Monday, April 20, 2026 — Long Beach, CA — What began as a pole-winning performance turned into a hard-fought comeback for Frankie Montecalvo and Jack Hawksworth at the Long Beach Grand Prix, as the duo battled from the back of the grid to secure a fifth-place finish.
After Montecalvo delivered a standout qualifying lap to claim pole position, the team’s momentum was halted following post-qualifying technical inspection, which required the No. 89 Lexus RC F GT3 to start from the rear of the field. Despite the setback, Hawksworth wasted no time slicing through traffic when the green flag dropped on the streets of Long Beach.
Hawksworth worked his way all the way back to the front before handing the car over to Montecalvo. Unfortunately, a poorly timed yellow would take the team out of contention for a podium finish, but Montecalvo continued the charge, and maintained the car’s pace against a highly competitive field.
By the closing stages of the race, the team had climbed all the way back into the top five, capping off an impressive recovery drive.
“Obviously, starting from the back after putting it on pole wasn’t what we wanted,” said Montecalvo. “But the team stayed focused, and Jack did an incredible job getting us back into the fight early. To come away with a P5 after everything is something we can be proud of.”
“I can’t thank Jack and the entire Vasser Sullivan team enough for pushing as hard as possible for the best result. The team gave us an incredible car, and it was a blast to be back at Long Beach. Congratulations to the No. 12 guys for taking the win.”
While the result may not reflect the full potential shown in qualifying, the performance reinforces the team’s capability to contend at the front as the season progresses.
The next round for Montecalvo will be the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen. Be sure to follow Frankie on Facebook, Instagram, and X to stay up to date with all of Frankie’s racing news.