SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 29, 2014)- With this weekend’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic taking place in Detroit’s scenic Belle Isle Park, Magnus Racing has decided to take the unusual approach of referring to the city by its actual name.
“We pride ourselves on taking a unique and original approach to our content,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “When debating whether we should say ‘Motown,’ ‘Detroit Rock City,’ or simply ‘Motor City,’ we realized the most original thing we could do is refer to the city by its actual name, Detroit.”
Following the team’s second podium in succession at the most recent round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the team heads to the fourth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GTD category in a hard-fought battle for the series point lead. Tied for first with the No. 555 Ferrari, and with three other teams just a handful of points behind, the need to survive the tricky streets of Belle Isle will be at a premium as the team enters the busy summer season.
As a temporary street circuit, the 2.35-mile, 14-turn circuit is known for providing a lot of action with the bumpy surface and surround guard rails placing a premium on attrition and avoiding incidents. In 2013, Magnus made use of remarkable pit stops to finish as the top Porsche in fourth place which ended up being critical in the team’s championship quest.
While it’s unknown how the all-new Porsche 911 GT America will fair on a street course, co-driver Andy Lally is excited to get back to the action.
“Detroit is always an exciting race to be a part of,” stated Lally. “It’s a track you really have to drive aggressively and it’s incredibly tough to pass. This makes strategy and pit work critical, and luckily we have the best team in the business for that, so we’re excited to get to it and fight for the championship.”
Practice for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic will begin this Friday, May 30, with the race taking place one day later. Television coverage can be found on Fox Sports 1 on Saturday, May 31, at 1:30 PM ET.