FULL REPORT: Magnus Misfortune Continues at Detroit

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.

Magnus the Shark to Join Magnus Racing in Detroit

DETROIT (May 29, 2015)- Yes, you read that right and yes, this is real. Continuing in Magnus Racing’s commitment to local fans, the team will be joined during tomorrow’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy dealers by Detroit’s very own “Magnus the Shark,” the official mascot of Detroit’s SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium.
 
“Like any creative endeavor, the time has come for us to jump the shark,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “When we learned that Detroit had their very own Magnus, we thought it would be a great opportunity to join forces. We have a lot in common, we both love seafood, we mature slowly, and there are some days where we’re completely lost at sea. It will be great to have Magnus and everyone at SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium join us tomorrow, my only sadness is I doubt we’ll get Andy to enjoy some stone crabs with us.”

Joining the team throughout the race festivities, Magnus the Shark is the signature mascot of Detroit’s all-new SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium. Designed as an interactive experience, 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. Located in nearby Auburn Hills, the experience recently opened in January, and operates seven days a week.
 
Magnus the Shark will join the team throughout tomorrow’s pre-race festivities, including joining drivers Andy Lally and John Potter during the 9:30AM autograph session, as well as joining the team during the series’ signature gridwalk.
 
This continues a rich heritage of Magnus Racing promoting local businesses, including the famed “Roscoes House of Chicken ‘n Waffles” car in Long Beach, and Magnus Ridge Winery in Watkins Glen, New York.
 
To learn more about SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium, visit www.visitsealife.com/michigan, or follow @sealifemichigan on Instagram or Twitter, or their sealifemichigan page on Facebook.

Magnus Racing Turns to Detroit for Optimism

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 27, 2015)- Following a 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season that has seen everything from incidents with competitors, to incidents with wildlife, to finally seeing their first top-10 of the year at the most recent round, Magnus Racing will head to this weekend’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers in search of a true return to form.
 
“When we think of turning things around and really being optimistic, we think of Detroit,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “It’s always been a little bit of a struggle for us there, most notably last year, but we’ve put a lot of time in to testing and development over the last six weeks. There are so many reasons to visit Detroit, for me it’s the sunshine and the women, and we’re all excited about it. I think we’ll really start showing the fruits of everyone’s effort.”

Taking place on the temporary course run on the streets of Detroit’s scenic Belle Isle, this weekend’s event will run in concert with the Verizon IndyCar Series. With a shortened schedule for the weekend, the team will have very limited track time in preparation for Saturday’s race, which at 100 minutes will be the shortest of the season. It will also be the team’s shortest pre-race press release.
 
Practice begins this Friday, May 29, with the race taking place one day later at 12PM ET. Live coverage will take place on Fox Sports 2, however for those unable to receive the channel there will be a re-airing on Fox Sports 1 at 2PM ET. The team will also provide continuous updates throughout the weekend on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds.

Magnus Continues Top-Six Streak at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 4, 2015)- Headed into Sunday’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda, Magnus Racing had just one goal: continue their streak of podiums top-six finishes alive at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Having finished third in 2012, winning in 2013, and third again during last year’s event, the team would come away satisfied having finished sixth during Sunday’s third round of the GTD class for the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship.
 
“We took away a lot of positive elements from today’s race,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “We obviously would have liked to finish higher, but with the way our season has been going, a solid finish is a move in the right direction. We know the speed is there as we showed throughout practice, so we’re definitely headed in the right direction. I’m fairly happy with my stint, Andy did a great job to bring the car home, and all in all I’d say we can at least leave the event knowing there’s a good amount of momentum moving forward.”
 
With Potter qualifying the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America in fifth, his first qualifying performance since 2013, the team was optimistic for a strong finish. When the green flag fell the Utah resident did his best to avoid incident successfully navigating the traditionally chaotic start and settling into his own pace. As the field would see a variety of maneuvers and overtakes, John would maintain a grip on the lead pack, battling to stay in the top five but never putting his machine at risk.
 
With the race requiring John to do a minimum of 60 minutes in the car, an early caution period would see the team elect to bring him in for tires and fuel, however, John would stay in the car in order to fulfill his time requirement. Continuing where he left off, the team owner would do his usual steady job of driving while maintaining lead contact, until surpassing the 60-minute mark and eventually being called in to switch with lead driver Andy Lally.
 
Crucial in this decision was the timing of the driver change which came early enough that the team was effectively forced to do one more stop to make it to the finish, whereas the teams ahead took the more risky strategy of staying out much longer to make it their final pit stop, meaning they’d all have to run conservative on fuel and tires for the rest of the race.
 
As Lally circled the track with no worries for fuel, the race simply wasn’t meant to be for the team. Running fast lap after fast lap without trouble, the leading pack of cars were able to successfully run their strategy to the end, miring the No. 44 back in sixth with simply not enough time to catch.
 
While the team would have liked a stronger finish, a combination of fast lap times and also achieving their first trouble-free run of the 2015 season was still a positive for the team.
 
“Of course we would have liked to have finished better, but I’m still very proud of the effort,” stated Lally. “This car has been strong all weekend and that bodes very well for us for the rest of the year. This race is so hard to predict, the strategy could have easily gone the other way and worked to our advantage, so we should still be happy with this. All in all I’m happy with the weekend, and it’s great to have our season back on track.”
 
With a four-week break in store for the series until the next round, Magnus Racing will still be hard at work preparing for the busy summer season with the next round taking place at the unique Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of the scenic Belle Isle Park. Practice begins on Friday, May 29, with the race the next day on May 30. Live coverage can be found on Fox Sports 2 at 2PM ET, with next-day coverage on Fox Sports 1 at 5PM ET.

Magnus Racing Targets Continued Podium Success at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (April 29, 2015) – After a difficult start to their 2015 campaign in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Magnus Racing will return to one of their most historically successful circuits, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during this weekend’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda. With the two longest events of the season behind, and the team’s GTD category beginning the first sprint race of the year, the team is eager to get their championship effort back on track.
 
“It’s always tough to come back after having two difficult races in a row, especially at events that we’ve had success at,” stated team owner and co-driver John Potter. “Luckily the team seems motivated and eager to get back to racing. We’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this weekend, we had a very successful test, and Laguna Seca is a great venue for us. Hopefully this will be the point in the year where our fortunes turn around.”
 
As a 2.238 mile, 11-turn permanent road course featuring some of the most significant elevation changes in the championship, the historic circuit has traditionally proved strong for the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America. Since 2012, the team has managed a podium finish at every event, including winning in 2013 and taking a spectacular podium in the closing meters of last year’s race when the leader ran out of fuel.
 
Following an 11th place finish at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, and a failure to finish during the most recent Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, co-driver Andy Lally is eager to get back to action.
 
“The break has been a good opportunity for the team to re-group and concentrate on what’s ahead,” stated Lally. “I know I’ve said it repeatedly, but we have some of the best in the business on this team, and after our most recent test I think we’re in great shape. It’s a good venue for us and one we’ve done well at, I think we’re as prepared as we can be.”
 
Continuing the team’s commitment to fan interaction, the team will also welcome the return of their heralded Team Pit Tours, as well as announcing two scheduled “Periscope” garage and Q&A sessions. Periscope, a new live streaming app developed by Twitter, is a means to provide fans a live opportunity to look into the pits and interact directly. The team will provide Periscope sessions this Friday at 2:30PM PST and Saturday at 7PM PST, pending a strong enough data connection. For those at Laguna Seca, the team will be offering free team tours on Saturday at 12PM and Sunday at 9:40AM.   
 
The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday at 4PM ET, and the team will provide continued updates via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the weekend.