Magnus Racing Tag-Team’s Top Position for Three Rounds at Daytona
Monday, January 7, 2013 at 06:01PM 
Daytona Beach, Fl (January 7, 2013)- Kicking off the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series at this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 pre-season test, Magnus Racing entered the track anew. A new sponsor, a new second program, and a host of new drivers meant the whole program looked…well, new.
One thing was not new, however, as Magnus Racing returned to the scene of its first-ever Rolex Series victory in a familiar position; first. As the first GRAND-AM sanctioned test of the season, this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 featured eight practice sessions spread across three days, with the team taking top honors in three of them.
Driving the no. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911GT3 Cup, the full-season duo of John Potter and Andy Lally were joined by Magnus newcomer Nicolas Armindo for this weekend’s test. Armindo, a multi-time European Le Mans Series GTE champion, was an instant fit with the organization, and even laughed at an Andy Lally joke once.
On the track, the trio proved formidable headed in to this month’s 51st Running of The Rolex 24 at Daytona. As the defending winners of the race, the team didn’t miss a step, topping two sessions with a top-time of 1:49.128 (83.111mph). Equally notable, the team went incident free during the entire week. Finishing in the top-three during six of the eight sessions, the Flex-Box shod Porsche is in strong form for the upcoming endurance classic.
“This was an extremely productive weekend,” stated Magnus Racing Team Owner John Potter. “It was so strange to sit in the drivers’ lounge and hear Andy wanting to do real work. It’s clear we’re ready for this year. The car was fast, and Nicolas really impressed all of us. He was immediately quick, and I think he’s finally warmed up to our sense of humor. It was also great to see such a strong debut for everyone at the no. 45. To have them set a top time during one of the sessions showed just what kind of program and car we have, and no one put a wheel wrong the whole time.”
Indeed, the no. 45 B+ Foundation / Safecraft Restraints / Bckstgr.com / Eagle Technologies / Fall Line Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup also proved quick. Featuring a roster of drivers on loan from Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS team Fall Line Motorsports, the lineup of Mark Boden, Al Carter, Charles Espenlaub, Hugh Plumb and Charlie Putman ran a near faultless week as well.
Running the whole weekend without major incident, the ultimate pace of the no. 45 became evident during the final morning with a lap-time of 1:49.592 (73.269mph). Not only would that top the time sheets for the session, but would prove the fastest lap of the weekend for the no. 45 team, as one of very few cars to turn a lap under the 1:50 mark.
“This was a very productive test for us,” stated Al Carter. “The Magnus guys gave us a solid car that ran virtually flawless all week, and being able to top the times during the last day showed just how strong we are. While we’ve all worked as teammates in the Continental Challenge, we haven’t all worked in the same car, and this has been a great experience so far.”
For Charles Putman, much of the same sentiment is echoed.
“I’m really happy with the weekend” stated Putman. “We all have a lot of experience, and it was great to see us all get together and just come in with a solid approach. The team had a great gameplan for us, and we seemed to stick to it. I’m very happy with the program so far. Daytona looks to be a very special event.”
Two cars, three fastest laps, and with a real solid shot for the race, Magnus Racing appears to have kept the momentum established during their 2012 season.
With the team already packed up and headed home, the final preparations for the 51st Running of The Rolex 24 at Daytona are well under way. Even though the team will disappear for a few days in anticipation of the race, the desire to keep the fans entertained will not. Stay tuned for several upcoming announcements, contests, and campaigns built specifically for the Magnus fans as we count the days to the year’s biggest race.