Magnus Takes Rolex GT Point Lead with Surprise Second at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 17, 2013)- In spite of an inherent struggle for all Porsches during Saturday’s Diamond Cellars Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Magnus Racing drivers John Potter and Andy Lally rebounded impressively to take a surprise second place, inheriting the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT lead in the process.

“This was a much better day than any of us could have ever asked for,” stated team owner and driver John Potter. “The Porsches have been down on pace throughout the mid-season, but a combination of luck and teamwork managed to get us here today. We needed this for the championship, and I couldn’t be happier for everyone involved.”

Leading up to the race, the inherent lack of pace for all Porsche entries was evident throughout practice and qualifying. The marque struggled so much, in fact, that the top-qualifying Porsche was only able to manage a seventh-best time, with all Porsches languishing between seventh and eleventh. Making matters even more tense, the team came to the race in a very tight three-way battle for the series point lead with the No. 63 Ferrari just ahead, and in a tie with the No. 57 Camaro. As the team rolled out for yesterday afternoon’s race, the theme of the day was simply to manage the best result within the car’s capability.

Taking the green flag late in the afternoon, John Potter’s opening stint demonstrated the Utah resident’s traditional mix of speed and patience. Making immediate work of Madison Snow’s No. 62 Porsche at the start, Potter began to reel in the No. 73 of Patrick Lindsey as the stint wore on. Following a long series of caution periods, Potter’s pace began to stabilize, driving as part of a three-way procession of Porsches toward the back of the field.

As fate would have it, however, the championship leading No. 63 Ferrari would be sent to the pits with a stop-and-hold penalty for avoidable contact by driver Jeff Westphal. With the car returning to the track one lap down, the Magnus Racing Porsche now found itself in a much stronger championship position.

As an opportune caution came out just past the one-hour mark, Magnus Racing’s pit crew once again rose to the challenge. Pitting in eighth, a full stop of tires, fuel, and driver change would bring the team back out in fifth, with driver Andy Lally now behind the wheel.

Leading the Porsche contingent, Lally drove his usual mistake-free middle stint. Unable to match the pace of the leaders, the only hope for the team turned to the weather, with threatening skies and light drops of rain consistently keeping the attention of team engineers.

Pitting Lally for the final time with 50 minutes to go, another perfect stop by the crew placed the No. 44 in a prime position for the finish. Sitting comfortably in fourth, the Porsche’s lack of pace against other manufacturers meant the team would settle for their position on track.

As luck would have it, however, the team’s championship fate would take yet another turn. During the final round of pit stops, the leading No. 57 Camaro of Robin Liddell would make contact with another car as he exited the pits, causing damage to his right rear wheel and forcing him to limp his car back to the pits. Adding further insult, the Scottish driver was issued a stop-and-hold penalty for avoidable contact in the process, sending the championship leading No. 57 well down the order.

As a result of the chaos, Lally was now in third place for the closing stages of the race. While this alone would have been a good day for the team, a tight battle between the class leading No. 94 BMW and No. 31 Corvette would come to a head with only three laps to go, as light contact between the two would send the No. 94 spinning, allowing the No. 31 to take the lead and cross the finish line in first place. However, race officials determined the contact to be avoidable by the No. 31, issuing a post-race time penalty on the Corvette and allowing the No. 94 a victory, as well as advancing the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche to second.

The team would take their second podium of the year for team sponsor Flex-Box, the eighth in the team’s Rolex history.

“What an unbelievable job by the guys today,” stated co-driver Andy Lally. “Our car had nothing on any of the marques in front of us, it came down to a great stop by the crew and a bit of luck. Lars made great calls throughout the day, and the reason we’re still in this championship fight is because of the great team that John Potter has assembled here. The Porsches are really struggling right now, but this team has managed to keep us in the fight.”

With one weekend off until the next race, Magnus Racing will cap off a busy June with a historic milestone at Watkins Glen International. Heading into the Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen as the championship leader, Magnus Racing will campaign Rolex race number 44 for the team.

“Race 44 will be special, and coming in as the point leader makes it all the better,” stated Potter. “It will be great to celebrate the short history of the team, but we’re not losing sight on the battle ahead of us. The Six Hour is always a tough race, and last year was a memory many of us would like to forget. It’s been a great run for the team so far, and I couldn’t be any happier with the effort everyone at this team is putting into the program.”

Round seven of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Championship will take place in just two weeks, with the historic Sahlen’s Six Hours at the Glen. As the second round of the North American Endurance Championship (NAEC), Magnus Racing will arrive for their 44th Rolex Sports Car Series race, and as the reigning NAEC champions. Live coverage will be carried on SPEED at 11AM ET.

