VIR brings sixth podium of season for Pfaff Motorsports

August 28, 2023

Alton, VA (August 28, 2023) – Pfaff Motorsports landed its sixth podium of the season on Sunday, competing in a GT-only event at VIRginia International Raceway.

The No. 9 Driveway Porsche 911 GT3 R started fourth in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro class at the hands of Patrick Pilet. Pilet managed traffic amongst competitors in the GTD class throughout his stint, before turning over the wheel to Klaus Bachler with less than two hours remaining.

Bachler’s stint was more eventful, as the team worked through strategy options and steamy temperatures to reach into the top three. However while making a pass for third place, the Driveway Porsche and the Mercedes ahead made contact, resulting in damage to both cars.

The Plaid Porsche was still able to continue on to finish third and on the lead lap, and also gain a position in the class championship standings. Pilet and Bachler now share third place in the driver standings with two races remaining this season.

The penultimate round of the WeatherTech Championship will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 15 – 17. The Battle on the Bricks is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2:10 p.m. ET, and features the final standard race length of two hours, 40 minutes before the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in October.

Team Quotes:

Klaus Bachler: “We started P4, finished P3. It was once again a mega strategy from our team. I had some contact with the Mercedes, so there was a little damage to the car. It was not easy then to drive it, especially in the last stint. But P3 is a good result, and in the championship, we are also in P3. There’s two more races to go – Indy and then Road Atlanta – so I’m looking forward to the next two races.”  

Patrick Pilet: “It’s good to be back on the podium. The past races have been quite difficult, and we expect a bit more from the BoP side. I think by starting far in the middle of the pack, we managed to come back to have the right strategy and make a no-mistake race. It was quite difficult in traffic and we also had some contact during the race, but we managed to keep the car on track and in one piece.

“Amazing job again with the strategy and in the pits. The crew are incredible, and they do a really good job all the time. It’s a great result and now we will focus to get a bit more performance and try a different setup for the next races. From the execution though, it was a perfect race.” 

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