He previously drove the GTD-class #12 VS Lexus alongside Aaron Telitz, Frankie Montecalvo and Parker Thompson in last month’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, where the team placed fifth in class.
At Sebring and Petit Le Mans, Kirkwood will team up with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, who drove the #14 Lexus to third place in the GTD Pro category at the Rolex 24, along with Toyota prototype driver Mike Conway.
Kirkwood, Barnicoat, and Hawksworth are the defending champions in the GTD Pro category at Petit, having secured the RC F’s first endurance win last October. The trio also won a sprint race in Detroit in June of 2022 while racing in the GTD category.
Additionally, Kirkwood has earned two IMSA pole positions, one at the six-hour endurance race at Watkins Glen in 2021 and another in Detroit in 2022.
Kirkwood expressed excitement about the upcoming races, stating that he enjoyed driving with the #12 team at this year’s Rolex 24 and is looking forward to driving with Jack and Ben again, who he raced with at Petit Le Mans last year and won the endurance race.
Jeff Bal, senior manager of motorsports, sponsorships and experiential marketing at Lexus, described Kirkwood as an important part of the Vasser Sullivan and Lexus roster and praised his impressive driving skills. Team co-owners Jimmy Vasser and James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan emphasized the importance of continuity for their 2023 success and expressed confidence in their 12 and 14 cars’ chances of winning the 12 Hours of Sebring.