Hills! Hamsters! It’s Ohio!

Salt Lake City, UT (June 7, 2012)- Making good on the wager they made in April, Magnus Racing will be greeted by one furry friend on the grid for this weekend’s EMCO Gears Classic, the sixth round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series taking place at the historic Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. For a change though, that hairy beast won’t be Crew Chief John Bedell, but instead an unnamed member of the Kinetic Motorsports team, who will adorn the famous Kia “hamster suit.”

Prior to the third round of the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Magnus Racing- a full-time entrant in the Rolex Sports Car Series, and Kinetic Motorsports- a full-time entrant in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, were both vying to bring shared driver Andy Lally his 100th career GRAND-AM series podium. Deciding to make a wager of it, both teams agreed to challenge the other to be first. The stakes? The loser would have to wear a Kia branded (whom which Kinetic competes for) “hamster suit” at the next shared event. If Magnus lost, it would be Team Manager Shannon Davis doing the deed. If Kinetic, it would be series co-driver (and reigning series champion) Nic Jonsson.

As luck would have it during the fourth round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Kinetic lost.

Unfortunately for Magnus Racing, Nic Jonsson will be unavailable to make the appearance personally this coming Saturday. Kinetic Motorsports cites the reasoning as a schedule conflict, as Jonsson does immediately have to get to the airport in anticipation of his flight to France for next weekend’s 24 Hours of LeMans. Magnus Racing is skeptical at best.

Nic Jonsson was available for comment at the below link:
Nic Jonsson Apologizes

Whatever the case, Magnus will still be greeted on the grid this Saturday by an unnamed team member of Kinetic, whom we’re secretly hoping is Kinetic Team owner Russell Smith. Smith, who is known for his fake English accent, was once a dancer for The Pet Shop Boys so it shouldn’t be much of a stretch.

“We’re looking forward to our opening grid festivities,” stated Magnus Racing Team Owner John Potter. “It’s a shame Nic seems to have a ‘conflict,’ Very disappointed that the hairy, hamster-sized Swedish driver cannot be there, but we are happy to settle this wager by parading the Brit on the grid instead - I think the Brits still eat those things don’t they?”

Oh yeah, there’s a race too.

When it comes to the scenic, 2.2 mile 13-turn road course nestled near Mansfield, Ohio, Magnus Racing comes in with mixed fortunes and results. In 2010, the team achieved their first ever GRAND-AM series podium with a second place in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, but suffered a disappointing result last year in the Rolex Series finale when an inconsistent pit procedure by GRAND-AM cost the team a possible win.

Headed in to this weekend, the team is after results.

“This is such a stacked field, it’s tough to say how the race will unfold,” stated co-driver Andy Lally, who took a commanding come-from-behind victory at the circuit in 2007. “There’s so many twists and elevation changes, we’re going to really have to do our best to manage the tires and keep from sliding. If we can play the strategy right, anything is possible.”

In the thick of a tight championship fight, co-driver John Potter is well aware of the balance between points and results.

“The points are so tight this year, you can’t afford a mistake. At the same time, the best way to earn points is to put the car up front, and we’re really looking to improve on the last few races.”

At nearly the halfway point in the season, it’s anyone’s guess what lies ahead.

Official practice for the EMCO Gears Classic begins this Friday, June 8, with the race being broadcast LIVE on SPEED on Saturday, June 9, at 4:30PM ET.

FOR THOSE IN THE OHIO AREA, MAGNUS RACING WILL ONCE AGAIN OFFER FREE TEAM TOURS AT12PM ON FRIDAY, AND 2PM ON SATURDAY.

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Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via www.magnusracing.com. You can also follow Andy Lally on Twitter (@AndyLally).

More information about Magnus Racing can be found at www.magnusracing.com. Any organization interested in learning more about how to be involved with one of the most unique and visible teams in sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

Safe Six Promoted by Magnus in Detroit

Detroit, MI (June 3, 2012)-On a day that featured numerous cautions courtesy of the bumpy and unforgiving nature of the Belle Isle street course in Detroit, Michigan, Magnus Racing took their fifth consecutive top-10 in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car GT championship. Taking a very quiet sixth place during this weekend’s Chevrolet GRAND-AM Detroit 200, the team maintains fourth place in a very tight GT championship.

