Lexus finally broke through for its first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in the GT Daytona class.

The GTD class features Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Acura and Lexus as full-time brands. All but Lexus won a race last year, and Lexus was determined to change that in 2018.

For the Lexus brand with the 3GT Racing team, led by racing veteran Paul Gentilozzi, speed has been present since last year’s midseason but they’d been yet to put a complete weekend together.

It all came good this weekend in Ohio. Jack Hawksworth took the class pole position in the No. 15 car he shares with David Heinemeier Hansson. The sister No. 14 car of Kyle Marcelli qualified second, and would share his car with Dominik Baumann.

Lexus led all laps in the two-hour, 40-minute race, and split the lead between its two cars. The No. 15 car led until Lap 43, and the No. 14 car took over up front there.

Baumann defended towards the end of the race from a hard-charging Alvaro Parente in one of the Acuras. The win also capped off an incredible weekend for Marcelli. The Canadian won the Continental race overall on Saturday co-driving a Ford Mustang GT4.

For Lexus to join the ranks of winning brands in IMSA was a significant achievement.

“We are ecstatic,” said Mark Egger, Lexus Motorsports Manager. “We were able to take all of the pieces that we’ve put together over the last year and a half developing the RC F GT3 with some near misses and some heartbreaks throughout the last year and get our first GTD win.

“3GT Racing did a fantastic job putting together a great program and everything came together this weekend, so we’re very happy to get that first win with the RC F GT3.”

Memories to last a lifetime. #LexusPerformance pic.twitter.com/OpuF6uuljr

— Lexus Racing USA (@lexusracingusa) May 7, 2018

The No. 14 and No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 cars led every lap of the @Mid_Ohio @IMSA race. But in the end it was the great driving by Dominik Baumann in the No. 14 that captured the well-deserved win for @3GT_Racing. Those last minutes were intense. @lexusracingusa @IMSA @Mid_Ohio pic.twitter.com/Io7aFwea0i

— 3GT Racing (@3GT_Racing) May 7, 2018