Mario Farnbacher

Mario Farnbacher (born 14 May 1992) is a German racecar driver. He won the IMSA SportsCar Championship in the GTD class in 2019 and 2020, and also won the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am title in 2022. He has class victories at the Petit Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance races.

Career

Farnbacher began competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2014 with Team Seattle, driving a Porsche 911 GT America. He scored his first class victory the following season, winning the GTD class at the 2015 12 Hours of Sebring.

In 2019, Farnbacher won the IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD class championship with co-driver Trent Hindman. The duo claimed one race win during the season, taking class victory at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. The following season, Farnbacher scored his second consecutive GTD class championship, this time with co-driver Matt McMurry.

With MSR's move to the DPi class for 2021, Farnbacher found himself initially without a ride. In January, however, it was announced that he would compete with Magnus Racing in their new Acura NSX GT3 at the 24 Hours of Daytona. For most of the WeatherTech Sprint Cup races, beginning at Mid-Ohio, he joined Compass Racing, driving alongside Jeff Kingsley. Farnbacher also competed with Gradient Racing at the VIR round as a substitute for injured Marc Miller.

For the 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship season, Farnbacher embarked upon a Michelin Endurance Cup-only campaign with Gradient Racing, alongside a full-season effort in the GT World Challenge America with HPD Academy graduate Ashton Harrison. Driving alongside Kyffin Simpson and Till Bechtolsheimer, he led Gradient Racing to victory in the 25th running of the Petit Le Mans endurance race, where the team were the overall winner among all the GT entries. In GTWC America, Farnbacher and Harrison took four class wins and three further podiums to enter the final race 15 points behind the leaders. Following a second-place finish at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, the duo claimed the Pro-Am class title by five points.

Farnbacher began 2023 by taking part in the Michelin Pilot Challenge event at Daytona, driving for HART. It was his first time piloting a TCR touring car. The remainder of Farnbacher's season involved a second season in the GT World Challenge America alongside Harrison, this time in the Pro class. The pair were involved in the title fight all season long, claiming a class victory early in the season at Sonoma before adding an overall victory at COTA. Ultimately, they would settle for second in the championship, 44 points behind champions Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer.

For 2024, Farnbacher left his role as a factory driver for Honda Performance Development to join Aston Martin team The Heart of Racing for the IMSA Endurance Cup rounds.

Racing record Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position 2010 ADAC Formel Masters ma-con Motorsport 21 3 1 2 12 231 3rd 2011 ADAC Formel Masters ma-con Motorsport 3 0 0 1 0 173 6th Motopark Academy 20 1 0 2 4 Toyota Racing Series ETEC Motorsport 12 0 0 0 1 397 12th ADAC GT Masters Farnbacher ESET Racing 2 0 0 0 1 26 26th 2012 ADAC GT Masters Farnbacher ESET Racing 14 1 1 0 2 54 14th American Le Mans Series - GTC NGT Motorsport 1 1 0 0 1 24 18th 2013 ADAC GT Masters Farnbacher Racing 16 0 1 0 3 84 12th Rolex Sports Car Series - GT Burtin Racing / Goldcrest Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 21 57th American Le Mans Series - GTC NGT Motorsport 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Haribo Racing Team 1 0 ? ? 0 ? ? 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP7 1 0 0 0 0 N/A ? Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Team BetterLife 1 0 ? ? 0 ? ? 2014 United SportsCar Championship - GTD Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing 11 0 0 0 2 259 10th ADAC GT Masters Farnbacher Racing 10 0 0 0 0 3 40th 2015 United SportsCar Championship - GTD Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing 10 2 0 1 4 267 4th 2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing 10 1 5 2 2 285 5th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP7 Black Falcon Team TMD Friction 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st 2017 International GT Open - GT3 Pro Farnbacher Racing 11 2 ? ? 5 69 8th IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Riley Motorsports 4 1 0 0 2 115 24th Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Haribo Racing Team 1 0 1 ? 1 ? ? 2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian 5 1 0 0 2 182 13th 3GT Racing 2 0 1 0 0 Pirelli World Challenge - GT HART 2 0 0 0 0 26 14th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8 Ring Racing with Novel 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd 2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian 10 1 2 2 5 283 1st Intercontinental GT Challenge Honda Team Motul 2 0 1 0 0 10 25th Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup 1 0 0 0 0 11 20th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP6 SetupWizzard Racing 1 0 1 1 1 N/A 2nd 2020 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian 10 2 2 1 6 286 1st Intercontinental GT Challenge Team Honda Racing 4 0 1 0 1 31 5th GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup 1 0 0 0 0 5 26th 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Compass Racing 7 0 0 1 0 1575 15th Magnus Racing with Archangel Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 Gradient Racing 1 0 0 0 0 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP7 Krohn Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A Ret 2022 GT World Challenge America - Pro-Am Racers Edge Motorsports 13 4 4 2 8 212 1st IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Gradient Racing 5 1 0 0 2 1003 26th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - Cup2 Krohn Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A Ret 2023 GT World Challenge America - Pro Racers Edge Motorsports 13 2 3 2 6 192 2nd Michelin Pilot Challenge - TCR HART 1 0 0 0 0 190 33rd IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Gradient Racing 1 0 0 0 0 579 40th Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Andretti100002024 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro Heart of Racing Team20000592*6th*2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Forte Racing100001226613thNürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP7RPM Racing2026Michelin Pilot Challenge - TCRPegram RacingIMSA SportsCar Championship - GTDMagnus Racing

Complete American Le Mans Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank PointsRef 2012 NGT Motorsport GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SEB LBH LGA LIM MOS MOH ELK BAL VIR PET 18th 24 2013 NGT Motorsport GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SEB LBH LGA LIM MOS ELK BAL COT VIR PET NC 0

Complete Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank PointsRef 2013 Burtin Racing / Goldcrest Motorsports GT Porsche 911 GT3 Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY COT BAR ATL DET MOH WGL IMS ELK KAN LGA LIM 92nd

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete Bathurst 12 Hours results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2020 Honda Racing Team JAS Dane Cameron Renger van der Zande Honda NSX GT3 Evo GT3 Pro 184 27th 14th