As a 14-turn, 2.1 mile circuit carved out of the public roads located in Detroit’s scenic Belle Isle park, the twisty nature of the course was always going to be a question mark for the Magnus Racing no. 44 Porsche GT3 Cup. With handling and tire management coming at a premium, the lighter, purpose-built “prep two” cars such as the Mazda RX-8 or Chevrolet Camaro were expected to have an advantage. Knowing that caution periods and incidents would be the dominant feature of the race, the driving duo of John Potter and Andy Lally knew a cautious approach would be the right one.

“The car really slides around a lot at this track since it’s built over bumpy public roads,” stated Andy Lally. “The heavier the car, the more you slide, which burns up the tires quite a bit, so our best strategy was to stay out of incidents and see where attrition took us.”

With their first, and only, day of practice occurring the day before, the entire GRAND-AM paddock was greeted to a morning and afternoon of rain-soaked practice. This would prove difficult to get proper practice time on the track. In fact, the first opportunity anyone would have to drive on a truly dry circuit occurred during qualifying, where John Potter drove a solid session to put the car in a top-10 starting position.

"It was actually a very neat experience because none of us had really experienced the track in the dry until qualifying,” stated Potter.

With the green flag dropping on a dry track Saturday afternoon, the race was on in a very tight field. With Potter maintaining his position and never putting a wheel wrong, a timely caution just past the 30-minute mark would create an opportunity for Potter to hand the car to Lally to finish the 2-hour race.

With Lally now behind the wheel, the stage was set for a mixture of on-track action combined with conserving tires as well as fuel strategy. Making work of a few cars in front of him, a series of on-going cautions meant Lally would come in for one more quick fuel stop slightly past the halfway point, allowing the 44 car to run safely to the finish with no worries on fuel. As the race would unfold, continued accidents would be the theme of the day, with Lally driving hard in a nose-to-tail lineup of GT cars. Finding it difficult to pass without taking significant risk, Lally would eventually settle in for sixth behind Bill Auberlin’s no. 94 Turner Motorsports BMW, taking some solace that the team would finish as the top Porsche entrant.

"We walked away with solid points, so we're happy with that,” stated Lally. “To do well at a track like this, the Porsche would definitely need a few rule changes to be able to walk away with top finish, but at least we were the top Porsche. It was a great scrap with the guys we were racing with, and a really stacked field of talented drivers, so we'll take it."

"This is definitely a very interesting track to race on,” continued John Potter. “Overall I'd say we're content with sixth. The guys did a great job and made great calls on the car, but it's just really difficult to pass here. We definitely take satisfaction as the top finishing Porsche, we just wish that was a higher finish!"

The Magnus Racing no. 44 will continue on in just six days with the EMCO Gears Classic, taking place at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Official practice begins this Friday, June 8, with the Saturday race being featured on SPEED on Saturday, June 9, at 4:30 PM ET.

FOR THOSE IN THE OHIO AREA, MAGNUS RACING WILL ONCE AGAIN OFFER FREE TEAM TOURS AT12PM ON FRIDAY, AND 2PM ON SATURDAY.

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Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via www.magnusracing.com. You can also follow Andy Lally on Twitter (@AndyLally).

More information about Magnus Racing can be found at www.magnusracing.com. Any organization interested in learning more about how to be involved with one of the most unique and visible teams in sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

If It's Raining, It's Friday- Detroit Day One Report

When Magnus Racing showed up for the first day of practice and qualifying for Saturday's Chevrolet GRAND-AM Detroit 200, the familiar site of grey clouds and torrential rain was all too familiar. With three of the first four rounds of the season featuring multiple wet sessions, there seems to be a common theme in 2012.

The saving grace of today? Potter and Lally can drive in the wet.

For Andy Lally, who last drove the circuit in a Barber Dodge open wheel car over 10 years ago, several years of wet weather experience always suits him well when the conditions demand. Today was no different, as he managed to consistently keep the car in the top-five as he and the entire field circulated the track at a crawling pace early this morning to learn the track.