Magnus Racing Looks to Maximize Points in Ohio

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (June 12, 2013)- With the busy summer season well under way for the entire GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Magnus Racing heads in to this Saturday’s Diamond Cellar Classic with the same month-long goal: maximize points, make no mistakes.

Following a fourth place on the streets of Detroit, a track not known for favoring Porsches, the team’s focused effort has kept them within striking distance of the championship leading No. 63 Ferrari.

“Detroit was the perfect example of teamwork,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “Everyone did their job. The guys gained three spots in the pits, Andy kept the field behind him, and we put together the fastest Porsche on the track. This is the type of effort we’ll need every weekend to have a shot at the championship.”

Headed to the 2.2-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the No. 44 Porsche GT3 Cup will once again find itself headed to a course that could prove challenging for the marque. With a winding series of corners and elevation changes, the nature of tire management that the Ferraris and Camaros have over the Porsche could once again prove favorable.

“The team has put together the best Porsche out there,” stated co-driver Andy Lally. “Whether that’s enough at Mid-Ohio remains to be seen, but we’re definitely eager for the fight. This is a really tight championship, and every position is going to matter.”

The Diamond Cellar Classic will take place this Saturday, June 15, with live coverage on SPEED at 4:30 PM ET.

TEAM TOURS WILL RETURN for Magnus Racing at Mid-Ohio, free to the public! There will be a tour on Friday, June 14 at 1PM, as well as Saturday, June 15, at 1PM.

Magnus Racing Avoids Detroit Bailout with Fourth

DETROIT (June 3, 2013)- Heading to the streets of Belle Isle in Detroit, everyone at Magnus Racing knew that the theme of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series weekend would be to make the most of the event. With the steady platform of the Camaro considered by many insiders to be "too big to fail," the rest of the competition came in with muted expectations.

With the tight and bumpy confines of the 2.1-mile temporary street circuit favoring other types of vehicles, the team’s main goal was to simply stay out of trouble and earn as many Rolex GT championship points as they could, which they managed with a fourth place finish during Saturday’s race. The team not only managed to maintain their second place hold on the series championship, but it was also the fourth time in five races that they’d finish as top Porsche.

“We knew that the only way to have a shot at this weekend would be to hope for rain, or hope that our car rolled out as a Camaro,” stated team owner and driver John Potter. “Since neither of those things happened, fourth was actually a great finish for us. We walked away with minimal damage to our points gap, and it’s always great to be the top Porsche.”

With John Potter out-qualifying all other Porsche entrants to start the race on the third row, the opening stint for the Utah resident went flawless, managing to drive through several incidents in front of him. Maintaining the gap to the lead pack throughout the first hour, John brought his No. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in for their lone round of pit stops in seventh.

While in the pits, the real heroes of the day became the Magnus Racing pit crew. With the entire Rolex GT field pitting at the same time during an opportune caution, everyone was forced to refuel and change tires, as well as drivers. Realizing the fruits of their routine pit practices, the No. 44 would exit the pits in fourth, the car having advanced three positions during pit stops.

With 50 minutes remaining, it was now up to driver Andy Lally to navigate his machine home. As the green flag fell, it became immediately evident that the leading Camaro and Ferraris had a pace that his Porsche couldn’t match, and throughout much of his stint the real battle came in defending his position from a hard-charging Eric Curran in the No. 31 Whelen Corvette. However, a hard crash between prototypes would bring out an extended yellow that would mute much of the remaining race. With track repairs and clean up lasting nearly 30 minutes, the race would only return to green flag conditions in the final minutes, enough time for Lally to fend off the competition and take fourth.

“Excellent, excellent work by all the Magnus boys today,” stated Lally. “They’re really the reason we got up to fourth, and my job was just to hold on. I was hoping we would have something for the guys in front of us, but this just isn’t a Porsche track. Fourth place points are good, but unfortunately the point leader was two spots in front, so we have our work cut out for us the rest of the year. We’ll keep pushing, everyone is very hungry to win this championship.”

Celebrating his wife’s birthday on the same day, Potter had extra incentive to make the most of his race.

“The most important part of the day was to make sure I was in a good mood for dinner, my wife was pretty clear about that” stated Potter. “Luckily, the guys did such a great job with pit stops that we had as good a day as we could have asked for, so we’re definitely not disappointed. Unfortunately with the No. 63 (the point leader) finishing in second we lost some ground, but we also did the best we could at a track we knew would be a challenge.”

