Magnus Racing looks to make up Championship Ground in Watkins Glen

August 9, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – There are three races left in the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. For Magnus Racing’s John Potter and Craig Stanton, that means there are three races left to make up the 18 points between themselves and the current GT-class points leaders, the Brumos Racing pair of Andrew Davis and Leh Keen.

Luckily, Watkins Glen International has been a track that suits the no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. With the Porsche excelling at high-speed circuits with long, sweeping corners, Potter is anxious to return to the legendary circuit in upstate New York. This weekend’s race, shared with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, will be a two-hour race, as opposed to the regular two hour and forty-five minutes.

Potter and Stanton are fresh off a podium performance at the American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio, their third podium of the 2011 season. The duo is looking to add to the trophy case at Magnus Racing this weekend.

“We had a great run going when we were at Watkins Glen for the six hour,” said Potter. “We just got hung out on tires a little too long at the end and lost a spot in the final minutes. But our Porsche is always very good there, and I really look forward to getting behind the wheel at Watkins Glen. We’ve had some bad luck lately but we are still in with a shot at this championship. With this race only being two hours, I think you’ll see guys being really aggressive and taking chances from the very beginning – I’ll be doing my best to avoid that and keep the car on the track. The fans should expect a great race on Saturday evening.”

Stanton, who set the track record for the Rolex Series GT class in 2010 on the long course at Watkins Glen, is equally excited to race this weekend.

 “I’m really excited about going back to Watkins Glen,” said Stanton. “The Magnus Racing Porsche is fast there. Really fast. The guys always raise their game and give us a good car, which is inspiring – it makes me want to get every last tenth of a second out of it. I expect this race will be crazy, and with it only being two hours, you won’t have the chance to recover from a bad pitstop or a mistake. I’m expecting a lot of bumping and some very close racing, and there are a few wildcard guys that will be championship spoilers.”

The Magnus Nation will quickly notice that the Magnus Racing Porsche has retained the grey color scheme that it debuted for the first time two weeks ago at New Jersey Motorsports Park for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen.

“We decided to give it another try,” said Potter. “We think it looks pretty good.”

The Watkins Glen 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel on Saturday, August 13, beginning at 6:00 PM ET. Fans of Magnus Racing can follow the team throughout the weekend on Facebook (facebook.com/magnusracing) and 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 the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com

Party Barge on the Podium as Potter and Stanton finish third in Mid-Ohio

August 7, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – At Sebring, when Magnus Racing’s no. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup earned the nickname ‘Party Barge’, the team didn’t expect that it might literally have to fulfill the duties of a barge the first time that it encountered rain.

The rain that fell at Mid-Ohio during the final hour of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge started as a light fall but intensified so much that the ALMS twitter account reported a sighting of animals traveling in pairs on the racing surface.  After a strong opening stint from John Potter, where he started fourth and pressured the no. 54 Black Swan Porsche for third, Craig Stanton took over the wheel of the Magnus Racing Porsche during the first round of pitstops that came just before the end of the first hour.

Re-emerging from the pits in sixth place, Stanton battled with the no. 11 JDX Porsche for several laps before a full course caution came out for one of several LMP Challenge cars that went off course throughout the day. While that in and of itself wasn’t very remarkable, the subsequent DNF of the pace car on the front straightaway created an extended caution period which played well into the strategy of the Magnus Racing Porsche.

After the restart, Stanton was able to pass the JDX Porsche for fifth while the leading no. 68 TRG and no. 23 AJR Porsches were penalized for an illegal wave-by procedure during the caution and the no. 54 Black Swan made an unexpected pit stop. All of a sudden, Stanton was 2^nd in GT-C and the race appeared to be coming back to the team – and then the rain began to fall and the yellow flags flew again for another stranded LMP Challenge car.

The caution erased the gap between Stanton and the leading no. 66 TRG Porsche. He did not have much of a chance to capitalize, however, as the yellows flew again for a GT crash that happened before the start finish line.  On the next restart, Stanton dove to the inside of the TRG Porsche in the Keyhole, but spun on the exit, dropping him to third in class. Two laps later, the yellows flew again, and the race ended under red flag conditions with so much standing water on the track – meaning Potter and Stanton finished 3^rd again for the second time in GT-C this season.

