Fifth-place finish for Pfaff Motorsports at Watkins Glen

June 26, 2023

Watkins Glen, NY. (June 26, 2023) – Pfaff Motorsports notched another top-five finish this weekend, competing in the third IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship endurance event of the season at Watkins Glen International.

The No. 9 Driveway Porsche 911 GT3 R finished fifth on the GTD Pro charts after starting sixth, with Patrick Pilet bookending driving duties, and Klaus Bachler completing the middle stint. The team’s lack of pace was evident from the beginning of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen event due to the series’ Balance of Performance, so the crew’s efforts during the numerous pit stops were critical.

Pilet narrowly avoided an incident on Lap 1 of the endurance race and worked his way into the top three. During the second stint, Bachler was hit by an aggressive competitor from another class during his time behind the wheel. The resulting damage forced the team to make an additional pit stop, but as with all other stops, they worked quickly to get the car back on track and to the checkered flag.

Despite the result at Watkins Glen, Pfaff Motorsports looks forward to a return to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), the team’s home track located less than an hour from its workshop. The Plaid Porsche was victorious last season at CTMP for the first time, and will look to replicate that success on Sunday, July 9, at 12:05 p.m. ET.

For high-resolution imagery and video from the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and throughout the 2023 season, please click here with credit to Pfaff Motorsports/Lenssen Photo. Updates from Pfaff Motorsports can be followed on the team’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

Team Quotes:

Klaus Bachler: “It was honestly a very hard day, but the team did a mega job. Every pit stop was good; refueling – we were on it. We did not have the pace, obviously everybody could see. We still tried everything with strategy. At one point, we were P2 in the race. But in the middle of the race, we got hit by an LMP3 car, which was not nice. It was on the straight and a really big hit. Luckily, we could keep on going and we finished P5 again, which is some points for the championship. I just hope the next races are better, and also in terms of performance and (Balance of Performance) because at the moment, it’s pretty hard. We cannot fight, and it’s not in our hands.”

Patrick Pilet: “The whole race, we executed perfectly. It was just because an LMP3 touched us in a straight and created a puncture, that we lost a bit of time. To be honest, even with a perfect strategy and perfect pit stops, I drove like crazy during my last stint just to stay in front of the Aston Martin. But we don’t have the pace. It’s not in our hands. We give everything, we have a perfect race, but it’s copy-and-paste from Daytona. Perfect execution, but not what we want. We’re really focused on CTMP now – it’s our home race for the team and I think now it’s not in our hands. We’re ready, we’re well prepared. Now, we need a bit of help.”

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