Vasser Sullivan honors late Dennis Reinbold with emotional Watkins Glen Victory

A year after enduring one of the most heartbreaking finishes in program history, Vasser Sullivan Racing found ultimate redemption at the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen—and they did it while carrying the memory of a paddock legend.

Co-drivers Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat drove the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 to a dominant GTD Pro class victory from the pole position at Watkins Glen International. The triumph marked Vasser Sullivan’s first GTD Pro class win in 25 races, dating back to the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2024.

But the victory meant far more than just breaking a streak. The race weekend served as a poignant tribute to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing owner Dennis Reinbold, who passed away earlier this month. In his honor, Vasser Sullivan co-entered Reinbold’s team name for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event, bringing a 15-year-old friendship full circle.

The victory stands in stark contrast to the team’s fortunes at Watkins Glen just 12 months prior. During last year’s race, the #12 GTD entry led by Hawksworth ran out of fuel on the final lap, agonizingly stripping them of a guaranteed victory.

Returning to the iconic 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course one year later, the team executed a flawless weekend to take the checkered flag.

“The way we lost this race last year, we were in complete control of it,” Vasser Sullivan co-owner James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan told Motorsport.com. “And it was one of the hardest days in this program to walk out of here knowing that we had it won and we lost it.”

The history between Sullivan and Reinbold dates back to 2011 at the Baltimore Grand Prix IndyCar Series race. At the time, Sullivan was looking for a partner to help launch his career and continue racing after putting together a one-off Indianapolis 500 deal with co-owner Jimmy Vasser.

While most team owners scoffed at the idea of running a one-off entry on a punishing street circuit, Reinbold encouraged it.

“The magnitude is that I owe a lot to Dennis for helping jumpstart my career,” Sullivan said. “There was one guy in this country, in the paddock, that thought it was a good idea [to race Baltimore], and that was Dennis Reinbold. That’s where our partnership started. It’s where our friendship started.”

Beyond their track success, Sullivan noted they shared a unique, foundational trait in a garage typically dominated by former racers: Neither Sullivan nor Reinbold grew up as drivers. This shared perspective forged an uncommon bond between the two owners.

Before Reinbold’s passing, Sullivan had the opportunity to speak with his longtime friend and partner one final time to express his gratitude. While Reinbold didn’t know at the time that his name would be on the Lexus RC F GT3 at Watkins Glen, Sullivan and Vasser knew it was the only fitting tribute.

“He was a hell of a racer. He was a hell of a friend. He was a hell of a partner,” Sullivan said. “And this was the right thing to do, which was to go racing with him again. I had a chance to share some words with him before he passed. And I told him what I felt and what he meant to us, and that he was going to be racing with us. At the time, he didn’t know that we were going to be co-entering this, but right away it was in Vasser’s and I’s mind, because that’s what he deserves. …

“We came in here 12 months later, literally to the day with Reinbold as our co-entry, and we won the damn thing. So it’s so poetic. And it’s why we race, quite frankly. There’s no feeling like it.”

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— The Motorsport.com Team