Draft:Pfaff Motorsports

Canada Pfaff Motorsports
NationCanada
Founder(s)Chris Pfaff
Former namesPfaff Motor
Team principal(s)Steve Bortolotti
Current seriesIMSA Sportscar Championship
Former seriesSports Car Championship Canada
Canadian Touring Car Championship
SprintX GT Championship Series
Pirelli World Challenge
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Canada
Websitehttps://pfaffmotorsports.com

Pfaff Motorsports is a Canadian motorsport team based in Toronto. The team joined the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2019, following a more than 50 year history in North American Cup-class racing.[1] The Pfaff Group brought Pfaff Motorsports in-house in 2014[2][1] and appointed General Manager Steve Bortolotti in February 2015.[3] In 2016 President and CEO of Pfaff Automotive Partners Chris Pfaff was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame for the role he has played in the development of a long list of notable Canadian racers.[4]

Pfaff Motorsport's Porsche 992 GT3 R at Daytona International Speedway

Pfaff Motorsports relationship with Porsche includes the use of factory drivers at international level in IMSA competition.

Background

Current president and CEO of Pfaff Automotive Partners Chris Pfaff, who assumed control in 1986, is the son of the founder Hans J. Pfaff, who created the Volkswagen dealership H.J. Pfaff Motors in 1964, adding Porsche in 1966.[5] General Manager Steve Bortolotti held a role in Pfaff Tuning before assuming his current role as GM of Motorsport.[2]

History

Pfaff Motors campaigned a 944 in the inaugural Rothmans Porsche Challenge[6] in 1986, and remained with the series until it ended in 1990, with Scott Goodyear winning it for them in 1988.[7]

Pfaff entered the one-make series Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Canada from 2012 until the series ended in 2019. However, when that series was replaced by Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2021, Pfaff had already moved to international racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

Pfaff joined the Pirelli World Challenge in 2018, with factory drivers and support from Porsche Motorsport NA, including reigning Cup Challenge Canada champion of 2017 Scott Hargrove moving across to that entry. The team also fielded an entry in the supporting GT4 class .[8]

From 2019 on, Pfaff have campaigned in the IMSA Sportscar Championship, including the 24 Hours of Daytona, with a Porsche 911 GT3 R.[9] Pfaff's North American racing in 2020 was heavily affected by the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pfaff ran in that season's 2020 24 Hours of Daytona but were otherwise only able to enter the Petit Le Mans round, and missed the remainder of the rearranged rounds.[10] The team, and commercial partners, competed in the domestic Canadian Touring Car Championship instead, using the experienced IMSA driver Zacharie Robichon in a coaching role with young driver Zach Vanier.[11] The 17-year old secured the championship title with Pfaff.[12]

Trivia

Pfaff have appeared in a "Plaid Porsche" livery since 2019. The idea started as a joke in the workshop;[13] the car for the 2020 24 Hours of Daytona arrived late, forcing the team had to work over the Christmas holiday period in order to meet logistics deadlines. In the workshop many of the crew wore plaid shirts and marketing director Laurence Yap suggested wrapping the car in plaid too.

Pfaff Motorsports in Plaid livery at IWSC Road America round in 2021

References

  1. ^ a b "Meet the Team Taking Motorsport Racing by Storm". WHEELS.ca. 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  2. ^ a b "Pfaff Motorsports | GT3 Season Recap". Pfaff Auto. 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  3. ^ "Pfaff Motorsports racing a Porsche in Chevrolet Grand Prix". Canadian Auto Dealer. 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  4. ^ "Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame | Chris Pfaff". Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  5. ^ "Pfaff Automotive Partners celebrates 50 successful years". Canadian Auto Dealer. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  6. ^ autocourse.ca https://autocourse.ca/archives/national/porsche/1986/porsche.htm. Retrieved 2023-01-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ autocourse.ca https://autocourse.ca/archives/national/porsche/1986/porsche.htm. Retrieved 2023-01-18. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ Dagys, John (13 December 2017). "Hargrove Confirmed in New Pfaff Porsche Entry – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  9. ^ Makse, Brian (5 November 2020). "Canada's Pfaff Motorsports' Porsche was destined to wear plaid". IMSA.
  10. ^ "Pfaff Motorsports de retour pour Petit Le Mans". Endurance Info (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  11. ^ "Pfaff Motorsports confirms full-season entry in CTCC - automobilsport.com". www.automobilsport.com. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  12. ^ fabior (2020-08-30). "17-year old Zachary Vanier secures the CTCC title". TCR HUB. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  13. ^ "Rolex 24: Why plaid has been rad for this team at Daytona - NBC Sports". MotorSportsTalk | NBC Sports. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
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