Magnus Racing Ready to Close 2018 Season at Petit Le Mans

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (October 9, 2018) -  Following an up-and-down season that has included a pair of podiums for Magnus Racing in their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign, this Saturday’s finale during the prestigious Petit Le Mans will set the lone goal of winning for drivers John Potter, Andy Lally and Andrew Davis.

“It would be great to close our championship going for the win,” stated team owner and driver John Potter. “Petit Le Mans has been a race that has eluded us. The last two times we’ve been in the hunt for a win, including crossing the finish line first in 2016, so it remains unfinished business. The second half of our season has been pretty strong, and following recent tests we’re as prepared as we can be.”

Taking place at the scenic Road Atlanta circuit in northern Georgia, Petit Le Mans has historically been a competitive race for Magnus, with the ultimate prize remaining unclaimed. Under heavy rain conditions in 2015, the team narrowly missed victory in a challenging environment, and in 2016 the team’s No. 44 Audi R8 LMS GT3 actually crossed the finish line first, only to be sent down the order due to a drive-time infraction.

With a strong second-half form this season, including successive podiums at Lime Rock and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, victory remains the lone missing accolade of the team’s 2018 effort.

For Andy Lally, who lives in nearby Atlanta, closing the team’s current chapter is one he remains optimistic for.

“It’s been a transitional year for the team as a whole, and we’ve overcome a lot of obstacles,” stated Lally. “The guys deserve a top result for the time they’ve put in, and we’re all focused on delivering that. Road Atlanta is a circuit unlike any other. It remains to be seen how our Audi will perform there against other marques, but we’re pushing.”

For Andrew Davis, who resides in nearby Athens, a similar sentiment is shared.

"I’ve really enjoyed my time with the team,” stated Davis. “Magnus Racing is one of the most fun environments you can work in, and the team has been pushing hard in testing to ensure we’re prepared for this weekend. A lot can happen in 10 hours, but we’re ready.”

Practice will begin this Thursday, October 11, with the racing taking place two days later on Saturday, October 13. Live coverage can be found on Saturday at 10:30AM ET via FOX Sports 1, switching to FOX Sports 2 at 12PM until the race’s conclusion at 9:30PM. Continuous coverage can be found on the FOX Sports GO app for viewers in the US, or via imsa.tv for international viewers.

Magnus Racing Closes Sprint Season with Top-Five

MONTEREY, Calif. (September 11, 2018) – Following an up-and-down day that saw everything from pre-race incidents to leading the race, Magnus Racing and drivers John Potter and Andy Lally would finish Sunday’s America’s Tire 250, the final sprint race of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with a fifth-place finish.

“Of course we were aiming for a podium, but there were still a lot of positives on the day,” stated team owner and co-driver John Potter. “We were fast all through practice, but with the way the yellow flags flew it was impossible to know exactly what calls would end up being correct, our guys did the best they could. Overall we once again demonstrated our potential, and we’ll turn our attention to Petit Le Mans with a focus on winning.”

Taking place at the scenic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, tire degradation was the theme of the weekend, a massive drop in lap-times taken in to consideration from the beginning of the stint to the end.

Opting to start the race on brand new tires in consideration, the No. 44 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS would actually start from the back as a result, a choice which quickly paid dividends following two separate incidents at the start of the race, one before the green flag ever fell. Being at the back, starting driver John Potter was able to avoid the chaos, eventually starting the race after nearly 30 minutes of yellow-flag racing.

As it would turn out, Potter would only get about five laps of green flag running before the team would pit him, putting Andy Lally in with just under two hours remaining. With a clear track as a result of the stop, Lally would push hard to pull a series of quick laps, and as stops cycled through he would actually find himself leading the race.

Leading throughout the middle, the dynamic of the entire event would change with 75 minutes remaining when another yellow flag flew. Knowing the importance of new tires, the Magnus Racing crew would opt to pit Lally for tires and fuel, dropping down the order as a result.

