As the trucks return back to the shop following three days of rigor at the annual Roar Before the 24, a three-day test dedicated to prepping the cars and stars of this year’s 50th Running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Magnus Racing isn’t 100% sure if they even brought their two car effort to the test.
The reasoning for the amnesia? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Not a scratch on the team’s no. 44 entry, and barely any signs of wear on the team’s no. 4 car. As an event typically known for really trying the team’s cars and drivers as they test the limits before getting in to the race week, the fact that the Magnus Racing team had virtually a problem-free three days makes many wonder if they were even there.
“Looking at how clean our cars are, I would swear that we weren’t even there,” stated Magnus Racing Team Owner John Potter. “Of course that all comes to a crashing reality when I look at the bill for the event… oh yeah, we were there.”
Testing for the team’s third consecutive year at the Rolex 24, Magnus Racing season-long teammates Andy Lally and John Potter made their 2012 debut together during the test. Sporting their new-for-2012 grey suits to coincide with their grey no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, the duo were joined by Daytona debutante René Rast, the two-time Porsche Supercup champion who will join the team for the race along with Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz. Focused on gathering data and testing several new ideas, the goal for the team was simply about consistency and comfortability. Never really focusing on speed, the team would actually set their fastest lap of the weekend at the very end, with Rast settling himself in nicely with a 1:49.669, good enough for fourth fastest on the session.
Consistently in the high 1:49 and low 1:50 time range, the no. 44 car proved more than up to the task of holding pace with the GT field, and the team is certainly right in the thick of what’s shaping up to be an intense Rolex GT field.
Not to be outdone, Magnus Racing’s second entry, the no. 4 Children’s Tumor Foundation /Racing4Research.org / Ebay Motors / Quicken Loans entry, had a similarly smooth event. Running his first Daytona since 2008, Justin Bell fit in nicely with the previously announced Daniel Graeff, Ron Yarab and Ryan Eversley, and the group kept the car consistently on the top half of the time sheets with a virtually incident free weekend. Ending the day with a weekend-best 1:50.019, Ryan Eversley assumed the role of team leader with great aplomb, as he and his co-drivers proved to hold competitive pace and are in great shape for the race.
In addition to their performance on the track, the no. 4 team also held a very successful press conference and unveiling of the team’s 2012 livery, which thanks in part to their program with the Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research and partners at Ebay Motors and Quicken Loans, brought a lot of attention to the team’s effort… and the race week hasn’t event started.
For Magnus Racing’s Andy Lally, a smooth weekend showed a great sign of the race to come.
“We had a plan for the weekend and we simply kept to it,” stated Lally. “It seems surreal that the event went without a hitch, but that’s a testament to the quality of the guys here, and gives us a lot of confidence headed in to the race. It’s going to be a mega event, and I look forward to being in the thick of it.”
Rene Rast, who claims that his English is perfectly good, declined comment but instead showed us how he can beat-box. By the way, that guy is awesome.
For the no. 4 team’s Ryan Eversley, a smooth weekend was a positive sign of the team’s ability to stick to their gameplan.“We had a good race last year because we stuck to our plan and never deviated,” claimed Eversley. “This test proved that we have the same mindset for this year, and it’s a good sign in such a strong GT field. We have very strong ambitions for this year’s race, and we all know it’s going to come from not making any mistakes, and it all started with this weekend’s test so we’re happy. The Magnus Racing team put together a great car, and I have to thank my teammates, Daniel, Ron and Justin, for all putting in a flawless effort this weekend. We have a really cool program coming for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and I’m very excited. It’s going to be an intense few weeks of training ahead, but in the end it’s because we want this event to be perfect.”
Finally, for Magnus Racing’s John Potter, their first big showing as a two-car team proved pretty flawless, a feat well worth taking note of.
“This race will be our first two car effort, and I think the test proved we’re more than capable,” stated Potter. “Everyone on the team did an amazing job, and this is why we had such a smooth event. I’m really happy to see the no. 4 team and the Children’s Tumor Foundation have such a great showing. Beyond being a good group of people, it’s a great cause and they deserve a great race. Daniel, Ron, Justin and Ryan drove perfectly and I think they have a real shot at this. Our 44 car was business as usual, and I’m really looking forward to the race. Andy did a great job leading the charge, and René proved his reputation by instantly getting on pace. Richard is a proven commodity with our team, so we have just as good a chance as anyone. It’s hard to believe everything starts back in two weeks, but we’re up to the task and looking forward to a great 2012.”
Magnus Racing will next be seen at the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. With practice beginning on Thursday, January 26th, the team will be proud to announce their first live webcast from the pits. Join the team for every practice and qualifying session, as well as for the full 24 hours of the race, at www.magnusracing.com. Viewers will also find ways to contribute to the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Racing4Research program, and of course the race will be broadcast live on SPEED on Saturday, January 28th.