Well, At Least We Didn’t Catch on Fire

Montreal, QC, Canada (August 20, 2012)- With a track configuration that could prove favorable to Porsches, confidence in the Magnus Racing no. 44 Porsche GT3 Cup was high headed in to this weekend’s Montreal 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

With only three rounds remaining in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Championship, the entire team came with only one focus: winning. However, after an unfortunate incident between the Magnus no. 44 and no. 43 Sahlen’s Mazda, a mid-race repair to the radiator would put the team several laps down, eventually soldiering on to take 11th.

Starting from the inside of the fourth row, Team Owner and Driver John Potter was off to a great start. Keeping his nose clean during the typically chaotic bottle-neck of the famed “Senna Esses,” Potter drove a terrific stint, not only showing great pace but coming out ahead after a fantastic battle with the no. 94 Turner BMW.

When an opportune caution period arrived around the 40-minute mark, the entire GT field came in to pit, with Potter handing a clean car over to co-driver Andy Lally. With a fresh set of tires and topped off fuel, it was time for Lally to make work of the field in front of him, which he promptly did.

Proving the competitiveness of the no. 44, Lally avoided the carnage of turn one, and immediately began his climb toward the top of the field. Starting his stint in fifth, Lally was up to third in a matter of laps after passing the no. 31 Corvette and capitalizing on a penalty handed to the no. 59 Porsche.

With the no. 43 Sahlen’s Mazda RX-8 of Dane Cameron as the only car between Lally and the leading no. 57 Stevenson Camaro, a heavy battle between the no. 44 and 43 would ensue, with Lally looking for every opportunity he could to pass.

Heading in to the tight hairpin of turn-10 on lap 28, Cameron would misjudge his braking in to the turn and run wide, giving Lally his opportunity to make a run at second. As the two headed down the long back straightaway, Lally would swing out to make a move, with Cameron making a counter-move to defend his position. As the two would dice, a slight brush between Lally’s front grill and Cameron’s rear exhaust would be just enough to puncture the Porsche's radiator, with Lally heading straight to the pits for repair.

While the broken radiator could have been enough to put the team out for the day, excellent preparation and teamwork by the Magnus Racing crew paid off, as the center radiator was completely replaced and in functioning form within seven minutes, costing the no. 44 a mere six laps. While putting the team out of contention to win the two hour race, a remarkable job by the crew proved just what kind of form the team is in this season.

With a fairly quiet race after that, Lally would essentially run in his own race, with the team eventually settling for 11th.

For Team Owner John Potter, there were many positives from the day.

“There really were a lot of positive things to take away from the day,” stated Potter. “Andy was making a strong run to the front before the incident, and I believe that’s proof of where we’re at as a competitive team right now. To follow that up with a seven minute radiator repair is all the more impressive, and a great testament to all of the guys for being so prepared.”

For Co-Driver Andy Lally, huge frustration summarizes what could have been a great result.

“No @#$%ing comment,” stated Lally.

With the championship now essentially out of the picture, Magnus Racing heads to the final two rounds of the Rolex Series with an eye on winning and keeping it fun. With the next round taking place in three weeks time at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the team will head to the West Coast for the first time all year.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Festival will take place on Sunday, September 9, with live coverage on SPEED at 3PM ET.