Porsche Set to Celebrate End of the 911 GT3 R Race Era at Petit Le Mans

• Porsche made the 911 GT3 R available to customer teams beginning with the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

• Porsche is replacing the 911 GT3 R with a 992 racing model next year.

• Pfaff Motorsports, Wright Motorsports and Team Hardpoint will take the 911 GT3 R for it's last racing ride at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on Oct. 1.

It's one race to go for the Porsche 911 GT3 R race cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

With 14 series wins to its credit since 2019, Porsche and its customer teams are saying good-bye to its 510-hp 911 GT3 R race car after a four-year run in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The manufacturer is replacing it in 2023 with a car based on the 992 platform.

The 911 GT3 R's last IMSA race will be the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on Oct. 1.

Pfaff Motorsports debuted in the GTD class of the Championship in 2019 at the Rolex 24 and has fielded the Porsche 911 GT3 R ever since.

Seven of those 14 wins for the 911 GT3 R in IMSA competition have come in 2022—five GTD Pro class wins with Pfaff Motorsports (Rolex 24 at Daytona, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock Park, Virginia International Raceway) and two with Wright Motorsports in GTD (Rolex 24 at Daytona, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca).

Entering the 25th Anniversary Petit Le Mans, those two Porsche privateer teams are still in contention for the championship titles in their respective classes.

In GTD Pro, The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche leads the standings ahead of the No. 3 car from Corvette Racing. In GTD, the No 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche is in third place, trailing, but still within striking distance of the the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin and the No. 32 Team Korthoff Mercedes-AMG teams.

A second team, No. 99 Team Hardpoint, is also in this year's Petit Le Mans field as a customer team in GTD with a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

“Our 991.2 GT3 R, chassis 05, has been a very special car for us as we had virtually all of our firsts in IMSA with it,” said Steve Bortolotti, Pfaff Motorsports team manager said. “I was never one to have an emotional attachment to inanimate objects, however, I am proud to know that we will be hanging on to this car for the foreseeable future. The pedigree it has amassed is incredible, and I’m proud of the job both our staff and Porsche have done to keep a chassis with over 55,000 racing kilometers (34, 175 miles) on it still running in tip-top shape at the sharp end of an extremely competitive field.

"Hopefully we can send it off with a 12th IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship victory.”

Here's a look at the Porsche 911 GT3 R's IMSA success:

Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R

2019

• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 3rd Place, GTD class

• Wins (2): Lime Rock Park, Road America

2020

•IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 16th place, GTD class

2021

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, class champions, GTD class

• Wins (4): 12 Hours of Sebring, Road America, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Virginia International Raceway

2022

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, currently 1st place, GTD Pro class

• Wins (5): Rolex 24 at Daytona, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Lime Rock Park, Virginia International Raceway

Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R

2020

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 2nd place, GTD class

Wins (1): 12 Hours of Sebring.

2021

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 4th place, GTD class

2022

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, currently 3rd place, GTD class

Wins (2): Rolex 24 at Daytona, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.