Photo By: R.MacAloney/CDN-R.com
From Pfaff Motorsports:
After a prolonged absence from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, caused by travel restrictions for team members and drivers, Pfaff Motorsports will return to the series for the signature 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans.
The #9 Motul-sponsored “Plaid Porsche” 911 GT3 R will be driven by Canadian Zach Robichon, Porsche development driver and Nurburgring lap-record holder Lars Kern, and Intercontinental GT champion, Norwegian Dennis Olsen, the trio having previously contested the 24 Hours of Daytona with Patrick Pilet and Pfaff in January.
“It was very disappointing not to be racing in July when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship made its return,” said team manager Steve Bortolotti. “We felt we had all the pieces in place to make a run at the championship in our sophomore season. Our team is made up predominantly of Pfaff employees who work in our dealerships when not racing; travel restrictions between the United States and Canada made a full-season return impossible in July when the series resumed. However, for Petit Le Mans, quarantining for two weeks upon returning to Canada for the series’ signature event made sense for all of us, especially as a way to thank our partners for sticking by our side during these challenging times.”
The Pfaff Motorsports team did not have an idle summer, reactivating its driver-development program in the Canadian Touring Car Championship with an Audi RS3 TCR and 17-year-old Zachary Vanier. Winning five of six races, and taking five of six pole positions, Vanier became the youngest champion in the CTCC series’ history.
Looking ahead to the race at Road Atlanta, Bortolotti said: “Motul Petit Le Mans is one of the most exciting events on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar. Our partners at Motul and Porsche Motorsport North America have been incredibly supportive during this challenging season, and we couldn’t be more excited for our return to IWSC championship competition at Motul’s headline event.”
The 2020 Motul Petit Le Mans gets underway on Thursday, October 15. Qualifying kicks off with the GTD class and the Motul Pfaff Porsche 911 GT3 R on Friday, October 16 at 12:30 pm ET. The green flag drops for race day on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 12:00 pm ET.
Viewers can watch qualifying live on Friday at www.IMSA.tv. Full coverage of the race will be broadcast live on IMSA Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold (US only), as well as during select periods on NBC SN in the USA, CNBC and NBC Sports Gold in both Canada and the USA, and Discovery Velocity in Canada (subscriptions may apply). Complete broadcast details can be found under the Motul Petit Le Mans schedule on www.IMSA.com.
Stay tuned for further announcements from Pfaff Motorsports regarding the 2020 IMSA racing season. For more news and behind-the-scenes content, follow @PfaffMotorsports, @Pfaff_Porsche, and @PfaffAuto on Instagram, and Pfaff Porsche on Facebook.