February 10, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – Now in its second season of top-level professional sports car racing, Magnus Racing is proud to announce its expansion into the American Le Mans Series for the 2011 season.
In addition to competing full time in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Magnus Racing will field an entry in four American Le Mans Series race in the GT-C class for drivers John Potter and Craig Stanton. Beginning with the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring the team will then compete in the ALMS’ second round at the Long Beach Grand Prix in Long Beach, California – Stanton’s hometown. The no.77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will appear again at the series’ new event at the Baltimore Grand Prix before going to the season finale – the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.
The team has proven to be particularly strong in long distance races, finishing fourth at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and fifth in the Rolex 24 in 2010. Addtionally, the team has contested one American Le Mans Series event, when Potter teamed with Ryan Eversley and Andrew Davis in the 2010 Petit Le Mans to qualify and finish in third place.
“Expanding the team into different series has always been a part of our plan with Magnus Racing,” said Potter. “We enjoyed competing in the Petit Le Mans last year – we have really proven the strength of our team in the longer races – so it’s a good time to grow our business into the ALMS and demonstrate the strength of Magnus Racing in the competitive GT-C class. I’m excited for what the rest of the season holds for us.”
Stanton brings extensive American Le Mans Series experience to the Magnus Racing program. A veteran of thirty series starts, Stanton holds two wins and ten podium finishes in the series. This year will mark the third time that Stanton is able to race near his home in Long Beach, California, as he was a part of the Long Beach Grand Prix in the ALMS race in 2008 and the World Challenge race in 2009.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in these four ALMS races with Magnus Racing,” said Stanton. “We have assembled a really great program and these guys can give us the car that John and I need to win in GT-C. It is exciting that the team is able to expand like this in its second year and we are really pumped up after our performance in Daytona – we will be very competitive in GT-C.”
At this year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, Potter and Stanton will be joined by sportscar veteran Matthew Marsh. Marsh, who hails from Hong Kong, has extensive endurance racing experience under his belt including competing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, 24 Hours of LeMans, the Bathurst 24 Hours and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Marsh also has the distinction of being the only driver representing Hong Kong to have scored a FIA World Championship point, when he finished eighth in the World Touring Car Championship at the Macau Grand Prix in 2008.
Magnus Racing will begin their 2011 ALMS season at this week’s Sebring Winter Test, where Potter and Stanton will develop the team’s new 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in ALMS’s GT-C spec. Led by engineer Lars Giersing and crew chief John Bedell, the Magnus Racing team has made extensive progress in developing the new Porsche in Grand-Am spec and will bring the same knowledge base to their ALMS campaign.
“We aim to make full use of all the track time available to us in Sebring,” said Potter. “At Petit Le Mans last year, we were definitely behind the curve as we stepped in to the last race of the year but we made a lot of progress over the course of the weekend which helped us end up on the podium. Now, with more time to prepare, I think we’ll be in contention for a win at the end of the 12 Hours of Sebring.”
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-American Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.