Magnus Racing’s Off Season is No Vacation

Salt Lake City, UT (November 12, 2010)- Just one month away from the first official tests of the 2011 GRAND-AM racing season, Magnus Racing is already hard at work as the team looks for bigger and better achievements in the coming year.

Following the debut season of the team, Magnus Racing has not only developed a solid reputation as a competitive and professional organization, but is widely recognized as one of the most personable and outright fun teams in the paddock. Taking multiple top-five finishes, a pole position at Watkins Glen, a podium finish at this year’s Petit Le Mans, and finishing the season as the highest ranked Porsche team in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, 2010 set the stage for what will be an even better 2011. Running as a one-car team in 2010, the team has its sights set on a limited multi-car program in 2011, providing new opportunities for sponsored drivers and with a focused goal of race victory.

For Team Owner John Potter, seeing the team come together and mature in only one year has been a dream come true.

“I think we can look at 2010 as a successful season for sure,” stated Potter. “We had a number of highlights throughout the year, but I believe what has separated us from the rest of the field has been the environment we create for all of our guests and team members.”

Not to be ignored, the team has even garnered the attention of Porsche, who in 2011 will continue to work directly with the team. In 2010, Magnus Racing received support from the factory in a number of ways, including drivers for The Rolex 24 at Daytona. Continuing the partnership, Porsche's support for the program is actually strengthening.

For Jens Walther, newly appointed President of Porsche Motorsport North America, the alignment of Magnus Racing with Porsche is a welcome one.

"Magnus is a threat to get on the podium every time they start a race," stated Walther. " We value the partnership they bring to our program,"

Staying on target with the team’s multi-year business plan, Magnus Racing will expand to a multi-car team in 2011, however the team will maintain a limit to this expansion. Having an acute awareness of race teams often over-stretching themselves to accommodate as many as seven cars at a time, everyone at Magnus Racing agrees to limit the program to a small, exclusive line-up in order to ensure the team’s attention to quality and delivering on promises.

“Historically, some teams will come in to the Rolex 24 as a means to build up as high a car count as they can, and that just doesn’t interest us right now,” stated Potter. “It’s important that we give everyone who joins our program first rate attention, and we want to ensure this by keeping our program limited to a capped off car count. We have a multi-year plan in place for this business, and we’re making sure our growth is not only measured, but also in line with maintaining high satisfaction for everyone involved.”

Indeed, the hospitality and overall environment at Magnus Racing is certainly one that has set itself apart from the traditionally conservative environment in professional sportscar racing. With a dedicated hospitality staff headed by GRAND-AM veteran Lorie Bedell, it isn’t an unusual occurrence to see members of other teams peaking under the team’s tent in search of good food!

“I think we should start charging all the other teams when their guys come to our tent” joked Potter. “It’s a real testament to what Lorie and our team provide. We’re very proud of the quality and professionalism we’ve delivered on track, but Lorie and our crew make a real effort to take care of our guests and sponsors when they’re here, and I think it shows when you see so many other team members using our space to take a break.”

As the team looks to expand its efforts to a multi-car program in both the GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series GTC ranks, having brought in some of the sport’s most experienced professionals all lends itself to putting Magnus Racing on the map as not only one of the most solid Porsche teams on the track, but a new “alternative” to the traditionally frustrating experiences a lot of Porsche drivers have with other organizations. Returning to the team and managing the whole effort is ace engineer Lars Giersing, who has called the shots for four GRAND-AM championships in the last six years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). With a crew headed by GRAND-AM veteran John Bedell, who has been part of winning Porsche efforts for the last decade, the crew is made up of veteran mechanics and technicians from the top teams throughout the series. Combined with the hospitality effort of Lorie Bedell and staff, a full-time marketing and PR effort, and a straightforward and no-nonsense business approach by John Potter, Magnus Racing is quickly becoming the new home for a number of drivers, especially those seeking programs for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