John Potter, meanwhile, has a smooth and calculated driving style that suits him especially well in wet conditions. For those who remember the third round at Homestead, Florida, John led for a good portion of his opening stint. Today, he continued that same feat headed in to the third session of the day, where he spent much of the session at the top of the charts, only barely being pipped to second with minutes to go.

By time qualifying came around to end the day, the 15-minute session would turn out to be the only dry session all day. Qualifying the no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, John did a tremendous job learning the dry track for the first time, outpacing some big names en route to a ninth place effort.

"It was actually a very neat experience because none of us had really experienced the track in the dry until qualifying." Stated Potter. "Overall I'm pleased with a top-10, but certainly have a few places where I know we can go quicker.The whole team has done a great job, I guess time will tell tomorrow where everyone stacks."

With tomorrow being race day, the team will head out tomorrow morning for a long day of watching the IZOD IndyCar series until our very own race occurs at 5PM ET. We will continue to provide updates throughout the day, as well as live coverage on SPEED.

Magnus Says Good-Bye to Personal Lives, Hello to June.

Salt Lake City, UT (May 29, 2012)- The cars are loaded, the team is packed, and the entire Magnus Racing organization is on the road…. for a long, long time.

Beginning this weekend on the streets of Belle Isle, Detroit, this Saturday’s Chevrolet GRAND-AM Detroit 200 is the first of four races all occurring in the month of June. With a test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway occurring just days after the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen at the end of the month, the team will literally be on the road for six weeks straight.

“We all knew this was going to be a tough part of the schedule,” stated Team Owner John Potter. “The team is prepared and we have a great plan in place for the month, I just hope that everyone stays on top of their laundry… I don’t want to share a trailer if they don’t.”

Headed in to this weekend’s race, the 14-turn 2.07 street circuit will be the first temporary course that the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series visits for the year. Running during the same weekend as the IZOD IndyCar Series, the entire GRAND-AM circuit is looking forward to racing on the streets of Motor City. With the series having never raced here before, it’s anyone’s guess as to what to expect.

For the drivers of the no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, the key to fighting for the very tight points championship will come down to speed and the right strategy.

Driver Andy Lally returns to the track after driving an open wheel car at the circuit over a decade ago, meaning… pretty much nothing.

“It was a long time ago that I drove this car in the old Barber Dodge series,” stated Lally. “A lot has changed since then, not only with myself but I believe the circuit has probably changed a bit too, so we’ll all be learning this for the first time. It should be a great event, and as only a two-hour race, we’re going to have push very hard.”

As a two-hour sprint race with unforgiving walls on all sides of the track, the race is sure to produce a lot of excitement.

“I always enjoy street circuits, and the sprint format should really lend itself to exciting racing,” stated John Potter. “No one is really sure what to expect, but we’ll certainly give it a good run.”

First practice for the Chevrolet GRAND-AM Detroit 200 will take place this Friday, June 1, with the race being broadcast live on SPEED at 5PM ET on Saturday, June 2nd.

FOR THOSE IN THE DETROIT AREA, MAGNUS RACING WILL ONCE AGAIN OFFER FREE TEAM TOURS AT 3PM ON FRIDAY, AND 12PM ON SATURDAY.

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Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via www.magnusracing.com. You can also follow Andy Lally on Twitter (@AndyLally).

More information about Magnus Racing can be found at www.magnusracing.com. Any organization interested in learning more about how to be involved with one of the most unique and visible teams in sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

100.

Three in the Pink for Magnus. Nic Jonsson Hates Us.

Millville, NJ (May 14, 2012)-Following a race that saw a record race pace after only one caution period, Magnus Racing managed an eventful afternoon to come home in third place during yesterday’s Global Barter 250 presented by Susan G. Komen for the Cure- Central and South Jersey at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Beyond bringing home a strong result in the one-time pink liveried car in honor of the Komen foundation, the no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup also delivered a historic 100th GRAND-AM podium for driver Andy Lally, who beyond celebrating with his mother on mother’s day, also meant that Magnus Racing won the bet over Kinetic Motorsports to deliver the historic result.

If Magnus Racing was first to the podium in the Rolex Sports Car Series, Kinetic’s Nic Jonsson would be forced to dance at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a Kia hamster suit. If Kinetic had been first in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Magnus Racing Team Manager Shannon Davis would have had to do the same.

