January 9, 2011 (Daytona Beach, Florida) – Beginning the first of what will be an endless number of trips to Florida this year, the Magnus Racing team was eager to travel to Daytona International Speedway for this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24, the first event of the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sportscar Series presented by Crown Royal Cask no. 16.
The annual preseason test would be the first indication of the team’s performance after an off-season of development and preparation. All signs were positive as the team easily ran in the top-10 throughout the weekend, with an acute focus on long stints and setup for the end-of-month event.
The team concentrated on gathering as much data as possible for their new 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup as well as the new spec Continental Tire that all cars in the Rolex Series will use this season. With eight sessions spread over three days, drivers John Potter and Craig Stanton had ample time to assess the performance of both the car and the tire.
“It was great to come back to the Roar Before the 24 for our team’s second time and have such a strong weekend,” said Potter. “Since Craig and I were the only two sharing the car this weekend, we were able to work on development as well as getting very comfortable with the new tire. Based on the times we ran, we are in a really strong position going to our second Rolex 24, and we’re all optimistic that we can improve on last year’s performance.”
Stanton, who is preparing for his seventh Rolex 24 at Daytona, feels the heavy attention the team has paid to developing the 2011 car will pay dividends for the race.
“The crew did a great job getting the car together and our engineering staff constantly improved it throughout the weekend,” said Stanton. “We learned a lot about what the car and what the tire needs on this new surface, and John and I turned a lot of laps. We feel super comfortable, I wish the race were tomorrow!”
The Rolex 24 at Daytona isn’t tomorrow, but it is at the end of the month, and will begin at 3:30PM on Saturday, January 29 and finish at 3:30 PM on Sunday, January 30. This year’s Rolex 24 will be Magnus Racing’s second race at the endurance classic, where the team will be joined by Porsche factory drivers Marco Holzer and Richard Lietz and will aim to improve on their finish of fifth place in 2010.
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 Sportscar Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.