“We’re lucky to bring back the same crew to our program, which is more than a lot of teams can say, even the ones who have been around longer,” stated Potter. “With that comes a group who works really well together, and above all, a group who does a solid job of putting a reliable car on the track. We’ve had multiple discussions with sponsored drivers looking for a home at this year’s Rolex 24 and for the 2011 season, and I believe most people have been impressed with our approach. We’re not salesmen, and we don’t try to be, we have a great product backed by some of the best in the business. Our model is such that we’re trying to build a long and solid foundation with everyone we work with, and in that I believe our clients and partners have appreciated our straightforward and family-oriented approach.”

For more information on opportunities regarding the upcoming 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona, or 2011 GRAND-AM and ALMS GTC seasons, please visit www.magnusracing.com or Email info@magnusracing.com.

Strong ALMS debut for Magnus Racing as team finishes third in GTC at Petit Le Mans

October 3, 2010 (Braselton, GA) – After nearly ten hours of hard fought competition between five classes of racing, the No. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup crossed the finish line to take third position in the American Le Mans Series’ GTC category.

Atlanta-based drivers Andrew Davis and Ryan Eversley joined team owner John Potter in the team’s first ALMS race, working diligently with the Magnus Racing engineers to develop the team’s Porsche to have the speed to race with the GTC frontrunners – which it demonstrated by qualifying third in Friday’s qualifying session.

Davis started the race in the Magnus Racing Porsche and despite being held up by slower GT2 traffic and losing a position on the opening lap, he quickly moved back to third and comfortably ran in that position until an early yellow flag period caused the car to go down a lap on the two GTC cars ahead. Potter then completed a full stint, maintaining third position, until Eversley got behind the wheel and dropped to fifth through the cycle of GTC pitstops. Posting competitive times throughout his first stint, Eversley moved back to third but made a mistake under braking for turn seven, spinning into the gravel. The car lost two laps to the leaders as the race went under full course caution to extract him.

After that hiccup, Davis returned behind the wheel and made up the two positions lost from the spin before his stint was over. All the drivers then cycled through as the race wore on, with Davis behind the wheel when the checkered flag fell on the Porsche after 332 laps of Road Atlanta circuit. The result was Magnus Racing’s first podium with the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, and second podium of any type for the season.

Petit Le Mans was Magnus Racing’s final event of its inaugural year of competition, which saw it stand apart from the crowd with its philosophy of bringing the fun back to sports car racing. The team will be back in 2011, aiming for more strong results and more fun.

DRIVER QUOTES

John Potter

Ending the year with a third at Petit Le Mans after starting with a fifth at the Daytona 24 is a great way to wrap up our first season as a team. We came hoping to be competitive having not competed in ALMS spec before and our drivers and team prepared a very fast race car, and I can’t thank the whole team enough. We had a great time competing in the American Le Mans Series and hope to do more events in the future. But if we had qualified first as promised, it would have been a clear victory for Magnus Racing…

Ryan Eversley

I had a great time spending the weekend with Magnus Racing, on my home track, and in a great event like Petit Le Mans. I am proud of the way that John and Andrew drove – I think we showed that we had one of the strongest driver lineups, which helps when one of us makes a mistake and gets the car stuck in the gravel for two laps. But all the credit to the guys, they worked hard and their work was what allowed us stand on the podium at Petit Le Mans and spray some champagne.

Andrew Davis

I’m really proud of the whole Magnus Racing squad, and honored to have been asked to race with them at Petit Le Mans, on my home track of Road Atlanta. We came into this series and class where everyone has been racing all year long, and we showed that Magnus Racing is a very professional team. We ran up front in every session and challenged for the win. The guys didn’t give up when we had our problems, our pitstops got better every time and the car got better every time. Thanks to John Potter and the entire Magnus Racing squad for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the team. And I promised a podium – not a pole!



