Magnus Racing Ready for SprintX Finale in Texas
Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 04:36PM 
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (August 31, 2017) – With two weekends remaining in the Pirelli World Challenge 2017 season, this weekend’s triple-header at the famed Circuit of the Americas in Texas will play a special one, hosting the last of the series’ two-driver SprintX rounds. Continuing with the same two entries that have carried them throughout the year, a focus on wins and podiums is at the forefront for the pairing of Pierre Kaffer and Spencer Pumpelly, as well as John Potter and Marco Seefried.
“We would like to finish on a high with our driver pairings, but it’s a really competitive series,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and driver John Potter. “Running in SprintX has been a unique experience, and for what has been a mixed season we’ve enjoyed a few highlights, most notably taking our first series win in Lime Rock. It will be the last race for Spencer and Marco, and we’ll be sad to see them go, but appreciate their efforts this year and hope to end on a high.”
Competing at the same circuit and layout as the Formula One World Championship, the visit to the 3.4-mile, 20-turn circuit is always a unique one. A track that features a little bit of everything, from long straights, to tight corners, fast sweepers and a series of switchbacks, the need to perfect setup and maximize the car is at a premium. Unfortunately a lack of straight-line speed due to series’ mandated Balance of Performance (BoP) rules has kept the team at a deficit throughout much of the season, with the long straights in Texas likely creating a challenge. The weekend will also be a unique one with three races taking place, with an additional race added on Friday to make up for the previously cancelled event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
In the No. 4 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS, Spencer Pumpelly and Pierre Kaffer will enjoy their last weekend together, looking to take their best result as a pairing. Coming off a challenging series of races where a combination of incidents and BoP compromises has kept the team struggling, hopes are high for the season to end strong. The team’s No. 4 program has held the honor of being the top performer for Magnus in 2017, having taken a convincing victory at Lime Rock. The weekend will also have some importance to Pumpelly, who currently sits sixth in the SprintX Championship but with an opportunity to break the top-five.
In the No. 44 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS, John Potter and Marco Seefried will also enjoy their last run together in 2017, with hopes to take their best finish of the season. In SprintX, the season has been a struggle for the pairing, who much like their teammates have fought a series of incidents and BoP challenges to stay competitive, but still with a podium to highlight the effort.
Official practice begins tomorrow, September 1, with races taking place on all three days. Race One, serving as a make-up race for a previously cancelled race in Canada, will take place Friday at 8:30PM ET, followed by Race Two on Saturday at 5:00PM ET, and Race Three on Sunday at 1:30PM ET. Live coverage will be available for all three via world-challenge.com/streamvideo .
