Magnus Racing Coasts to 12th at the Brickyard

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (July 28, 2014)- Enduring a challenging day for the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America, Magnus Racing would salvage a 12th place finish during Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix. Encountering a number of handling issues and highlighted by an engine misfire, the team would manage to finish on the lead lap, and still a championship contender with four races remaining in the TUDOR United SportsCar GT Daytona (GTD) Championship.
 
“It definitely wasn’t the day we wanted, but we made the best of it,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “Indy has been such a good place to us in the past, we were hoping this would be a day that could turn our championship around, but it unfortunately wasn’t meant to be. We’re still well in the championship fold and satisfied that we were at least able to persevere in front of our friends at The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank and Flex-Box.”
 

With nearly two dozen guests on hand from sponsors Flex-Box and The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank, Magnus Racing returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway poised to continue a podium streak on the hallowed grounds of “The Brickyard” that began at the speedway’s first professional sportscar event in 2012.

Starting from the seventh row, John Potter would open with a steady drive, managing to avoid several incidents occurring around him. As the first sprint race featuring all four series’ classes on the same track at the same time, the expected chaos of the opening laps failed to disappoint, with several incidents leading to an extended period of caution laps throughout the first hour.
 
Pitting just past the one-hour mark, Potter would hand the car over to teammate Andy Lally with the duo looking to earn their third straight podium at the speedway. Unfortunately, a series of handling issues would keep the veteran driver out of immediate contention, with the Georgia resident aiming to preserve his tires in the hope of gaining ground during a long run. As the stint carried on, however, the team began to notice a souring engine with a series of warning lights calling attention to the problem.
 
Lally’s Porsche would eventually encounter a misfire, which he thankfully was able to manage for the remaining 90 minutes. Setting competitive lap times, the team would make one final pit stop with under an hour to go, sending Lally back on his way to manage the rest of his race. With the misfire causing the Magnus Porsche to lose position after position, the No. 44 would eventually cross the checkered flag in 12th, their worst finish in the three-year history of the Brickyard.
 
“It’s tough to just sit there and do laps, but we needed the points,” stated Lally. “We would have loved to have put on a good show for the fans and all of our guests at Flex-Box and U.S. Bank, but at least we were able to nurse the car home and focus on the next race. The guys did their best to get this car ready, and I’m confident we’ll be in good shape for Road America.”
 
Despite the rough finish, both team and drivers maintain fourth in GTD standings, part of an incredibly close four-way fight for the championship.
 
The series will return to action in just two weeks’ time, taking part in the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at the storied Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Practice will begin on Friday, August 8, with race coverage featured on Fox Sports 1 at 6:30PM EDT.

Magnus Racing Seeks Continued Form at the Brickyard

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (July 23, 2014)- Heading to the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year, Magnus Racing will take part in this Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix, the seventh round of the TUDOR United SportsCar GTD Championship in the hopes of yet another podium at the storied venue for the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America.
 
“Indianapolis is a very special place for us,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “It’s a special place for most people because of the heritage, but it holds a certain significance because of our results here. In our two visits, it’s been one of those places where we’ve always seemed to do well and we need that to continue for this year’s championship.”
 
During last year’s event, the team used an off-setting strategy and managed attrition to put themselves in third position by the time the checkered flag fell. However, it was really the inaugural event in 2012 where the team developed special memories. Following a wild debut event that featured everything from rain, to numerous cautions, to even a fire outside the track, the team took a hard-fought victory at the first-ever event not only getting a chance to “kiss the bricks” in celebration, but also clinching the first-ever Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup in the process.
 
Also, for the second year in a row, the team will welcome several guests from The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank, a partnership that began during last year’s event. Taking advantage of the team’s reputation for first-rate hosting and providing a truly familial and immersive experience, the team will host over a dozen guests for this exclusive program.
 
“It’s great to have everyone at The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank back with us,” continued Potter. “We had a truly great time last year and it kicked off a multi-race program that everyone seemed to enjoy. It’s a great testament that they’ve returned and I look forward to spending some time with everyone again.”
 