Now part of a very tight three-way championship battle, the remaining 2013 championship season will be very closely fought. Luckily for fans of the Rolex Series, you won’t have to wait long for the next round taking place in two weeks at the Diamond Cellar Classic at the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be held on Saturday, June 15, with live SPEED coverage at 4:30 PM ET.

Magnus Racing Wives Look Forward to Detroit

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 24, 2013)- Following a six-week break since the last round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Magnus Racing heads in to next weekend’s Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 knowing that many team wives are happy to finally have the house to themselves.

“On week one, my wife was so happy to have me home,” stated Tucker Merten, one of the team’s veteran mechanics. “We spent a lot of time together, took care of several household projects, and really enjoyed life away from the track. By week three, she began to question how many consecutive days I could wear sweat pants. By week six, she was already ‘helping’ me get my suitcase packed.”

Luckily for Merten, and most of the Magnus crew, next weekend’s race kicks off a busy June that will feature three races in five weeks.

“My girlfriend kept confirming with me that I would be gone for six weeks straight,” stated Patrick Dubuc, who lives with his girlfriend just 20 minutes away from Montreal. “It was weird that she was so concerned, but I guess she wants to have the pool cleaned while I’m gone. The pool seems fine to me, but she really wants to have the pool boy come by several times to really inspect it. Oh well, a clean home is a happy home!”

Heading to the 2.1 mile course built temporarily on the public roads of Detroit’s scenic Belle Isle, the bumpy and tight nature of a street circuit has historically not favored Porsche entries. Knowing that the theme for the weekend will be on maximizing points and ensuring a solid finish, Magnus is part of a tight championship fight that sees the team in second just one point shy of the lead.

“It’s a tough track and you’re always on the edge of your seat,” stated co-driver Andy Lally. “The guys have been putting a lot of effort in to being as ready as possible for June, and it’s incredibly important we have a lot of good momentum through the weekend.”

“We’re taking this one race at a time, but it’s been a great season so far,” stated team owner John Potter. “Preparation, reliability and good fortune are going to be critical, but we have the right group for it. It was nice to have a small break, but I think everyone’s ready to return to action… especially many of the wives.”

The Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 will take place on Saturday, June 1, as part of a double-header weekend with the IZOD IndyCar Series. The race will be broadcast live at 5PM ET on SPEED.

Magnus Enjoys Quiet Weekend at Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Georgia (April 22, 2013)- With the scenic Road Atlanta circuit in Northern Georgia playing host to one of John Potter and Andy Lally’s favorite tracks, Magnus Racing came in to this weekend’s Visual Studio Ultimate Grand Prix of Atlanta ready to capitalize. Following a fairly quiet run on Saturday, the team managed their third top-five finish of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.
 
“We walked away from the weekend with good points,” stated Magnus Racing Team Owner and Driver John Potter. “We ran a fairly mistake-free race, which is what we need to do in order to keep our championship run going, we just didn’t have the pace to move further up.”
 
With Potter starting on the pole position by virtue of Friday’s rained out qualifying session, the relative pace of his competitors was instantly apparent as the race went on. While the no. 44 Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ran the first stint without incident, the demand for rear grip on the rear-engined Porsche proved apparent as Potter fought to preserve his rear tires throughout the second half of his run.
 
“As the stint wore on the car definitely began to become a bit of a handful,” stated Potter. “Rear grip is so critical at a place like Road Atlanta, and I found myself really trying to manage the car as time wore on.”
 
Following a mistake-free opening stint, it was co-driver Andy Lally’s turn to take the reigns. With Lally putting on an impressive series of lap times, the Dacula, Georgia resident found himself in a similar position to Potter as his stint wore on. Opting to preserve the car and its fragile rear tires, Lally picked up a couple positions as the race continued.
 
When the time came for Lally’s next stop, a lack of cautions meant that strategy would play less of a factor than in previous rounds. Knowing that outright pace was the ultimate factor in Saturday’s race, Lally made the intelligent decision to simply manage the car to the end, ultimately taking fifth spot.
 
With yet another consistent run, Magnus Racing slipped one position in the point standings to second, albeit one point shy of the team and driver’s championship lead.
 
“Everyone here did the best they could today,” stated Lally. “The Rolex GT series is possibly the most competitive it’s ever been, so you really have to fight for everything you can get, and today we just didn’t have the pace to move much further. The guys were perfect all weekend, and that’s why we’re still so close in this championship.”
 
With the fourth round of the championship now behind, the series will take an extended break, missing the entire month of May, before heading to the Chevrolet GRAND-AM Detroit 200 on Saturday, June 1. Live SPEED coverage of the race will be on Saturday, May 1, at 5PM ET.