TORONTO, Ont. — Pfaff Motorsports has confirmed its lineup of drivers for next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Piloting the team’s new McLaren 720S GT3 in the GTD Pro class will be full-time drivers Oliver Jarvis and Marvin Kirchhoefer, with James Hinchcliffe joining at three endurance races and Alexander Rossi taking the fourth role at the 24 Hours of Daytona at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway in January.
The lineup pairs Jarvis, an IMSA champion and winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; Kirchhoefer, an up-and-coming McLaren factory driver; Hinchcliffe, an NTT IndyCar Series winner and popular broadcast personality; and Rossi, winner of the 100th Indianapolis 500 and current McLaren driver in IndyCar.
Next season marks Jarvis’ full-time return to IMSA after scoring the DPi class title in 2022 with Meyer Shank Racing. The Englishman also has victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring in North American competition, and international success with multiple manufacturers and spanning across series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series.
“I am really excited to be joining Pfaff Motorsports driving a McLaren 720S GT3 EVO,” Jarvis said. “The opportunity to join a proven championship-winning team and to return to IMSA full-time after winning the championship in 2022 made it an easy decision. Whilst it will be my first full season competing in GT Pro in IMSA.
“I am relishing the opportunity together with my new teammates to fight for victories and ultimately the championship. A huge thanks to everyone at Pfaff Motorsports and McLaren for making this happen!”
Kirchhoefer – a McLaren factory driver since 2021 – brings crucial experience with the marque. Co-driving a McLaren 720S GT3, the German driver finished on the GTD class podium at this past year’s 24 Hours of Daytona. He has been a staple for the development of McLaren customer cars such as the Artura GT4, the Solus GT and the 720S GT3 Evo. Kirchhoefer was also a winner at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2017, a podium finisher at Bathurst in 2019, and a winner with McLaren at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed Shootout.
Meanwhile, Hinchcliffe brings a triple threat element to the endurance lineup – driving talent, widely recognized star power, and a nod to the team’s heritage as a fellow Canadian. The Ontario native is set to join the team at Daytona, Sebring and the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“Being a proud Canadian, and with Pfaff Motorsports as Canada’s top professional race team, I am absolutely thrilled to partner with them in 2024 for the three long endurance races,” Hinchcliffe said. “Since we came up with this concept back in 2021 and as I looked to make a transition from IndyCar, being in this series and with this team has always been part of my goal.
“Being part of this next chapter with McLaren and with their last few years of on-track success, there is a lot of pressure, but a lot of optimism. I am grateful to Chris Pfaff and everyone on the team for making this happen. Daytona cannot come soon enough.”
Recently named to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, Hinchcliffe has claimed six IndyCar Series victories and 16 podiums throughout his career, alongside earning the series’ 2011 rookie of the year title and being voted as a two-time Favorite Driver of the Year. Hinchcliffe has also notably competed on Dancing with the Stars, and has been a staple in the NBC broadcast booth since 2022 for IMSA, IndyCar and Formula One events.
Rossi completes the team’s Daytona roster, adding prestige and McLaren experience to the lineup. After his 2016 win at the Indianapolis 500 – which came in his rookie season one year after competing in Formula One – the American has gone on to capture dozens of podiums and nearly 10 victories in IndyCar, in addition to wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and Baja 1000 in 2021 before joining the McLaren family this year.