Podium finish wraps challenging day for Pfaff Motorsports at Laguna Seca
May 16, 2023
Monterey, CA. (May 16, 2023) – While the record books will show a third-place finish for Pfaff Motorsports at the Motul Course de Monterey, the team experienced many highs and lows throughout Sunday’s race.
After capturing a momentous first IMSA Motul Pole Award on Saturday, Klaus Bachler led the GTD Pro field to green in his first trip to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Bachler maintained the lead early on, but it was after the first pit stop that the No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R failed to stop at the red pit exit light, resulting in a penalty.
The car remained on the lead lap and continued to fight, with Patrick Pilet taking the reins halfway through the two hour, 40-minute race. However during the next pit stop, it was deemed that the Plaid Porsche exceeded the pit lane speed limit and was penalized once more.
With one hour remaining, hopes for a positive finish were dashed until the top-two competitors were penalized only minutes later – their transgression being an improper pass around. Relinquishing those positions allowed Pfaff to move into podium position, and Pilet found himself within a second of the lead for much of the final 30 minutes. Ultimately, traffic from the three additional WeatherTech Championship classes widened the gap and a late pass landed the team in third.
Through four rounds, Pfaff Motorsports ranks third in the GTD Pro championship ahead of the Six Hours of the Glen next month. The endurance race in Watkins Glen, New York, is scheduled for Sunday, June 25 at 10:40 a.m. ET.
TEAM QUOTES
Klaus Bachler: “It was a lot of emotions. We had a good start and I could make a small gap before the first caution. The restart was fine and during the second caution, we pit. I made a mistake and went past the red light, it was a miscommunication and we got penalized. We thought we were out of the race, but then magic happened and somehow, we came back. We even got a drive-through penalty for pit speeding, which we also need to check because at the moment, we don’t know where or how it happened.
“Somehow, we were in P2 because others also made mistakes and we also had a great strategy. We lost P2 two laps before the end to the Lexus and traffic out there was also crazy. For sure, coming from last place to P3 is not too bad, but expectations were higher. We will analyze everything and just come back stronger the next time.”
Patrick Pilet: “We had a problem at the beginning with the penalty and then I also got a drive-through; I have no idea why. We have to analyze it, but I’m really proud of the guys because they put us back into a situation for the victory. I was sure we had a shot at the Mercedes, but it looked like our advantage on tire degradation was not there. I don’t know why, and we’ll see after the race.
“Overall, I’m really happy with the team and it’s just disappointing because we had some pace today, but maybe not as much as we expected. We keep going, we keep learning how to work together and try to improve on every aspect. For sure, we made some mistakes today that we will not do in the future. Now, we focus on Watkins Glen. We’ll have some tests before the race, so it will be good to try different things on the car and to be back on the top step of the podium.”
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