Magnus Confirms Kaffer, Pumpelly for PWC GT Season

Photos: IMSA

Pierre Kaffer and Spencer Pumpelly have been confirmed as Magnus Racing’s drivers for its Pro class Audi R8 LMS in Pirelli World Challenge, the team announced on Thursday.

Kaffer will serve as the lead driver of the No. 4 Audi for the majority of the Sprint and SprintX seasons and will be joined by Pumpelly as his co-driver for the SprintX rounds.

The Audi factory GT driver will miss both the Lime Rock Park and Mid-Ohio rounds due to his commitments at the Nürburgring 24 and Total 24 Hours of Spa, with a replacement yet to be named.

“The team has a great reputation for results, and even though it’s their first season of the Pirelli World Challenge I think we all believe we can be competitive,” Kaffer said.

“I was able to meet everyone at a recent test, and it’s clearly a great group, and a very comfortable atmosphere. I’m extremely appreciative of the opportunity, and look forward to getting the season started in St. Petersburg.”

Two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona class winner Pumpelly will also make his team debut, although he admits there are not too many new faces within the team.

Pumpelly took part in selected PWC races last year with RealTime Racing.

“I already feel right at home with everyone at Magnus Racing,” he said. “I’ve known almost everyone on the team for a long time, so it’s a very comfortable place to be, and the chemistry is already excellent.

“The SprintX format is a unique one, as both Pierre and I will be flat out for some very short stints, but it should make for some exciting races.”

The SprintX co-driver for John Potter, who will contest the entire season in the No. 44 Audi in GTA, meanwhile, has yet to be announced.

“We couldn’t be happier to have the addition of both Pierre and Spencer to the team,” Potter said. “Pierre Kaffer’s success speaks for itself, and as an Audi Sport-provided driver, he clearly has the pace and the talent to compete with the best of them.

“He’s already proven a good fit with us during testing, and we expect he’ll suit us well going in to the 2017 season.

“I’ve known Spencer for a while, including briefly driving with him, and know he’ll be a great fit with us for the SprintX races. He’s obviously a proven winner, not to mention has some great experience with Audi machinery, so we’re hoping for good things with the two of them driving together.”

Kaffer and Potter will pilot the pair of Audis in the team’s PWC debut in next weekend’s Sprint season-opener at St. Pete.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John