It’s been an interesting path for Lars Kern to reach this point. The 32-year old German has been associated with Porsche for almost ten years now, but is only beginning to emerge in motorsport.
He holds a number of production car lap records thanks to his role as a development and test driver for the German marque. Only in the past three years has he been incorporated in GT3 racing. He has primarily raced in VLN and the 24 Hour series, before making his IMSA debut with Pfaff Motorsport last year.
He returns to Pfaff this year, joining Dennis Olsen, Zacharie Robichon and Patrick Pilet for the Rolex 24. Before the race I asked him some quick questions surrounding his plans for Daytona and the 2020 season.
How happy are you to be back with Pfaff Motorsport for the Rolex 24?
24h Daytona is such a special race. But even if you’re fully prepared it’s a huge gamble. You have to get every little detail right to go for the win. Pfaff is an amazing team and it’s a honor for me to be with them for another year.
Kern’s role with Porsche has expanded in recent years, including this Intercontinental GT drive in Kyalami late last year. Photo: Porsche AG.
What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the Porsche at Daytona?
I think we have a super reliable and good handling car. We don’t have the best pace i guess but we have a great package.
How was the Roar test for the #9 team?
The Roar Test went super smooth. We just did our program, checked all set-up directions and found a good rhythm.
Who are your main class rivals at the Rolex 24 this year?
Basically every car can win GTD. If you go through the drivers and teams, the quality is incredible.
Kern and the Pfaff Porsche return in 2020, and will be hard to miss with their plaid livery. Photo: Motorsport.comÂ
Are you likely to do more endurance rounds with Pfaff this year?
Yes, I’ll do all four endurance Races with Pfaff and my mates Zach and Dennis. And I’m really looking forward to it.
Describe your role as a Porsche test/racing driver?
The role is pretty spread up between racing and testing. Racing is the side job, Testing and engineering is my daily job. It’s important to constantly work on the performance, driveability and Quality of our cars. This sums it up!
What are your racing plans for 2020?
In 2020 I’ll compete in IMSA Endurance and Nuerburgring Endurance Championship incl. 24h Nuerburgring. Let’s see if there are more races but this is already a great program so far.
I would like to thank Lars for giving us these great answers. I also wish him and his #9 team the best of luck this weekend! Find me on Twitter @JWjournalism if you liked this article!
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