For the final hour, Lally would push hard on the field in front of him, doing his best to deliver fast laps while watching his tires at the same time. With nearly every car on a different strategy, the No. 44 crew would stop one last time for tires and a topping off of fuel, with Andy resuming in search of a top-five.

By time the final stops all cycled through, the No. 44 would find itself in an uncontested fifth, taking the checkered flag as the top Audi. It was a reasonable finish for an up-and-down day, with all focus now on Petit Le Mans.

For Andy Lally, a reasonable weekend shouldn’t be looked at as disappointing.

“This was a tough race to predict properly,” stated Lally. “We had a fast Audi all weekend, the guys should be really proud of the car they put together. It was great to lead, and with a dew different scenarios we could have been a real contender in the end. The team has done a great job making progress all year, and I’m excited about Petit Le Mans!”

Peter Baron was unavailable for comment.

All attention will now focus to the season finale at Road Atlanta, with Petit Le Mans taking its place as the trademark season finale. Practice for the 10-hour classic will begin on Friday, October 19, with the race on Sunday, October 21.

Magnus Racing Set for Final Sprint Race of 2018

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (September 6, 2018) – With this weekend’s upcoming round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship taking place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Magnus Racing drivers John Potter and Andy Lally look forward to their final sprint race of the season, looking to close on a high. With no championship at stake, and nothing to gain other than going for a win, the team is purely focused on the top result.

“While of course we would love to come in to the weekend with the burden of a championship mindset, that’s not been the way our season shaped up ,so in a way we’re just going to enjoy going for the win,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and driver John Potter. “Laguna Seca has been a good track for us on many occasions, and we would love to continue that tradition this year. It’s the final sprint race of our season, so we have no reason to think about anything other than completely going for it.” 

As a scenic track nestled in the hills of Monterey and just minutes from the Pacific Ocean, Laguna Seca is always a favorite for both fans and teams alike. Featuring the most dramatic elevation change of any circuit on the calendar, the event has proven strong for the team in the past. From 2012-2015, John Potter and Andy Lally managed a podium on every visit, including an incredible win to take the championship lead in 2013.

“Laguna Seca has been a great race for us in year’s past,” stated co-driver Andy Lally. “The last few races we’ve continuously showed a lot of promise, but for different reasons we’ve had trouble closing. As the last sprint race of the year, we expect a pretty frantic pace, but we’re racing with nothing to lose and we’re all focused on just winning.”

Practice begins this Friday, September 7, with the race taking place on Sunday, September 9. Live coverage will be available in the US at 5PM ET via FS1, or at the same for international viewers via imsa.tv.

Magnus Racing Sees a Lot of Positive in Top-10 at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 6, 2018) – Following a wild up-and-down race in which Magnus Racing drivers John Potter and Andy Lally worked their way up through the field to be ranked as high as sixth, the team can still take a lot of solace in yet another top-10 finish in their 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign.

“Looking at the car after the race, there’s a lot of things to look positively at,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and driver John Potter. “The driver’s side door looks OK, the rear-view mirror seems in-tact, and at cursory glance the left-rear wheel seems like it’s still on. We also saved a solid $5.83 in fuel costs thanks to running one less lap on track. All-in-all that seems positive to me.”

After a strong opening series of practices, yesterday’s two-hour, forty-minute race would present some challenges with handling, with the team constantly working on the car in the hopes to find lost ground. In the closing laps, however, Andy Lally would find a renewed pace, making a late charge through the field and gaining three positions in the process, with an aim at the top-five. Unfortunately, a final-lap fight would see him on the outside of the treacherous Turn Six, running wide at the exit and sending the No. 44 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS spinning across the track and making head-on contact with the inside barrier. Lally would walk away un-hurt, with the stricken car classified in ninth when it all came to a close.

Continuing his evaluation of the car, John Potter did note a few challenges for the team as they prepare for the next event just 11 days away.

“The car did take some damage, so the guys will have to look in to it. Some things I noticed were the right-rear turn signal looked a little beaten up, they may have to re-do some of the vinyl on the passenger door, oh and the entire front-end will have to be written off. Other than that though, I think we’re in great shape for Virginia, it was great to take another top 10!” 