“Well, considering how wild and unpredictable the race was, we’re pretty happy to get on the podium,” said Potter, who drove the first hour in the Party Barge. “Last time we were here we were punted out of the race after 10 minutes by a prototype, so this was much better. We were competitive and had speed throughout each of our stints. The spin at the end was a shame, especially since the red flag meant we didn’t have any chance to make up the lost position, but the conditions looked terrible at the end. I’m glad it wasn’t me in the car that last hour!”

“I was close enough to make a move into the keyhole, because Spence ran the wide line,” said Stanton, who began his Mid-Ohio weekend by riding his bicycle around the circuit for two hours. “I thought there might be enough grip on the inside line to get alongside and be on the right side of the track down the back straightaway, but I just couldn’t keep the back of the car under me when I went back to power. We were here to go for the win, and I just had to go for it. We were that close to what was the fastest car all day in GT-C which shows just how hard our guys are working and how good the Magnus Racing Porsche was.”

There is no rest for the Magnus Racing transporter, as it will now make its way east to Watkins Glen, New York for this weekend’s GRAND-AM Watkins Glen 200. Held on the short course of Watkins Glen International, this weekend’s race is held in conjunction with the NASCAR Sprint Cup series race. The Watkins Glen 200 will be shown live on SPEED Channel on Saturday, August 13 at 6:00 PM ET.

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 American Le Mans Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

The Party Barge is Back as Magnus Racing returns to the ALMS for Mid-Ohio Sportscar Challenge

July 29, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – Having been absent from the American Le Mans Series’ GT-C class since the second round in Long Beach, California, Magnus Racing and drivers John Potter and Craig Stanton will return for next weekend’s Mid-Ohio Sportscar Challenge.

In two races this year, Potter and Stanton established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the all Porsche GT-C class. Teamed with Matthew Marsh, the Magnus Racing Porsche qualified second in GT-C and ran in the lead during the first half of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring before Potter was taken out by a prototype past the eight hour mark.

At Long Beach, the Magnus Racing Porsche – with its unmistakable Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n Waffles livery – contended for the lead early before falling to fourth. A battle with in the closing stages saw Stanton, racing in his hometown, take the final spot on the podium after battling with the no. 68 TRG Porsche.

Potter is eager to mix it up in the GT-C class again after the no.77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – which was nicknamed the ‘Party Barge’ at Sebring – showed it had class winning speed at both Sebring and Long Beach. Incidentally, Potter earned the first podium for Magnus Racing at Mid-Ohio, in the 2010 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at the track.

“We jumped into GT-C at Petit Le Mans last year, and clearly we didn’t have the speed to win in that first weekend although we did manage to finish third,” said Potter. “So it was very gratifying to be on the pace at Sebring and be leading the field – until the Rebellion car knocked us off track and sent us back to the trailer to repair two broken radiators. At Long Beach our strategy didn’t work out with the lack of yellows, but we were still a little bit off of the leaders. We have experience at Mid-Ohio and I have high hopes for the race.”

As always, Potter will be joined by Stanton, who is as optimistic as ever for a strong finish in his Magnus Racing Porsche.

“You know, our GT-C car has been really good but we are still looking for that first win,” he said. “I think we will have a great shot at it in Mid-Ohio. John has been doing a great job driving and the guys have been hitting the setup of our Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. With four classes it makes things a little bit different than what we are used to but that will just make the racing more exciting.”

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge will be shown live on ESPN3.com on Saturday, August 6 at 3:15 PM ET – but if you can’t see that, you can see highlights on ESPN2 on August 7 at 10:00 PM ET. You can also follow the team throughout the weekend on twitter (@magnusracing) and Facebook (facebook.com/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 the American Le Mans Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

Potter and Stanton survive the heat to finish eighth in New Jersey

July 25, 2011 (Millville, NJ) – John Potter, Craig Stanton, and the new look Magnus Racing Porsche showed up ready for battle and very hydrated for Sunday’s American Red Cross 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park.  With a the third day of action at New Jersey providing some respite –temperatures remained in the 90’s, but the humidity level only approached 67 – cockpit conditions would still approach 140 degrees for both drivers in the two hour and forty-five minute race.

A recent change in GRAND-AM regulations meant the Magnus Racing team opted to have Stanton start the race. After qualifying eighth, Stanton jumped ahead of the no. 59 Brumos Porsche at the start of the race and picked up two more positions by working past the no. 07 and no.57 Camaros.  

