Runner-up finish concludes 2023 season for Pfaff Motorsports
October 16, 2023
Braselton, GA – In the final race of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, Pfaff Motorsports finished second place to cap off an era of the team’s history.
Full-time drivers Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet were joined by Kevin Estre – longtime Porsche factory driver, but newcomer to the Canadian team – for Saturday’s 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. After qualifying fourth, strategy centered around many full-course yellows that ultimately cycled the Driveway Porsche into the battle for the lead.
While additional yellow flags in the final half hour prevented a true challenge for the GTD Pro class victory, the popular Plaid Porsche finished second for its seventh podium of 2023 and led for more than 30 laps coming to the finish. The team also scored the most points at the four- and eight-hour marks, and at the checkered flag, to win the event’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and finish fourth in the class championship standings.
Road Atlanta not only marked the end of the 2023 season for Pfaff Motorsports, but also the team’s final race with Porsche and the famous plaid livery that the team has represented since 2019. Beginning in 2024, the team has announced a partnership with McLaren for a 720S GT3 Evo entry in GTD Pro.
Updates about Pfaff Motorsports’ plans for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season will continue throughout the offseason before the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.
Team Quotes:
Klaus Bachler: “Today was a good race. We gave everything – the team, the strategy, the guys in the box, they were so good like always this season. We finished P2 and it was close to P1, but there’s no regrets. We gave everything. We tried, and in the end, everybody wanted to win this race, the last race for Pfaff with Porsche and it would’ve helped us in the championship because we finished fourth. We were really close to P2, so this position would have made a big change. But, that’s life. It’s not only one race, there’s a whole season and we know what could have been better. Some things were not in our hands.
“It was a really great experience for me to drive in IMSA, to drive for Pfaff and such a great team. To drive with Patrick for the whole season, he has so much experience here and explained so much about tracks and strategy. It was a lot of learning for myself. In the end, I’m happy about the season and what we achieved together. I want to thank everybody at Pfaff Motorsports for giving me the opportunity this year, and let’s see what the future will bring.”
Patrick Pilet: “Proud – that’s the word. I’m proud of the team, proud of every team member. There were really hard moments in the season. We showed in this race that it was exactly like our season. Whatever happens, we never give up and we give everything. At the end, I think we can look in the mirror and say we did a great job. It’s frustrating to not finish higher in the championship because I think P2 or P3 would have been a great trophy for the team because they deserve it. We made some mistakes during the season, but in general I think it was a really complete season.
“It was not easy in terms of performance, but in terms of spirit, it was really unbelievable. I’m really proud to be part of this team. I learned a lot as a person as well, the way to work with people and to lead this adventure with my North American family, it was really good. I’m just happy the season is finished because it was sometimes frustrating, but I think in a few hours or days, I’ll want to come back. It’s been great and thank you to all the people on the team. They welcomed me from Day 1 and never let me go. Thank you for that.”
Kevin Estre: “We did a great race as a whole team. We weren’t really there in practice and qualifying, and the engineers and the whole group made a good call on setup. The car was at its best during the race. We had some setbacks with damage, but the team made mega moves on strategy to bring us back to the front. We were there, and somehow we ended up in P1 two hours before the end with a small disadvantage on fuel. The Mercedes got us in the pit lane, but there was nothing we could do about that. It was qualifying lap after qualifying lap for the last half hour trying to pass the Mercedes and get to the lead. I really did my best to do that.
“I have no regrets, to be honest. I’m frustrated to not have the win, but there’s no regrets because I never had the chance and I didn’t really make any mistakes. That’s the way it is, it was P2 for us. It’s great to end the Pfaff Porsche career on a high and on the podium. I’m glad that I’ve driven with this team, I’ve had so much success with Porsche, and I hope to see everyone again in the near future.”
About Pfaff Motorsports
Pfaff Motorsports has established itself as one of the most successful sportscar racing programs in North America over the past decade. A professional team in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), it has established long-term partnerships with premium brands such as Lithia & Driveway, Motul, the Automotive Owned Brands of Canadian Tire Corporation, and Hagerty, and is one of the top-performing Porsche customer racing teams in the sport.
Pfaff Motorsports’ competition résumé includes historic victories and championships across multiple series. Since joining the top-tier IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2019, the team has won the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona and twice at the 12 Hours of Sebring, in addition to being crowned the 2022 WeatherTech Championship GTD Pro class and 2021 GTD class champions. It has also won the 2018 GT World Challenge America championship and is a three-time Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada champion. For more information, please visit www.pfaffmotorsports.com.
Pfaff Motorsports Contact: Jennifer Klein // jklein@pfaffmotorsports.com