Potter and Stanton rewarded the Magnus Racing crew with a sixth place finish in New JerseyJuly 18, 2010 (Millville, New Jersey) – Following an up-and-down day in South New Jersey, the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup crossed the finish line in sixth position, as team owner John Potter and co-driver Craig Stanton advanced nine positions over the course of the two hour and forty five minute race during yesterday’s most recent round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask no. 16.
With the pit thermometer reaching almost 100 degrees, the race started and Potter had a clean start from his fifteenth-place starting position. With the help of an inspired pit strategy call, he advanced several positions during the first full-course yellow and ran in a solid eighth position before turning the car over to Stanton after the one-hour mark.
Stanton, racing without the aid of his helmet blower and with a malfunctioning cool suit, ran the Porsche GT3 as high as sixth before dropping to ninth as a result of a pit-lane speed violation during his second pit stop. The extra stop, which dropped Stanton to ninth, was overcome by another call from the pit box as the team executed a very fast pit stop for four new tires during the final yellow flag period. That call, matched with some great driving, helped move the car up to fifth in the final minutes before Stanton – by this point feeling the effects of the 145 degree cockpit temperatures – lost one position with two minutes remaining.
“I don’t know about how dirty New Jersey is, but it sure is hot,” said Craig Stanton following the race. “This race was a lot like an episode of Jersey Shore I saw, since it was so chaotic and it was so hot I think the heat was affecting the way everyone thinks. I was pretty used up at the end of the race but after the team gave me some Recoverite, a bag of ice, and some water, I felt good enough to do another race.
“Our Magnus Racing crew was on it today. They had our Porsche hooked up so well it was easy to drive fast, and they made a couple of great calls on strategy that helped us finish as well as we did, despite our penalty.”
Potter, who entered this race fourth in the Bob Akin Award standings for sportsman drivers in the GT Class, was impressed with his co-driver’s ability to complete the race on pace despite his lack of a functioning cool suit.
“Craig did a great job to stay on the pace in that very hot car,” said Potter. “It’s a good thing he works out so much because almost anyone else might have needed to get out of the car. As it was he needed a lot of water and cooling off after the race, which shows just how hot it was and what a great job he did. I’m disappointed that we were dropped down the order with a questionable pit-lane speed call, but we still got a good result and we’ll move on to the next one.”
Potter and Stanton will leave their beloved New Jersey to compete in New York at the Crown Royal 200 at the Glen, held at Watkins Glen International on August 6-7. Taking part in the weekend that the NASCAR Sprint Cup is competing at the same course, the duo will return to the track where they recorded the team’s first pole position earlier this season. That race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on August 7 at 6:00 PM ET.
More information about Magnus Racing can be found at www.magnusracing.com. Any organization interested in learning more about how to be involved with one of the most unique and visible teams in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.