Porsche Motorsport Pre-Event Notes. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. VIRginia International Raceway

Porsche Motorsport Notes.
Date. August 24, 2023.
VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia.

For the second and final time in 2023, Porsche 911 GT3 R customer teams competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will have their best opportunity to race for an overall victory. The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, round nine of 11 for the GTD Pro and GTD classes, is reserved solely for the GT3 specification entries by the top manufacturers including the new-for-2023 type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 R race car. Five of the German sports car manufacturer’s machines are spread across the GTD Pro and GTD classes and four different race teams. While Porsche pursues its second race win of the season, two-time defending race and series champion Pfaff Motorsports is seeking its first win of 2023. The two-hour, 40-minute race at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course in Alton, Virginia takes the green flag at 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT on Sunday, August 27 and can be watched live on USA.

By class.
GTD Pro. 1 Porsche entry
Porsche is in fourth place in GTD Pro Manufacturers’ Standings, - 223 points behind Lexus.

No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports. Bachler/Pilet
o Fourth place, 223 points out of the GTD Pro Driver and Team points lead.
o Pfaff has won this event the last two seasons: 2021 (GTD class, Zach Robichon/Laurens Vanthoor) and 2022 (GTD Pro, Matt Campbell/Mathieu Jaminet).
o Pilet has two race wins at VIR (2015 and 2019, GTLM, Porsche 911 RSR).
o Bachler has never raced at VIR.
o This car will carry the Porsche onboard camera.

GTD. 4 Porsche entries.
Porsche is in fourth place in GTD Manufacturers’ Standings, -373 points behind BMW.

No. 77 VOLT Racing Wright Motorsports. Brynjolfsson/Hindman
o Currently the highest-ranking Porsche GTD team, ninth in standings, -676 points behind Paul Miller Racing.
o Wright Motorsports is seeking its first WeatherTech victory at VIR.

No. 80 AO Racing. Hyett/Priaulx
o 13th in GTD Team standings, a one position gain at Road America. -1098 points behind Paul Miller Racing.
o Priaulx won Race 2 of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America at VIR in 2021.
o Will compete with the pink “Roxy” livery instead of the green Tyrannosaurus Rex livery known as “Rexy” at VIR.

No. 91 Kellymoss with Riley. Metni/van Berlo
o 11th in the GTD standings, -785 points behind Paul Miller Racing.
o Only Porsche team with a GTD class win in 2023 (Laguna Seca).
o van Berlo won Race 1 of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America at VIR in 2021. Splitting the weekend with Priaulx. Both drivers were racing for Kellymoss.

No. 92 Kellymoss with Riley. Brule/Udell
o 10th in the GTD standings, -684 points behind Paul Miller Racing.
o Gained one position in the standings at Road America (from 11th into the top ten).
o The No. 92 has yet to win in 2023 but has one pole position (Laguna Seca).
o Riley won the GTD class here in 2019.

IMSA VP SportsCar Challenge.
o Kellymoss with Riley will do double duty this weekend with the No. 27 entered for Porsche one-make veteran Sebastian Carazo.

Entry list.
https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2023/08/16/2023IWSCVIRPreEventEntryList.pdf

To the point.
Current IMSA Championship Point Standings.
http://results.imsa.com/?season=23_2023

By the Numbers. Porsche In IMSA.
• 597. Number of IMSA victories for Porsche - Combined Chassis/Engine. (Record). o 247 more than nearest rival Chevrolet.
• 53. Number of Porsche WeatherTech Championship victories (Record). • 475. Number of IMSA pole positions by Porsche. (Record). o 111 more than nearest rival Chevrolet.

By the Numbers. Porsche at VIR.
• 14. Number of Porsche-built race cars participating at VIR spread between IMSA series: WeatherTech, Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP SportsCar Challenge.
o WeatherTech – GTD Pro – Porsche 911 GT3 R – 1 – No. 9.
o WeatherTech – GTD – Porsche 911 GT3 R – 2 – Nos. 77, 80, 91, 92.
o Pilot Challenge – GS – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport – 4 – Nos. 28, 39, 47, 83.
o VP Challenge – GSX – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport – 4 – Nos. 5, 17, 27, 44, 46.

• 23. Number of Porsche victories at VIR since 1957.
• 9. Number of class wins at VIR since 2000. Tied with Chevrolet for most victories.
• 1957. Bob Holbert wins first event held at VIR in Porsche 550 RS.
• 1971. Hurley Haywood wins first race after returning from Vietnam (Porsche 914/6).

*Image courtesy of Porsche.

08242023