QUICK SHOT: Magnus Racing Takes Sixth in Rolex 24 at Daytona Return

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (January 28, 2017) – Returning to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for 2018, Magnus Racing would take a solid sixth-place finish during today's season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. 

"We're never a group that's entirely happy with sixth, but I do feel like we performed well today,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “This was one of the most unique runs at the Rolex 24 we've ever had. Between the lack of cautions, the way the event unfolded, and several other factors, our day today could have gone a lot worse. We'll take the performance as a solid foundation toward a championship run and move on from there."
 

With the classic 24-hour race beginning the season, the 2018 event would prove one of the most unique in series' history. Featuring no more than four caution periods, s significant decrease from previous years, the approach to pace, strategy and race-craft would not quite suit the team as well as years' past, with drivers John Potter, Andy Lally, Andrew Davis and Markus Winkelhock eventually settling in to a rhythm that would see them routinely fight in the top-five, and ultimately sixth at the finish.

A full report will follow shortly.

Watch the Daytona 24 Webcast Live!

JOIN US LIVE FOR 24 HOURS STRAIGHT FROM THE PITS AT DAYTONA!!

Spencer Pumpelly joins us this year along with the drivers and crew of Magnus Racing. Chat in!

Kinda, But Not Really, Spencer Pumpelly Joins Magus Racing for Rolex 24 at Daytona…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 26, 2017)- In a move that can only be described as convenient, Magnus Racing will add one more winning element to this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona lineup, with two-time champion Spencer Pumpelly taking on hosting duties for the famed Magnus Racing pitside webcast.

Keeping with a tradition that began during their 2012 Rolex 24 victory, Magnus Racing will again stream this weekend’s race in its entirety from their pit area, re-presenting their “Magnus Racing LIVE!” webstream, a fun and unique look at what it takes for one team to race in North America’s biggest sportscar race. This is all part of Magnus Racing’s commitment to Make Webcasting Great Again. 

Theoretically operating for all 24 hours, Magnus Racing’s webstream can be found at MagnusRacing.com, or similarly via YouTube Live (by simply looking up the Magnus Racing channel). The stream will begin at 2:30PM ET this Saturday, January 27, and run for the next 24 hours straight. 

“It’s a different role for sure, but I’m actually really excited to do this,” stated Pumpelly. “The Magnus Racing webcast has become a bit of an institution at Daytona, and in their return I’m glad I can be a part of it. We have a lot of fun activities in store for the race, and I look forward to being part of the antics while also providing some insight from my experience.”

Pumpelly, who drove for Magnus in 2017 and was part of their lone victory at Lime Rock Park, joins the team as one of the most respected veterans of the event. Having driven the Rolex 24 for nearly two decades, the Atlanta resident has two class victories to his name, as well as playing a key role in team strategy during last year’s victory for Alegra Motorsports.

No stranger to humor, the father of two will join the webcast to add both humor and knowledge, being available throughout the stream to answer questions from the public, provide unique perspective, and of course provide insight on all that is happening in the race.

Additionally, Spencer will be joined by long-time co-host Sean Heckman, who will continue to co-host and produce, beyond additional responsibilities away from the webcast.

Magnus Racing Has Test at “Roar Before the 24”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 10, 2018) – Concluding a three-day test with no mechanical missteps and flawless driving, Magnus Racing walked away from the season-opening “Roar Before the 24” learning nothing about their competitors headed in to the Rolex 24 at Daytona. 

“Yup, after three days we don’t know anything about where anyone stands,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter.

That’s about all there is to report, really.

Practice for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place on Thursday, January 25 with the actual event taking place on Saturday, January 27 and ending on Sunday, January 28.

Magnus Racing Confirms 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Program

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (January 4, 2017) – Per the pending announcement from Audi Sport, Magnus Racing is happy to confirm their return to the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship for the full 2018 season. Re-uniting drivers John Potter and Andy Lally, the team will continue with the No. 44 Audi R8 LMS GT3, adding Andrew Davis for the full North American Endurance Cup (NAEC), as well as Markus Winkelhock for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona.

"We're excited to return to IMSA competition and our endurance roots,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and driver John Potter. “Obviously Magnus has enjoyed a number of successes throughout the years of IMSA and formerly GRAND-AM, and in our first season with Audi in 2016 we had one of our best seasons to date. Returning to the series for 2018, we feel stronger than ever, not only with an incredibly fast car but also the same crew that took us to victory in 2016, as well as an incredible lineup in Andy, Markus and Andrew. The support from Audi over the years has obviously been a big factor, from winning in our first race together at Daytona, to helping the secure the Intercontinental GT Challenge title last October, it's been a relationship that has proven fruitful and instantly competitive. With our team, I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by such an incredible group, and we hope we can begin with immediate success."

Following a one-year absence in another series, the team is poised to return to IMSA following a tremendous 2016 run with Audi. In their first race together, the team would take a tremendous victory at the 2016 season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona en route to the North American Endurance Cup Team Championship, ultimately taking two victories and the distinction of being the only Audi team to take victory that season.

Prior to that, the history of Magnus Racing in endurance racing is one of rich success on the track and fun off the track. Making their debut at the 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team has become one of the longest running private teams in the sport, with accolades that include taking the first-ever North American Endurance Cup (2012), winning the 50^th Running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona (2012), the 12 Hours of Sebring (2014), the Inaugural Brickyard Grand Prix, and a grand total of seven professional sportscar victories. Additionally, the team’s reputation for fan interaction and antics has earned them the distinction as a constant favorite, including being voted the “Team to Win” award by fans for the entirety of the 2014 season.

Adding to the tradition, the reunification of drivers John Potter and Andy Lally is one rich with success, dating back to Lally’s first race with the team in 2012 at Daytona where he would win on debut. Earning six of the team’s wins together, the tradition actually began in 2009, where as teammates on another team the duo would take John Potter’s first-ever win in professional sports car.

For Andy Lally, the return to Magnus is one he’s looked forward to for some time. 

“I couldn’t be happier to return to my family at Magnus,” stated Lally. “Some of my best memories in my career are with the team, and it’s great to return with them in 2018. I would really like to express my gratitude to Michael Shank Racing and HPD for a tremendous 2017, and it was not an easy decision to return to John Potter and everyone at Magnus, but it felt like the right move. There’s a lot in motion right now, but I believe we’ll immediately be in a position to contend, and I’m excited to get the season going.”

Joining the team for all four rounds of the North American Endurance Cup, Andrew Davis will take to the wheel as an endurance specialist with the team. No stranger to success or Audi machinery, Davis is one of the most experienced drivers in the paddock, winning the former GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Championship in 2011, as the most recent IMSA driver to win in Audi machinery during last year’s round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Beyond his success away from Magnus, Andrew is also a team veteran, driving with the team during their American Le Mans Series debut in 2010, and most recently throughout the Pirelli World Challenge’s SprintX championship alongside John Potter.

For Davis, the opportunity to contend for an NAEC crown is one he relishes.

“I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to join Magnus and contend for all four NAEC rounds,” stated Davis. “Obviously I’ve worked with the team going back to 2010, and I’ve known many of the guys on the team even further than that, so to be engaged in the full Endurance Cup is something I really look to perform in. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 is an incredible car, and given my experience in the same machine over the last two years, I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel.”

Additionally, long-time Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock will join the team for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. A veteran of Formula 1 and an assortment of sports car ranks, the factory driver last drove with Magnus during the October round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where he and the team took victory.

While official practice for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona begins on Thursday, January 25, the real work actually begins this weekend for the famed Roar Before the 24, a three-day test taking place from January 5-7, 2017.