After months of speculation, it has now been confirmed that longtime Canadian fan-favorite Pfaff Motorsports will pause its IMSA GTD PRO program at the end of the 2026 season.
The decision was communicated to team staff before last weekend’s breakthrough victory at Road America, where Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell delivered the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 its first IMSA win. The result was a major moment for both Lamborghini and Pfaff, with the No. 9 GTD PRO entry making history for the new GT3 platform as the car won for the very first time in North America and IMSA.
Pfaff has played a key role in Lamborghini’s latest GT3 program. The Canadian squad gave the Temerario GT3 its global racing debut earlier this year at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and it remains the only IMSA team currently campaigning the new car in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Lamborghini is understood to be interested in continuing its GTD PRO effort beyond 2026, though it is not yet clear which team could take over the program from Pfaff.
A major factor in Pfaff’s decision is believed to be the organization’s purchase of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last December. With that responsibility now part of the company’s future, Pfaff is expected to shift more attention toward the Canadian motorsport scene, including helping develop young Canadian drivers. That has long been part of the team’s identity, with drivers such as Zacharie Robichon, now with Heart of Racing, having previously been part of Pfaff’s rise.
Pfaff Motorsports became one of the standout GT teams of the modern IMSA era. The team joined full-time WeatherTech Championship competition in 2019 with the instantly recognizable plaid No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3.R, and quickly became a serious GTD contender. Its first IMSA WeatherTech victory came at Lime Rock Park, helping establish Pfaff as more than just a popular fan favorite.
The team’s biggest success followed soon after. In 2021, Zacharie Robichon and Laurens Vanthoor helped Pfaff capture the GTD drivers’ and team championships, while the team also scored a major endurance victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. In 2022, Pfaff moved into the newly formed GTD PRO category and immediately made an impact, winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona before going on to claim the inaugural GTD PRO championship.
After several successful years with Porsche, Pfaff opened a new chapter by switching to McLaren in 2024, before later moving to Lamborghini in 2025, and beginning its role with the Huracán GT3 platform before the arrival of the new Temerario GT3.
While it is disappointing to see such a popular team step away from the IMSA paddock, Pfaff has not ruled out a future return. The team has indicated that it wants to continue racing, but a full 2027 WeatherTech Championship campaign was not possible to operate under its current plans.
PFAFF didnt rule out a return to IMSA competiton in the future, as they citted that they want the team to continue, but a fully fledged 2027 WeatherTech Series campagin was just not possible to opporate.
Heres hoping that they return in 2028!
About the Author