Luckily for Shannon, it will be Jonsson.

“It’s a great feeling to finally earn 100 podiums,” stated Lally. “To be honest it’s a little bittersweet, as there was a shot for the win, but it just didn’t work out so we had to settle for third. At the end of the day it was good points, and I have to thank all the guys here at Magnus who worked so hard to get us here. I’m a lucky guy, and happy to celebrate my 100th here on mother’s day. I love racing in GRAND-AM. Both the Rolex and Continental Series are so much fun, and so exciting to watch, it's an honor to have had such as great career here.”

With co-driver John Potter starting in 11th, the no. 44 was off to a solid start when the green flag fell. Running under a long green flag, Potter’s main objective was to simply manage the tires, drive clean, and get a strong read on the car in order to adjust for the second half of the race. Not putting a foot wrong, Potter brought the car in at the 50-minute mark, handing the car over to Andy Lally, who was focused on moving the car to the front.

Driving under long green conditions, Lally slowly made work on the field in front of him. Running lap times that matched the race leaders, the long green flag, matched with the rising temperatures, also put Lally in a position to manage his tires as he slowly picked off his competitors.

Pitting at the edge of their fuel window for the final time, Lally would dive in for his final stop in seventh. A quick stop by the Magnus crew would time perfectly with a yellow flag that would come out moments later, putting the Magnus team in a strong strategic position.

With most of the field in front having not pitted, the caution period would force the teams in front to wait until the pits were “open” for GT cars to come through, meaning Lally would catch the back of the field before they’d enter the pits. As a result, when the GT field came in for their last set of stops, Lally would advance to second, and all of a sudden in a strong position to challenge the leading no. 57 Stevenson Camaro.

As the race resumed, no. 57 driver Robin Liddell made a quick jump on the re-start, however made an interesting move as he quickly jumped on the brakes down the front straight, all happening before the start-finish line. By GRAND-AM rule, Lally was not allowed to pass Liddell before start-finish, meaning Lally would also have to jump on the brakes to avoid a penalty, catching him out and allowing two cars to pass in the process.

All of a sudden Lally went from being able to challenge for the lead, to now sitting in fourth and fighting to gain a podium position.

Staying glued to Liddell, who also fell back on the re-start, the last 30 minutes of the race would be a game of patience. As the no. 69 AIM Ferrari of Jeff Segal took a commanding lead, the no. 42 Mazda of Dane Cameron struggled with a fading car to keep Liddell behind him. During the final laps of the race, a heated battle between Cameron and Liddell would cause Cameron to have a brief off-course excursion, allowing Liddell and Lally to advance, meaning Lally was now in a podium position.

From there, Lally would never look back, keeping heat on Liddell but unable to make a final pass, settling for third.

Though there was a brief moment where the no. 44 may have been able to go for the win, third was still a decent result for the team, who now only sit eight points out of the GT championship lead.

“After Homestead we really wanted to make a strong run for points, so we’ll take this,” stated John Potter. “The pink no. 44 was a fun novelty to run this weekend, and I’m glad we were able to deliver a podium result for everyone at Susan G. Komen- Central and South Jersey. Once again we’re all very proud of the work we’ve done, and now we’ll just carry this on to Detroit.”

The fifth round of the Rolex Sports Car Series will take place on the streets of Detroit, with the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 showing live at 5:00PM ET on Saturday, June 1st on SPEED.

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Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists the only grassroots organization fighting to cure breast cancer at every stage, from the causes to the cures and the pain and anxiety of every moment in between. The Komen Central and South Jersey affiliate is committed to increasing screening mammography in order to save lives through early breast cancer detection. Twenty-five percent of the affiliate proceeds support innovative national breast cancer research programs while the remaining 75% supports local programs. Serving 13 counties in New Jersey - Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, and Somerset - the affiliate will reach 100,000 women in 2000 with breast cancer education and screening programs.

Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via www.magnusracing.com. You can also follow Andy Lally on Twitter (@AndyLally).

More information about Magnus Racing can be found at www.magnusracing.com. Any organization interested in learning more about how to be involved with one of the most unique and visible teams in sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.