DALLAS, Texas – The 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Marvin Kirchhoefer will co-pilot the SealMaster liveried Vasser Sullivan No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) category alongside full-season driver Aaron Telitz in the TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship on Sunday, May 11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California.
The 31-year-old Leipzig, Germany native will be filling in for Lexus factory driver Ben Barnicoat as he continues to recover from injuries sustained from a mountain biking accident.
Kirchhoefer, who competes full-time in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, brings a wealth of experience to the Vasser Sullivan team. After a successful junior karting career – including titles in ADAC Formel Masters (2012) and the German Formula 3 Championship (2013) – Kirchhoefer moved up to the GP3 Series, finishing third in the standings in 2014 and 2015 while winning six races over the course of two seasons. In 2016, he made the transition to the GP2 Series, achieving a podium at the Monaco sprint race before transitioning from single-seater to sports car racing in 2017. Kirchhoefer has worked his way up to the GT World Challenge Europe, where he is now in his sixth season as a competitor.
Most recently, Kirchhoefer added the title of Rolex 24 At Daytona champion to his resume when he brought home the GTD victory in the 2025 edition of the twice-around-the-clock endurance race.
In addition to Kirchhoefer and Telitz’s entry in the GTD PRO Class at Laguna Seca, Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson will pilot the No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class at the historic 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit.
Marvin Kirchhoefer, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, Vasser Sullivan Racing:
“First of all, I want to wish a speedy recovery to Ben (Barnicoat). I’ll try my best to be a good replacement in Laguna Seca. I appreciate the trust of Lexus, Vasser Sullivan Racing, and TRD for the opportunity to race with them in Laguna Seca. I would also like to thank McLaren for letting me pursue this opportunity. I’m very excited to get behind the wheel of the Lexus RC F GT3 and I really hope that we can get a strong result in one of the toughest tracks the series competes at.”
Jeff Bal, Senior Manager – Motorsports, Sponsorships & Experiential Marketing – Lexus Division:
“While we continue to wish Ben a speedy recovery, we are fortunate to welcome Marvin (Kirchhoefer) to the team. He was able to join us for a test at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca a few weeks ago and immediately fit right in with the team. With his experience, we know he is more than capable of helping Aaron and the 14 crew bring us another strong finish for Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing.”
Jimmy Vasser & James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan – Co-owners – Vasser Sullivan Racing:
“Marvin joins us fresh off a victory at the Rolex 24, and in the short time he’s been with us, he’s already proven to be a valuable addition to Vasser Sullivan Lexus. He came up to speed quickly during our recent test, and we’re focused on giving him everything he needs to support (Aaron) Telitz and help deliver a strong result at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.”