DETROIT (June 1, 2015)- Returning to a circuit which has traditionally proved challenging for the team, Magnus Racing’s difficulties at Detroit’s scenic Belle Isle circuit would continue during Saturday’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Chevy Dealers. Despite some great pit work which would see the team running in the top five, a mid-race incident avoiding a Prototype Challenge vehicle would cause extensive damage to the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America, sending the team down the order but still managing a seventh-place finish during this fourth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GTD category.
“It’s disappointing because we were in a good position, but that seems to be our luck here,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “Everyone on the team has been putting a huge amount of time into testing and development, and we all feel like we’ve discovered several things, this just wasn’t the weekend to show it. There’s still a lot to be proud of, the team made a great pit stop, and the fact that we were still able to finish seventh despite all the damage is a continued testament to everyone in our organization.”
Starting in eighth, it was up to Potter to take the green flag through a notoriously tricky opening series of laps. With the tight confines of Belle Isle’s temporary street course lined by barriers on each side of the track, there is little room for error, yet Potter held his own throughout his stint. Not putting a foot wrong, the No. 44 held pace with the lead pack when a perfect opportunity for the race’s one and only pit stop presented itself during a timely caution period.
Gaining several spots in the maneuver, and with Andy Lally behind the wheel for the final half of the race, the team was in position for a top-five and with strong pace to move up the field.
Unfortunately as the race resumed, the weekend’s on-and-off wet weather would return. When an errant Prototype Challenge vehicle spun at the apex of the notorious Turn One, Lally was left with no choice but to run off-line to avoid impact, putting him on a very slick part of the track and sending his Porsche into a slow slide and into the barriers.
Recollecting the car after impact, Lally and the team were able to take advantage of the resulting yellow to perform continuous repairs. Despite replacing the rear wing and performing extensive repairs to the car’s left side, the team managed to stay on the lead lap, proving the crew’s tenacity yet again.
With no choice but to simply manage his car for the rest of the race, Andy would simply drive a patient race to the finish, ultimately crossing the finish line in seventh.
“It was difficult because when it gets wet like that, you simply can’t go off line,” stated Lally. “I really wanted to deliver to the team this weekend, these guys have worked so hard that they deserved a good finish. It just wasn’t meant to be, but I couldn’t be more proud of the job they did to keep us on track. It’s been a rough year, but next up is one of our best races of the year and hopefully it will pay off.”
Beyond the on-track action, Magnus Racing was also proud to host another famous Magnus to the team... Magnus the Shark, the official mascot of Detroit's own SEA LIFE Aquarium Michigan. Recently opening in January, the Auburn Hills facility features an interactive experience where guests can walk through a highly themed aquarium that brings you nose to nose with sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, seahorses and over 5,000 underwater creatures. You can learn more at www.visitsealife/michigan
With a challenging first four rounds so far, the entire TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will head to one of Magnus Racing’s best events, the famed Six Hours at the Glen. Having scored a podium finish in the last two years, the team is looking for a change of fortune during the endurance event.
