SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (September 17, 2014)- With only two rounds remaining in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Magnus Racing will head to this weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans with one thing in mind, the movie Spaceballs.
“It is awesome that they named this weekend’s race after the main character of Spaceballs,” stated team owner and co-driver John Potter. “It’s clear that the organizers at Circuit of The Americas are big Mel Brooks fans, but they probably didn’t want to name it after Blazing Saddles because it was too obvious.”
Lone Starr, the main character of the 1987 Mel Brooks classic, is a very fitting tribute to this weekend’s event. Not only was he played by Bill Pullman, who is relevant in any context, but the character spent the majority of his time dealing with a whiny princess, sort of like the IMSA paddock.
Beyond Spaceballs, the team looks forward to a promising weekend ahead. Having recently conducted a two-day test where they were able to work on such elements as a new exhaust, active suspension, and even turbo kit, the team feels as prepared as ever.
Having narrowly missed victory during last year’s event, drivers John Potter and Andy Lally are looking for a return to victory lane in the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America.
“We had a productive test and feel very good about these final two rounds,” continued Potter. “Everyone on the team has put a lot of effort into getting everything out of the car, and with the recent BoP changes we’re optimistic. Circuit of The Americas is a fantastic facility and last year we came so close that we really want redemption this year.”
For co-driver Andy Lally, a similar sentiment is shared.
“We found a few things last week and that should suit us well going forward,” stated Lally. “There have been a ton of BoP changes across the board, so it should be interesting to see how everything shakes out on Saturday. I’m excited and definitely feel this could be one of our best chances.”
Sharing the weekend with the prestigious World Endurance Championship (WEC), practice for this weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans will begin tomorrow afternoon, with live race coverage this Saturday, September 20, at 12:30 PM ET on FOX Sports 2.