Magnus Racing to Withdraw From Multi-Global Expansion
Friday, April 1, 2011 at 03:42PM 
Salt Lake City, UT (March 30, 2011)- Following efforts to expand beyond not only the team’s current facilities in Salt Lake City and the widely popular Magnus Racing East Theme Park and Race Garage, Magnus Racing has elected to focus their efforts strictly on their Salt Lake City efforts following a series of disagreements with management officials. This is in no way related to the fact that in the two years of the team’s discussion of expansion, very little has ever happened.
Magnus Racing, now in their sophomore season of professional racing in both the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron, is widely known for both their performance on track and their familial atmosphere off the track. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the team announced in the spring of 2010 that they were going to investigate the possibility of pursuing the idea of seeking financial investment from individuals who may see the potential benefits of exploring the opportunity of a prospective new East Coast facility at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. Understanding that an announcement and press release about such a project was as good as actually coming through with the commitment, Magnus Racing has since followed up with several more announcements on potential projects.
In July of 2010, Magnus Racing became the first professional racing team to make good on the promise of building a facility within the campus of the New Jersey Motorsports Park, by launching the Magnus Racing East Theme Park and Race Shop, an inflatable series of structures that featured everything from a bouncy house and inflatable slide, all the way to a catering tent and tire machine.
For John Potter, the launch of Magnus Racing East was a great step forward in the expansion of the company.
“Everyone here at Magnus Racing is very committed to making good on our promises,” stated Potter. “When we make claims such as promising to investigating the possibility of seeking investment on a prospective project, we intend to follow through, with as much fanfare as possible. Like many in racing, we completely understand the value of making a lot of spin about projects that aren’t always centered in reality, and we like to separate ourselves by making good on these projects.”
Following the success of the Magnus Racing East Theme Park and Race Shop, the team sought loftier goals. Devising a plan to expand in to every race track imaginable, the team knew that the only thing separating themselves from reality was just a press release away.
However, as more and more fans and clients seek the delivery of actual tangible results, Magnus Racing feels it best to re-focus their efforts on their own racing program, and instead fault track management around the world for their own shortcomings.
John Potter made his opinions clear on the matter.
“Racing, as in life, is more about finding fault in others than it is about focusing on our own programs,” stated Potter. “We’ve had plans to possibly develop grounds in a number of facilities, however at the end of the day we’ve decided to focus our efforts strictly on our racing and our clients and sponsors. I wholeheartedly blame track management around the world for this, as I take a lot of issue with track owners who expect us to do things such as put down deposits, financial commitments, or even submit business plans for what we would do on their grounds. It’s a little confusing… we send out press releases on these matters, I don’t understand what other foundation a track owner would need.”
The below list is a series of tracks and reasons why Magnus Racing will no longer build prospective facilities on their grounds:
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Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: Track management failed to inform Magnus Racing that John Steinbeck died a long time ago, and therefore cannot give John Potter an autographed copy of Cannery Row.
Watkins Glen International Raceway: The owners of the famed circuit tried to tempt team personnel with the close proximity of Niagara Falls, but failed to mention the best viewing is in Canada.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Track management failed to note that the amusement park was the next island over, and similarly that the team cannot put their shop inside the casino.
Homestead-Miami Speedway: Circuit officials failed to mention anything about the city of Homestead.
Barber Motorsports Park: When track officials discussed the possibility of the deal being “no sweat,” they neglected the amount of humidity in the area.
Daytona International Speedway: Circuit officials claimed no jurisdiction of the race shop being set-up inside of The Wing House.
Lime Rock Park: Circuit officials were unavailable.
Baltimore Street Circuit: Given.
Long Beach Street Circuit: Track officials refused to negotiate a deal with the Long Beach aquarium to allow the shop in the same space as the Penguin den.
Road Atlanta: Track management was unwilling to yield on a permanent installation of a Waffle House inside the facility.
Phoenix Street Circuit: Track officials failed to mention there hasn’t been a race there since 1991.
Zhuhai Circuit, China: Officials unable to offer happy endings following contract signature.
Singapore Street Circuit: Engineer Lars Giersing is not allowed within 100 miles.
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium: Track management did not mention that “Eau Rouge” was not a bed and breakfast.
Circuit de Le Sarthe (Le Mans), France: Track officials failed to mention the track was in fact not permanent.
Monaco Street Circuit: Officials failed to mention how close it was to France.
Infineon Raceway: Track management failed to inform the team of how close it was to Petaluma, California.
Bristol Motor Speedway: Owners failed to disclose the city of Bristol during 50 “other” weeks during the year.
Sebring International Raceway: Management unable to move air traffic away from site grounds.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: Track management failed to mention that there wasn’t an independent restaurant within 100 miles.
Road America: Track management failed to mention that Siebkins was a separate establishment.
Knoxville Dirt Track: Owners neglected to mention it was in Iowa.
Zandvoort Circuit, Netherlands: Project still in negotiation.
Macau Street Circuit: Officials failed to mention that no one knows where the hell Macau even is.
Bathurst Circuit, Australia: Management unable to make Isla Fisher part of the agreement.
Monza Circuit, Italy: Track management was on vacation, again.
Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia: Real Estate may soon be available.
Istanbul Park, Turkey: Track management refused to recognize Craig Stanton being from Glendale, CA (kudos to you if you get this joke).
…just to name a few.
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