For Andy Lally, co-driver of the No. 44, Indianapolis will always have a special place for the Georgia resident.
 
“It’s Indy,” stated Lally. “Every driver dreams of the opportunity to one day come here and the fact that we’ve been able to get on the podium twice, and kiss the bricks our first time here, will always be something very special. Everyone at Magnus has been working diligently to get us back in a position to win and there’d be no better place.”
 
Coverage of this weekend’s event will now be broadcast LIVE on Friday beginning at 5:30 PM ET on Fox Sports 1.

Magnus Racing Honors Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 15, 2014)- While many would find Magnus Racing’s very quiet run during Sunday’s Mobil1 Sportscar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance, the sixth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, somewhat confusing, the team’s disappointing ninth place finish was actually by design.
 
“Since we were so close to Toronto, we wanted to race in a way the Toronto fans were familiar,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “If we scored podiums all the time, people would know what to expect so we wanted to have more erratic results for the folks out there. Much like mayor Rob Ford we want to be unpredictable, but also refuse to quit. When we looked at turn one, we also thought it would be fitting to cut over the white line in tribute.”

While Mayor Ford, most noted for his alcoholic benders and even being caught on camera smoking crack cocaine, was not physically present to enjoy his tribute, his spirit was certainly there. Much like previous invited guests such as Lindsay Lohan and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Ford has been out of public eye recently due to “exhaustion.”
 
For Magnus Racing, the team was optimistic heading into the legendary Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, a scenic circuit located an hour east of Toronto. Since IMSA officials had not stripped Porsche of any more power, unlike the Toronto City Council with Mayor Ford, the team was hoping the circuit could present another strong finish in the team’s pursuit of the series’ GTD title.
 
Starting in 12th, John Potter, who had never visited the circuit before, knew that the tricky nature of the 2.46-mile circuit with high speeds and sweeping elevation changes would be daunting when the green flag fell. Combined with an earlier rain shower that would change track conditions, Potter could instantly tell the car, much like Mayor Ford, was a little off from what he’d expected, and in such focused on simply preserving his car throughout the stint. Hoping for a caution period that never came, the Salt Lake City resident would pit just past the one-hour mark, handing to teammate Andy Lally just in sight of the top-10.

Unfortunately, the team simply never held the pace to match the top contenders, and while Lally would do all he could, a complete lack of caution flags would result in crossing the checkered flag in ninth.
 
For Lally, few words could be said on the event.
 
“Whatevs,” stated Lally. “ (blank stare) “
 
The team still remains in the championship hunt, however, holding on to second in both the team and driver’s championships having actually gained on the leading 555 Ferrari.
 
With only a few days between until the next event, Magnus Racing and the entire TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will return in just over one weeks’ time, racing at the historic Indianapolis Motors Speedway on Friday, July 25. Coverage of The Brickyard Grand Prix will be featured on Fox Sports 1 at 7PM EDT.

Magnus Racing Heads to Canada in Critical Championship Chase

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (July 9, 2014)- Following their third podium in four races just over one week ago, Magnus Racing heads to this weekend’s Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance in pursuit of a very closely contested TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GTD championship.
 
“We’re in the point of the season where championships are won or lost,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “We’re at the second race of four events running every other week, and this is where mistakes can be easily made. I’ve never run at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park before, and this is definitely one of those race where teams who’d previously competed there will have an advantage.”
 
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly known as Mosport, is the lone Canadian round in the championship. As a 2.46-mile circuit featuring a series of high speed corners and sweeping elevation changes, the tricky course is most noted for its challenging nature, placing a premium on attrition for championship-contenting teams.
 
A staple event of the former American Le Mans Series, Magnus Racing has never visited the circuit previously, luckily team co-driver Andy Lally and engineer Lars Giersing have ample time at the circuit.
 