Magnus Racing qualifies third in competitive GTC field for Petit Le Mans

October 1, 2010 (Braselton, GA) – Stepping into the competitive GTC category of the American Le Mans Series in the final race of the season, the Magnus Racing team was expecting a challenge to bring their No. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on pace in time for Petit Le Mans.

After a closely-fought qualifying session, Andrew Davis wheeled the car to third on the grid – just off the front row and very close to the pole position. While starting position means little over the course of a ten hour endurance contest, the team is confident that their Porsche is set up to be fast over the duration of the race. Davis, as well as co-drivers Ryan Eversley and John Potter, posted competitive times throughout the final Petit Le Mans practice sessions.

However, controversy soon swept the Magnus Racing pits as team owner Potter contended that Davis made a promise that he would qualify the Magnus Racing Porsche on the pole position for Sunday’s race. Davis had no recollection of making the statement, while Eversley could barely hide his disappointment.

In any event, all three drivers are looking forward to the green flag for Sunday’s Petit Le Mans, which will be broadcast on SPEED Channel at 11:00 AM ET. Magnus Racing will post updates throughout the race on the team website at www.magnusracing.com, as well as on their Facebook page at facebook.com/magnusracing, and on the team’s twitter account (@magnusracing).

DRIVER QUOTES

John Potter:

It’s been a great week for us and our car has gotten better in each session. We still have a ten-hour race to go, but we are happy with how things have gone. Andrew and Ryan are great teammates and we are really excited to close out the season with what is going to be a really challenging race. It sure would have been good to start on pole, though, like I was promised…

Andrew Davis:

We’ve made good progress over the course of the week – the car is better and faster each session. Qualifying was tight and we didn’t quite have the car over a single lap, but we have one of the strongest cars and one of the strongest driver lineups. I’m proud of the team and the guys have worked really hard, and I appreciate the opportunity to join the Magnus Racing squad. And I did not promise anyone the pole!

Ryan Eversley:

It’s been a great Petit Le Mans week for us so far, with the Magnus Racing crew putting together a really good car that is really well setup. We are going to be very competitive. It’s just too bad that Andrew let us down by not putting it on pole – now Potter and I have to pick up the slack.



Magnus Racing recruits local talent and extends its 2010 season ten hours to contest Petit Le Mans

September 27, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – As it turns out, Magnus Racing’s end-of-season celebration came a bit early. After contesting the entire GRAND-AM Rolex Sportscar Series, the team will complete its inaugural season at this weekend’s Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda 2 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, the final event of the American Le Mans Series.

The familiar green Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – which will be No. 77 on this weekend – will contest in the GTC category at the ten hour / 1000 mile contest on Road Atlanta’s  2.54-mile, 12 turn road course – which is recognized as one of the world’s greatest road courses. The team makeup will be slightly different than it has been throughout the season as Potter’s regular co-driver, Craig Stanton, had a previous commitment for Petit Le Mans. As such, Potter has recruited Georgia-based drivers Ryan Eversley and Andrew Davis to join Magnus Racing for the endurance contest.

“I’m very excited about ending our first season at Petit Le Mans, which has become one of the greatest endurance races in the world – especially after we started at another great endurance race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Potter. “We are disappointed that Craig couldn’t join us for this race, but I’m glad that Ryan and Andrew – two drivers with plenty of experience at the track – will race with us. The longer races have suited us this season, and I think we will be in the hunt for a podium this weekend.”

Davis spent his season competing against Magnus Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series, and scored a victory at the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park. Davis has also raced extensively in the ALMS in LMP2, GT1 and GT2, with a highlight being his second place at the 2001 Petit Le Mans.

"I am very excited to join Magnus Racing for this event,” said Davis. “John Potter has done an excellent job of assembling this team, so it is no surprise that they have been gaining momentum throughout the 2010 season.  The addition of this grueling event to the team schedule really shows his commitment to motor sport.  This squad knows a thing or two about endurance racing, and I am confident that we have the combination of drivers, engineering, and technical support to finish up front.  For me personally, Petit LeMans is a special event since Road Atlanta is home track.  So, I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this race once again."

