Seefried, Rast Complete Magnus Lineup for Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fl. (January 7, 2015)- Although this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona will mark the first event for Magnus Racing in their new Audi R8 LMS, the car will be the only new component of the team as they announce the completion of their four-driver lineup. Having both taken victory in Magnus machinery before, Marco Seefried and René Rast will join full-season drivers John Potter and Andy Lally in the No. 44 machine with a combined total of six victories at the famed season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship.

“This was the exact lineup we were hoping for, and we couldn’t be happier with our prospects,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “We’ve had a great history with both Marco and René, and beyond being incredibly quick and reliable in the car, they’ve both proven an instant fit with our way of working. It’s great to get the whole group back together, and with a new car taking us into the race, we know consistency in every other aspect is critical.”

Returning to Magnus after sharing victory at the Rolex 24 in 2012, René Rast will head to Daytona in the hopes of maintaining a 100% win rate with the team. Playing a critical role in the organization’s first win nearly four years ago, the German has had an incredible career since signing as a factory driver for Audi and proceeding to compete and win in such series as ADAC GT Masters, the Blancpain Endurance Series and more. Most notably, the 28-year-old was given the opportunity to compete in the prestigious Audi R18 e-tron during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a high honor to drive one of the most revered LMP1 machines in history.

With Magnus Racing driving Audi machinery for this year’s race, the choice to bring in Rast was clear.

“I have great memories with everyone at Magnus Racing, and it’s very special to return,” stated Rast. “A lot has happened since 2012, but that event was a career highlight for me and very special to share with such a great team. This new 2016 Audi R8 LMS is a fantastic car and should be very well suited to Daytona. I’m very eager to earn another victory for the team and Audi, and we definitely have the lineup to do it.”

Driving his sixth race with the team, Marco Seefried is opening up his 2016 campaign after a stellar 2015 season. Competing in IMSA, the Blancpain Endurance Series, as well as VLN, the German also took part in a full season of the World Endurance Championship, where he took a victory and three podiums, including a third at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. Additionally, Seefried took podium honors with Magnus Racing at the Six Hours of the Glen last year, his third podium with the team including a victory at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2014.

“It’s always a joy to return to Magnus Racing,” stated Seefried. “It’s such a fun and warm team, but also incredibly competitive. The new Audi looks really strong and I think at Daytona it should be a real contender. Anything can happen at this race, but with John, Andy, René and the whole team, I’m very excited to see where this race goes.”

Official testing for the race begins tomorrow, January 8, as part of the annual Roar Before the 24, a three-day event in which all IMSA teams are invited to take part in the first official pre-season test. The Rolex 24 at Daytona will take place on Saturday, January 30, with series’ television coverage still to be announced.