“This is a really tough place to compete at, and we’ll need to make sure we’re heads up the whole time,” stated Lally. “This is a circuit where if you get it wrong, you pay a huge price, and that will be critical in traffic. We’ll need to be cautious, but with a field as competitive as this, you still have to be very aggressive.”
 
Practice for the race will begin on Friday, July 11, with the race being broadcast live on Sunday, July 13 at 2PM ET on Fox Sports 1.

Magnus Takes Third Podium in Four Races at Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 30, 2014)- Continuing their quest for the title in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GTD category, Magnus Racing took another hard-fought podium with a third place in today’s Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen.
 
“Everyone is incredibly happy with today’s result,” stated John Potter, team owner and co-driver of the No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT America. “We were really happy with the setup for the race, everyone drove incredibly well and I think we maximized our finish today. It was a great day for the points, and headed into the next few rounds we’re definitely going to have a great fight for the second half of the season.”

Starting in fifth, Potter would take on opening duties for the six-hour classic. With all four classes of the series taking part in the same race for the first time since March, the highly anticipated chaos of a 55-car field failed to materialize as the green flag fell. With a long period of green flag runs opening the race, Potter would do his best to manage the tires running for the first hour without ever putting a wheel wrong.
 
Having endured a stomach illness for much of the weekend, John would hold strong for a second stint ensuring that he met his minimum drive time as required by the series. Managing the car in the process, Potter would drive a strong 90-minute run before eventually pitting for full service and a driver change.
 
Taking the wheel for the first time with Magnus Racing, Sebastian Asch would take to the track and instantly run up to pace. Having never driven the circuit until this weekend, the German did a masterful job of getting to grips with both team and track. Setting a continued series of quick times, Sebastian gained several positions during his double stint running mistake free despite limited experience with the crowded IMSA field.
 
By the time he would enter the pits for the final stop, Asch had worked the car up to fifth in class, with Andy Lally left to finish the final two hours in pursuit of a podium.
 
“The car was really, really fast,” stated Asch. “The Magnus team did an excellent job with the strategy and pit stops, and I was very impressed with the level of quality they all operate at. John drove very well at the beginning and gave me a good car, and it was great to work with Andy all weekend. I really enjoyed the whole experience and I thank everyone at Magnus for the opportunity.”
 
For Lally, driving at his home track having grown up in Long Island, the day was off to a difficult beginning before it ever started. During the previous day’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge support race, a cracked header on his Camaro would mean that Andy would drive the final hour with a searing hot set of pedals, putting his right foot in terrible pain and impairing him with a significant blister.
 
Having only one night to try and recover, Lally would have to overcome his injury focusing on the race ahead of him for the final two hours of the race. As the race unfolded, Andy would work to set a series of quick lap times, instantly setting the fastest times in the field all the while managing his tires before the final set of stops.
 
With the team on a slightly different pit stop sequence, Magnus would be the first to come in with Lally making the best use of fresh tires to gain positions as the field cycled through stops, eventually finding himself in third once everything sorted out.
 
Despite a late race caution, Andy found himself comfortably in third for the end where he would cross for the finish.
 
“The team earned every position they had today,” stated Lally. “With the heat and the length of the race, everyone had to be perfect and everyone delivered. John was awesome, especially with his illness, and did exactly what he was supposed to with the open of the race. It was great getting a chance to work with Sebastian and he did an excellent job through the middle of the race getting us through it all. The guys were excellent as always, and I had an easy job of just bringing it home.”
 
The result would tie the best finish Magnus has had at Watkins Glen and place them second in both the TUDOR Championship points, as well as the Tequila Patrón Endurance Cup. With the next five rounds of the championship running in a series of sprint races, the team knows that the next few rounds will be crucial.
 
Magnus will turn everything around quickly to head out to the treacherous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance. Located near Toronto, Canada, the former “Mosport” circuit will be one of the most dauntin, with the high speeds and narrow room for error promising an exciting event. Practice will begin on Friday, July 11, with the race being televised by FOX Sports 1 at 2PM EDT on Sunday, July 13.