Eversley spent his 2010 contesting the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series, but has enjoyed success at Petit Le Mans when he finished second in the LMP2 class in 2004. Eversley also scored a victory in the World Challenge Touring Class at Mid Ohio this season.

“I’ve known John and the guys at Magnus Racing for a while, and I know they are a great team who takes racing seriously but always have fun,” said Eversley. “So I am really happy to be getting in the team’s Porsche, and considering it is at my home track and a track I have instructed at for seven years. We have a team that can do really well and I can’t wait for Saturday.”

Qualifying for Petit Le Mans will be shown live on Speed.com on Friday at 3:10 PM ET, and can be seen at stream.speedtv.com. The live broadcast of Petit Le Mans will begin on Saturday, October 2^nd, beginning at 11:00 AM ET and ending at 9:30 PM ET.

Fans of Magnus Racing can stay up to date on the team’s progress throughout the weekend on the team’s website (magnusracing.com) and via twitter (@magnusracing).

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.



Half of Salt Lake City turns out to see Magnus Racing round out Grand-Am season

September 13, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Calif.) – With the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season finale held at the home base of Magnus Racing – the expansive Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah – it was no surprise that half of the event attendance was made up of visitors of the Magnus Racing hospitality area.

As such, team owner John Potter was eager to put on a strong showing in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Saturday’s Utah 250, and the team was in high spirits after a strong showing at the Montreal 200 in Montreal, Quebec when he led the race in the early going before Craig Stanton brought the car home in fifth place.

Finishing in 11^th position in Friday’s qualifying session, Potter had a clean start when the green flag fell for Saturday’s Utah 250 and ran a steady pace throughout his stint. He advanced a position when he passed the No. 41 Mazda RX-8 before a caution for ‘debris’ saw him pit and hand the car over to Stanton.

With the race being relatively incident-free and with the field spread out, Stanton was directed by the team to begin saving fuel with the goal being to have enough to make it to the end of the race. Running a conservative pace, he ran as high as seventh before two yellow flags removed any issue of fuel mileage from the race. With such a long stint on his tires, Stanton struggled for grip but found a way to make a last-lap, last-corner pass attempt on Memo Gidley in the No. 43 Mazda RX-8 that he was unable to pull off. He crossed the finish line in eight to put a cap on the first GRAND-AM season for Magnus Racing.

“Craig refers to the people who post on our website and Facebook pages as the Magnus Nation. If that is the case, then this is Magnus City,” said Potter. “We wanted to put on a good show and the Porsche ran great today and all weekend. We picked a strategy and unfortunately the race played out differently than we would have liked, but we brought the car home in one piece, none of our drivers passed out, and no one hit us, so it was a good day in GT.”

Unfortunately, the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche Cayman was more reluctant than its green brother, as it flat out refused to start after Friday’s final practice session. A glitch in the car’s ECU could not be resolved, despite the efforts of the Magnus Racing crew and Ken Garff Automotive Group, the Porsche dealership in not-so-nearby Orem, Utah.

No such problems existed on Friday when Potter drove the Cayman from downtown Salt Lake City to Taylorsville, Utah, when he drove 11-year-old Reed Tyler to Bennion Elementary School. Tyler was selected by Miller Motorsports Park as the winner of the VIP Ride to School contest, which included a live television spot on the local Fox News affiliate and a high-speed police escorted ride in the Magnus Racing Cayman down I-215. Tyler also joined the crew during the Utah 250, wearing a Magnus Racing firesuit and sitting on the pit box with Potter and the team’s engineering staff.

Magnus Racing finished ninth in the team championship in their first season, and it will be a short off-season before the team reappears in January for the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona – where Magnus Racing’s campaign to bring a new perspective back to sports car racing will continue.

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 the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.