Magnus Racing Confirms 2016 Campaign with Audi R8 LMS

SALT LAKE CITY (November 12, 2015)- Confirming their campaign in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Magnus Racing is proud to announce the switch to the venerable Audi R8 LMS in a new partnership with Audi Sport customer racing.

“We’re very excited about 2016,” stated Magnus Racing co-driver and team owner, John Potter. “The Audi R8 LMS has proven an incredible competitor over the years, and as we look for ways to start anew for the team, the opportunity seemed right. Our interaction so far with everyone at Audi Sport customer racing has been extremely positive, and we’re all anxious to take delivery of the car.”

Retaining the famed No. 44, the team will head in to the 2016 GT-Daytona (GTD) class with a proven car heritage in the Audi namesake. The previous generation of the Audi R8 LMS took victory at the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and came within a few turns of repeating that effort in 2014, before nearly securing a GTD category championship in 2015.

“We have been continuously impressed with Magnus Racing’s performance in IMSA and are excited to see them bring that same energy with the new Audi R8 LMS,” said Tristan Herbert, Manager, Motorsport & Customer Racing. “Magnus Racing also brings a strong, consistent driver lineup that compliments the team’s performance strategy – smart , calculated and competitive.” 

While the car is new to the team, much of the key staff will remain the same including full-season co-driver Andy Lally. A four-time winner of The Rolex 24 at Daytona and three-time champion in the former GRAND-AM series, Lally will enter in to his fifth season with the team with all focus firmly set on their first series’ championship.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career to have driven a number of vehicles, and I’m very excited to add the Audi R8 LMS to that list,” stated the Atlanta resident. “It’s no secret that 2015 was a bit of a struggle for all of us, and I’m very confident that we’ll rebound this year. The car has an excellent reputation, we have a great team behind us, and there’s no reason we can’t be instant contenders.”

While the switch to Audi marks a new era for Magnus Racing, it of course comes with years of gratitude in their long-time partner at Porsche Motorsport North America. Having run Porsche machinery since inception in 2010, the team will move away from the marque with nothing but appreciation for the six years of partnership.

“We were one of the longest running Porsche customer teams in the paddock, and we absolutely enjoyed that fact,” stated John Potter. “Everyone at Porsche Motorsport North America was excellent to work with over the years, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of their efforts.”

With the team set to take delivery of their machine in December, Magnus Racing will unfortunately be absent from the upcoming November test at Daytona International Speedway. With only a matter of weeks between receiving the car and The Rolex 24 at Daytona, they will be hard at work during the holidays as they prepare for a championship challenge.