While pitstops began for the GT class, Stanton was able to extend his fuel window but a yellow flag caution period bunched the field up, allowing Stanton to run as high as second. However, a miscommunication between Stanton and his crew meant that Stanton came in the pits one lap after the GT pit stop window opened and just as the race returned to green flag conditions. Second at the time of the stop, the Magnus Racing Porsche with Potter at the wheel would reemerge in eighth position.

Having lost much track position and with no full course yellows, Potter would battle throughout his one hour and seven minute stint with the no. 88 Camaro and the no.  94 BMW. When he turned the car over to Stanton with thirty minutes remaining, the Magnus Racing Porsche was still in eighth position.

Stanton ran a trouble-free final stint to bring the car home in eighth position – in the same position where he took the green flag two hours and forty-five minutes earlier.

“This must be what my thanksgiving Turkey feels like,” said Potter afterwards. “I had some concern about how I would feel because of the high heat and because there was the possibility of being in the car quite a bit longer than I usually am. Craig gave me some of his rocket fuel, but it was very hot throughout the entire stint. Missing the stop like that really hurt us, and we didn’t get a yellow until it was too late. It’s frustrating but we actually made up some ground in the championship.”

Stanton, who nearly passed out at the end of last year’s race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, was happy to not have a repeat of that but wasn’t thrilled about the missed opportunity to gain points.

“Our grey Magnus Racing Porsche was so good at the start,” said Stanton. “We were going forward and making up spots and getting great fuel mileage. I was happy to get out of the car after the first hour because it was super hot in the car, but I was able to get some fluids in me and recover for the end. But we were the first car a lap down and didn’t really have to defend our position, so I just cruised home and stayed out of trouble in my second stint.”

Potter and Stanton’s finish dropped them to sixth in the GT points standings, but the two actually made up ground to the GT points leaders Andrew Davis and Leh Keen as the Magnus Racing pair are now eighteen points behind the leaders and only six points behind third-placed Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito.

The next Rolex Series race will be August 12-13 at Watkins Glen International, on the short course in the traditional date shared with the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Watkins Glen 200 will be shown live on SPEED Channel Saturday August 13 at 6:00 PM ET.

 However, the team will return to American Le Mans competition on August 5-6 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, bringing its Party Barge back to action for the first time since the IMSA GT3 Challenge race at the Montreal Grand Prix. The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge will be shown live on ESPN3.com – but if you can’t see that, you can see highlights on ESPN2 on August 7 at 10:00 PM ET.

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

Magnus Racing unveils its Karting Invitational which features cash prizes, and no rules…

July 20, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – Magnus Racing is proud to add a new chapter to the team’s illustrious history as it will host its first annual Magnus Racing Karting Invitational this Friday, July 23, at F1 New Jersey, part of the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Drivers from throughout GRAND-AM have been invited to lock horns in equally-prepared arrive-and-drive karts on the 1.1-mile F1 New Jersey kart circuit. In order to keep things interesting and to ensure at least some drivers are not at 100% for Saturday’s American Red Cross 250, Magnus Racing will award cold hard cash*to the top three finishers in the Magnus Racing Karting Challenge. First place will win $1000, with second earning $500 and third place taking home $250.

To ensure some order, Magnus Racing is currently negotiating with GRAND-AM Competition Director Mark Raffauf to run the driver’s meeting.

 “Hey let’s be honest – for some drivers, they may earn more money at the Magnus Racing Karting Invitational than they can over an entire season,” said John Potter, owner of Magnus Racing, creator of Magnus Racing East, and promoter of the Magnus Racing Karting Invitational. “We have created a unique race that could rival anything on the GRAND-AM schedule as it takes away the driver’s ability blame their cars. So I’m looking forward to the new excuses that all the drivers will come up with at the Magnus Racing Karting Invitational.”

Currently scheduled to appear are GT drivers Craig Stanton, Andrew Davis, Leh Keen, Eric Curren, Emil Assentato, and John Edwards, Daytona Prototype drivers Oswaldo Negri, Henri Richard and Matt Bell, and team owner Mike Shank with more drivers being added as they remember how little there is to do in New Jersey on a Friday evening. For extra fun, SPEED Channel reporters and broadcast announcers have all been invited to take part in the race as well.

The Magnus Racing Karting Invitational begins on Friday, July 23 at 4:30 PM. Fans of Magnus Racing can follow the team throughout the weekend on Facebook (facebook.com/magnusracing) and 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 the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

*Actual cash this time. We mean it.