seven races in, and you’ve got had a few unhealthy weekends in a row. That is whenever you really feel like, ‘Oh, we have a short while to dig us out of our gap.’ We did not really feel that approach.
“We knew we have been gonna have pictures to win this yr. We had probabilities to win final yr. It simply did not fall our approach both. Up to now this yr, you realize, the primary alternative we have needed to win, we have grabbed it by the horns and we have carried out 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.
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“Yeah, I really like going to Laguna Seca,” Telitz mentioned. “It is a lovely place, a lovely racetrack, and though I haven’t got lots of nice outcomes to point out for it in IMSA, in earlier collection that I ran in, I’ve obtained lots of nice reminiscences and massive wins and securing championships there.
“We’re simply hoping to have a clear, clear race weekend. Laguna Seca traditionally shouldn’t be an incredible monitor for our Lexus RC F GT3, however one of the best half about IMSA is, you do not have to at all times be the quickest. You may have clear races, and good pit stops, good technique, and get your self ready to nonetheless come dwelling with a trophy.”
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