Magnus Racing Goes for Value in Virginia with Last Minute Entry

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. (August 18, 2022) -- Magnus Racing has decided to make a surprise entry into the upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at VIRginia International Raceway, August 26-28.  

"We had all the crew and parts available to run another race, so why not,” said Team Somebody John Potter. “And in this period of high inflation, our dollars go a lot further in Danville than elsewhere, so it really seemed the perfect match.” 

Though the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 racing team originally announced only running the four endurance races of the year (Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Six Hours of the Glen, and Petit Le Mans), the fan-favorite effort missed being a part of the action, checked the budgets, and decided to return one race early. The team will get the biggest bang for their buck in traveling to Danville, Virginia, and perhaps even a podium at the beautiful Virginia International Raceway. 

Just the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR and Motul Petit Le Mans are all that remain of the 12-race 2022 schedule. Magnus Racing kicked the year off in spectacular fashion with a second-place finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team finished sixth at the grueling Twelve Hours of Sebring, then survived a weather-delayed and penalty-filled post-race to earn a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen International. 

The race weekend in Danville, Virginia will allow the team and drivers John Potter and Andy Lally some additional track time to prepare for the final event of the year, Petit Le Mans. Spencer Pumpelly will have to get his additional preparation laps at another time. Though the team is eighth in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD team standings, the field is incredibly tight, with fifth through 16^th place being separated by a mere three points. 

Magnus Racing will have two and a half hours of practice before a fifteen-minute qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will be a mere two hours, 40 minutes, clocking in at the shortest race of the year for the No. 44 Aston Martin and her team. The race will air live on Sunday, August 28 starting at 2:00 PM Eastern on CNBC, and stream live on Peacock. For more information, visit imsa.com. 

TUNE IN: Magnus Racing Graces Watkins Glen with Team Presence for Sahlen’s Six Hour

We’re back! We know it has been a minute and that you’ve missed us terribly. Believe us, the feeling is mutual. It’s been thirteen weeks since we last raced, and we’re ready to get back into action. After a second-place finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and a sixth-place finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, we’re quite enthusiastic to return to the podium, or better yet, go for a win. This weekend, we have John Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly commanding our Aston Martin Vantage GT3, one of 17 cars competing this weekend in the GTD class. All five classes are back together, making a 47-car deep entry list for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. Watkins Glen holds a special place in our hearts, and we can’t wait to be back and get to racing. If you can’t attend in person, you can watch on Peacock, beginning Sunday, June 26 at 10:40 AM ET. 

If you’re on-site, don’t forget to find Styled Aesthetic in the vendor area to pick up the latest Magnus Racing gear, including the Magnus Racing and the Holy Rolex t-shirt!

Magnus Racing Makes Last-Minute Commitment to Grand Prix of Long Beach

Happy April Fools'. See you in Watkins Glen!

Tune-In: Magnus Racing Ready to Party at Twelve Hours of Sebring

Following our quest for the Holy Rolex, we at Magnus Racing have returned (mostly) to our regular programming for this weekend’s Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway. Though it was the best finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona for Aston Martin, our second-place finish at the season opening event made us quite hungry for a first-place result, giving us some extra motivation this weekend to get to the top step. The No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is ready, with John Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly returning as our three drivers for the twelve-hour endurance race. This is the second race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, beginning on Saturday, March 19 at 10:10 am Eastern. Watch live, flag to flag on Peacock. If you have the USA Network, you can watch from 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm Eastern.

If you missed your chance to pre-order our Magnus Racing and the Holy Rolex t-shirt, be sure to visit our online store to get your limited-edition shirt today. Only available while supplies last!

Magnus Racing Finishes Second at Rolex 24, Glimpses Holy Rolex

And here concludes the tale of John Potter, King of Magnus and the knights and drivers of the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3—The Wise Sir Andy Lally, Sir Spencer Pumpelly the Brave, and Sir Jonny Adam, the not-quite-so-brave-as-Sir-Spencer-Pumpelly. Them and their trusty crew went on a great crusade to search for the Holy Rolex at Rolex 24 At Daytona and came in second place, instead receiving a very beautiful shrubbery. The runner-up finish brought Aston Martin Racing their best result at the famed event, leading to much rejoicing from the peasants throughout the land.

 “We’ve had to wait for too long to see an Aston Martin finish on the podium at Daytona, and Magnus Racing knows what it is doing when it comes to top-class GT endurance racing in the US,” said Huw Tasker, Head of Customer Racing at Aston Martin. “That the team decided to race with Vantage in 2022 is further evidence of its growing reputation and the overall success of the GT3 programme. The level of competitiveness for Magnus Racing throughout the race is proof that Aston Martin can contend for victory in the biggest endurance races around the world, and we look forward to working with them through 2022.”

The group set out for their sacred quest for the Holy Rolex on Saturday afternoon from ninth place with Potter competing against 21 fearful foe. Despite the 61-car field, the team rode the trusty steed to the top five within the first four hours and remained steady for the majority of the race. Record cold temperatures descended on Daytona International Speedway over the course of the race, but all at Magnus Racing remained strong and brave as they charged forward. As one does over the course of a 24-hour race with 61 cars, the Magnus Racing Aston Martin fell two laps down to tenth position in the GTD class but used the 16 caution periods to their advantage to reclaim ground given to them by the racing gods, getting back on the lead lap.

By the halfway point, the team was back in third place, and Sir Andy Lally took the class lead two hours later. Two hours before sunrise, Sir Spencer Pumpelly found himself in an intense duel while running in second place and spun off track in the Le Mans Chicane. He rejoined in fourth and continued to press on, keeping the car as close to the leaders as possible as the sun came up. Lally took over for the final run, running in third as the checkered flag neared. With flawless pit stops, the team was able to keep the car in position to fight for a podium. With less than 30 minutes on the race clock, the second-place car received a drive-through penalty, moving the Magnus No. 44 car up to second place, where the team finished, earning Aston Martin Racing their best win at the grueling event.

The Twelve Hours of Sebring is next up for the Utah-based team, March 16-19 at Sebring International Raceway. Magnus Racing is slated to only run the four endurance races in the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar: the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans.

Stand by for attack. The oil of many a valiant car shall be avenged. In the name of Beau Barfield, we shall not stop our fight until each one of our foes run behind us and the Holy Rolex returns to whom God has chosen.

Thus ends this chapter in Magnus Racer and the Holy Rolex. In case you don’t know why this release is worded in such a grand fashion, please enjoy the video below.