Magnus Racing Retains Championship Lead with Podium in 44th Race

Watkins Glen, N.Y. (July 1, 2013)- Following another classic endurance battle during Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen, Magnus Racing made use of a last-lap pass to take third, retaining the team’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT championship lead, as well as taking their third podium of the year.

“When we saw Andy cross the line, all of us were surprised,” stated team owner and co-driver John Potter. “As the race progressed, it was clear we weren’t going to match the Camaro and Ferraris, so to see Andy pop up in a podium spot was a nice treat. I’ve driven this race so many times, it was nice to finally take home a trophy, especially in front of some very special guests from Flex-Box. The fact that we’re still on top in the points is a great testament to the team’s ability to make the most out of every weekend, and it was a great way to celebrate race 44.”

Starting their milestone 44th Rolex Series race for the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, John Potter ran a strong opening stint to begin the day. Following an early caution period, after several cars went off course due to oil on the track, the team owner / driver managed to avoid incident, bringing the car in at the one-hour mark without a scratch on the car.

With Andy Lally getting in the car to begin the second hour of the race, another spectacular stop by the Magnus crew would put Lally up several spots. Having grown up just a few hours away from the track in Northport, New York, Lally’s vast experience at the track was evident as he made early work of several cars in front of him, moving up to fourth. As strategy and pit stops began to cycle through, Lally even held the lead at one point, however, it was clear that the pace of all Porsches simply couldn’t match several of the other marques.

Pitting during an opportune caution, the middle portion of the race became the work of Magnus Racing’s third driver for the weekend, Richard Lietz. Hailing from Austria, Lietz is well integrated into the team, having been a part of Magnus at every Rolex 24 at Daytona, including their debut race as well their Rolex 24 victory. It’s been a good month for Richard who just took his third class victory during last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Taking the reigns just short of the three-hour mark, no one could have guessed that Richard was new to Watkins Glen International, as the Porsche factory driver was immediately up to speed. Driving two stints, Lietz would maximize the potential of the Porsche, but was simply unable to match the front-running cars.

As Richard’s stint began to near the end, the race-long threatening skies opened up and a sudden series of sprinkles-turned-showers would bring out a caution period with 90 minutes to go. Within minutes of the rain coming, it stopped just as quickly, and as the cars circulated under caution the question became whether to take rain tires or slicks. As the caution continued for several minutes, the choice to take slicks became apparent, and Lietz would finally come in for a full-service stop, including handing the car over to Lally for the final time.

With an hour and fifteen minutes remaining, it was now up to Andy to make the most of the car’s pace to the end. Driving the maximum out of the Porsche, Lally set off a series of strong laps during the remainder of the race, however, the car simply had no pace for the front runners. Despite some very fast laps by Lally, the car seemed destined for fourth until the third-placed No. 93 BMW of Billy Johnson began to struggle with very-worn tires in the waning laps. As he took the white flag, Johnson slid wide into the infamous bus-stop corners, allowing Lally to capitalize on the moment to run side-by-side with Johnson, eventually taking third in only the final few turns.

It was a surprise to the entire team who was unaware of what happened, and a great way to finish the team’s milestone 44th event. This would be the team’s ninth podium in Rolex Series history, where they currently hold a six-point lead over the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro.

“Wow, what a finish!” stated Lally. “We weren’t sure what to expect this weekend, and all three of us were pushing really hard to win today. The Porsches are struggling right now, so the fact that we’re in the points lead is entirely because of how great the team is. Great strategy, excellent pit stops, and a reliable car have kept us in this thing, and we’ll head off to Indy to defend the win. It’s really cool to be part of the team’s 44th race and I’m glad we were at least able to step on the podium today for everyone at Flex-Box. John has built a great team here, everyone should be very proud.”

For Richard Lietz, driving his fifth race for the team, another podium at a new track will make for a nice memory as he heads back to Europe.

"Third was a very good finish for us today,” stated the Austrian. “It was my first visit to the circuit and I'm very happy to go home with another trophy. It's very tough for Porsche right now in this series, but Magnus does a very good job to maximize results, so it was a good day. I look forward to working with them again."

For John Potter, celebrating the team’s 44th race is a true team effort. In seven rounds of the championship so far, Magnus Racing has been the top Porsche in six of them.

“When we showed up at Daytona in 2010, I think many people didn’t know what to make of us,” stated the Salt Lake City resident. “44 races in, however, I think we’ve really made an impression. From winning the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, to last year’s NAEC, to routinely taking honors as top Porsche, this is a great team and I’m extremely proud of what we’ve done so far. Of course this comes from the enthusiasm and competitive spirit of everyone in the team, and that only pushes us further as we pursue our first Rolex GT Championship. “

Taking several weeks off, the entire GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series will return in three weeks at the historic Brickyard Grand Prix in Indianapolis. It’s a special place for the team, having won the inaugural race last year, and taking the North American Endurance Championship in the process. SPEED will carry the race live on Friday, July 26, at 4:30PM ET.