With the car heavily damaged, the efforts of the team will ramp up in the coming days, with extensive repairs needed in time for the next round, with the cars loading in to the track next Thursday, August 16.

Practice for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will begin on Friday, August 17 with the race taking place on Sunday, August 19 at 1PM ET on FS1.

Lime Rock Runner-Up Finish Highlights Season Turnaround for Magnus Racing

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 23, 2018) – After an incredibly hard-fought day that saw everything from intermittent brake issues, intense battles for position, and even contact with traffic, Magnus Racing emerged from Saturday’s Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock Park with their best finish of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, taking second. Following a third-place finish at the most recent round in Canada, the runner-up placing at Lime Rock would mark two consecutive podiums for the team in what is proving to be a mid-season turnaround.

“This was an incredible day for everyone on the team,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “As always, it was complete team effort. The crew not only did a great job of getting our car together for this weekend and finding a great balance, but their pit stops and strategy were excellent, leading to a faultless run for us. Andy’s drive at the end was exactly why everyone loves watching Andy race, and if I’m being honest I was pretty happy with my stint as well. We had a lot of braking issues during my stint but I was able to adapt and even improve. It was a great weekend and great to see so many fans, this was the kind of form we were all hoping for.”

Making a clean start, John Potter took the green flag for the No. 44 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS with a strong awareness of the calamity that usually ensues with the tricky 1.5-mile circuit; the shortest of any on the calendar. Failing to disappoint, a first lap incident with some cars ahead would advance John further up the grid, however an intermittent braking issue would arise shortly after, causing Potter to back his pace up significantly. Effectively encountering an inconsistent “soft” pedal, to avoid incident the team owner would back up his braking distances throughout the middle of the stint, opting to manage the car under unpredictable circumstances.

Doing his best to adapt to the issue, the issue would resolve itself over time, allowing Potter to regain his old form, leading to an impressive second half of his stint. Driving some of the best laps in the category, John would gain time over the field for lap-after-lap, eventually catching the field in front by time pit stops would cycle through.

At that point, the Audi was in the hands of Andy Lally to the end, who would set a blistering pace to catch the field in front of him. By time the second round of pit stops would cycle, Lally was up to third, already priming the team for their second consecutive podium.

The most excitement, however, would come in the closing laps as Andy chased down a struggling Patrick Long for second. With Long facing a rear tire issue, a head-to-head fight between two of the sport’s most legendary drivers would engage for several laps, with Patrick doing everything he could to keep Lally behind while they both dealt with faster GTLM category traffic in the process.

Eventually, Lally would sneak his Audi inside of Long’s Porsche in to Turn One, setting the No. 44 up for an impressive pass along the outside of Turn Two.

With the leading car simply too far ahead, Andy would then focus on managing his tires to the end, crossing the finish line in second.

For Lally, another great result for the team was well earned.

“This was an incredible race,” stated Lally. “First off, John’s driving was phenomenal. To have the issues he had and not fall back very far was really heads-up on his part, and once that went away he was one of the fastest cars on the track. It was one of his best drives to date and he should be really proud. The guys did a great job in the pits as always, great strategy, and it was one of the best cars we’ve had. Racing with Patrick again was great fun, and the respect he showed on track was something half the field could learn from. This was exactly what we needed." 

Land Motorsports’ Peter Baron also shared his thoughts.

“Always good to see an Audi up front and the 44 achieving back-to-back podiums,” stated Baron. “Tuning into the race I was hoping to fall asleep while watching in Germany, being six hours ahead after an overnight flight. The Magnus race was exciting enough to keep me awake. So for me it’s bittersweet. Happy for Magnus, but really want to sleep now.” 

Still in the thick of their busy summer season, Magnus Racing and the entire IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be back in just two weeks’ time, competing at the annual Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, held at the scenic Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Practice begins on Friday, August 3, with the race taking place on Sunday, August 5 at 2:30PM ET on FS1.