The 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona produced a spectacular nail-biting finish with podium spots being contested for well into the final hour of the race. 2021 GTD Champions Pfaff Motorsports eventually came home to claim a hard-fought victory in the new GTD Pro class. It all came down to the final lap of the race, where the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche made contact with the #2 KCMG Porsche but kept on track to maintain the lead and eventually cross the chequered flag in P1. It was a stunning display of strength and determination that resulted in the eventual triumph for the Motul-backed Porsche squad.
Right from the green flag, Pfaff Motorsports challenged for the class lead. The trio of Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr and Mathieu Jaminet was on an all-out attack, continually pushing the Porsche 911 GT3R to its maximum. The battle for the lead in the GTD Pro class culminated into a “crazy fight” between Jaminet and his fellow Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor for the closing 2 hours, highlighted by a historic battle in the final 30 minutes of the race. The Pfaff Motorsports car handled pressure from the chasing #2 Porsche brilliantly even after 24 hours of intense racing.
Motul’s 300V and Gear Competition oils aided in keeping the engine and gearbox running in pristine condition despite constantly hopping over kerbs, revving to the max and pushing the engine at top speeds for the majority of the race. Jaminet refused to give up and kept his composure, clocking in consistent lap times despite the rival Porsche looming in his rear-view mirrors. It all boiled down to the final few minutes as the Porsche of Vanthoor gained the lead with less than 3 laps to go. At the moment when hope seemed to be lost for the Pfaff Motorsports team, Jaminet refused to give up and made an attempt to regain the lead on the final lap, going late on the brakes into the hairpin and brilliantly snatching back the lead. From there, he relied on the power of the Motul-powered engine to maintain the gap on the final straight, taking a monumental class victory despite contact in the final corners of the race.
Motul and Pfaff Motorsports have worked alongside each other, enjoying a multitude of successes over the years. This latest win at Daytona 24 demonstrated the core values of their partnership, hard work and determination. Motul’s years of research and development, along with the flagship ESTERCore® technology has aided to produce the legendary 300V. This lubricant plays an integral role in keeping the engine reliable during endurances race.
The 300V allowed the drivers to push the engine to the maximum around the largely-flat-out Daytona International Speedway and keep all parts running smoothly and reliably, especially on a weekend such as this with unseasonably cold temperatures and changing track conditions. For the Pfaff Motorsport team, this extra boost proved invaluable in the closing stages of the race and earned them the victory.
For Pfaff Motorsports and Motul, this was an important victory to kick off their 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the most spectacular fashion. Powered by the 300V, the Porsche 911 GT3 R showcased the power and reliability of the lubricant at North America’s most iconic endurance event. It is a historic and emphatic win to start the 2022 chapter in Motul’s 169-year-old legacy book.
Race Results
#9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R – P1 (Fastest Lap – 1:45.209)
Mathieu Jaminet | Matt Campbell | Felipe Nasr
Mathieu Jaminet | Driver, #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
“At the moment I am speechless. It is difficult to realize what just happened. This is the biggest race I have won in my career. This is the one everyone wants to win; it is the watch (Rolex Daytona) everyone wants to have. To finally get it, it is incredible. I need some time to realize what just happened. Especially in that way: a proper field, proper cars around us. I had a crazy finish with one of the best GT drivers in the world fighting against me. The big picture is just perfect.
“Matt did an incredible job throughout the race but especially at the end, because he brought the car back up to the KCMG Porsche which made a huge difference. I am super happy.
“Honestly, I didn’t know it was the last lap. Everyone will remember the last four minutes, but for me, it was two hours of hard fighting. To stay in front for two hours was tough – really tough. When it comes down to the last lap of 24-hours of racing, it is what everyone wants to have, including us drivers, but on the other hand, I feel for the other team because they deserved to win as much as we do. So, hats off to Laurens and to the KCMG crew because they also deserved that win. We worked hard for it. Hats off to everyone at Pfaff Motorsports. They did an amazing job on strategy and in the pits.”
Matt Campbell | Driver, #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
“I’m super emotional. We are pretty speechless to win a race in such a fashion, especially in the new era with GTD Pro. It is fantastic. To win it the way we did with Mathieu in the car and the finish we had, it just makes it that extra special. And now we can call ourselves Rolex 24 Hour winners. It is an incredible feeling.
“If you look at the cars that were in GTD Pro, it was a race of attrition. We just knew we had to keep it clean until the morning and see if we were in a position to fight, and we were. We had a fantastic strategy and we were able to bring the car back to the front with five hours to go. Then we could start thinking about pacing ourselves for the final hours.
“Mathieu and I have done this race many times. We have come close many times, and now to be able to finally have a win, especially with a full-season effort with Pfaff, it is a great way to start the season. Hopefully, we can get a few more along the way.”
About Motul
Motul is a world-class French company specialised in the formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech activity. Motul offers a whole range of products for everyday car use, including the 8100, H-tech, RBF series, ATF, CVTF and DCTF among others. Motul products ensure all parts of the car are kept in pristine condition to extract maximum performance and reliability.
Unanimously recognised for more than 150 years for the quality of its products, innovation capacity and involvement in the field of competition, Motul is also recognised as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, issued from the aeronautical industry, making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant. In 2021, Motul launched the newest iteration of the 300V with revolutionary technology, setting a new benchmark for high-performance lubricants.
Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for several championship winning racing teams.
Motul is committed to its growing business presence in Asia Pacific. Over the years, the company has expanded operations significantly. Currently it has 3 major manufacturing facilities and 2 R&D centres across the region to cater to the ever-growing demand. These centres focus on refining the lubricant technology for Asian climate and driving conditions, which are vastly different from Europe.
MOTUL Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd
1A International Business Park, #06-03
Singapore 609933
www.motul.com
For more information, please contact Motul at pr@motul.com.sg.