Powered by Chicken ‘n Waffles, Magnus Racing Finishes Third in Long Beach

April 16, 2011 (Long Beach, CA) – Living near the Grand Prix Circuit in Long Beach, Craig Stanton was more than a little motivated about competing in this weekend’s American Le Mans Series race at the world famous street circuit. His no. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, which was sponsored for the weekend by local hotspot Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles, would line up fourth in the GT-C class for Saturday’s two-hour ALMS contest.

Two hours later, the team would be celebrating their second podium in only three races in the ALMS, albeit with a bit of controversy as Stanton and Dion von Moltke’s no. 68 made contact down the back straightaway while contesting for the third spot.

Team owner John Potter took the green flag to start the race, battling for second place in the first hour while conquering the challenges of making room for faster prototype traffic around the tricky confines of a street course. The team split strategies with the leaders during an early yellow, electing not to pit, which created a real strategy situation for all teams as they gambled on when another yellow might fall. An anticipated mid-race caution period unfortunately never came, and the no. 77 spent a long time on fading tires, with Potter doing his best to keep pace with the leading pack. Handing the car over to teammate Craig Stanton with under an hour to go, an uncharacteristic spin from Stanton set up the chase at the end with von Moltke, which saw him claw back the thirty-second lead that von Moltke enjoyed.

“With so many local fans really rooting for our car, the pressure was on to deliver a podium,” said Potter. “It was definitely a rough day out there – we got knocked around a bit by faster traffic and I got into the back of a car when we stacked up in the hairpin. These races really are about keeping all four tires on the car and pointed in the right direction. But all things considered it’s great to get another podium in the ALMS and we had a great time here in Long Beach, enjoying the sun and eating lots of chicken and waffles.”

Stanton, while happy that he was able to drive the Magnus Racing Porsche onto the podium, was not thrilled about the way von Moltke’s race came to an end.

 “I feel bad that Dion’s car ended up damaged, but it was one of those deals,” said Stanton. “I ran my line and he ran his, and he went for a ride into the wall. I don’t like when things like that happen but there isn’t any margin for error on a street circuit like this. I love competing here at Long Beach, and it was incredible to enjoy a lot of local support for our team and to be partnered with Roscoe’s.”

The television replay of the American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will run Sunday on ESPN2 at 5:00 PM ET, and is available on demand at ESPN3.com.

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.

About Roscoe’s House of Chicken 'n Waffles

At Roscoe’s, fried chicken and waffles are our specialties! No one knows chicken like Roscoe’s, but chicken and waffles are only part of our story. We are also famous for our delicious greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, red beans and rice. Roscoe’s is a place for the entire family and is a household name internationally, renowned throughout the entertainment industry and general public with regular guests ranging from Snoop Dogg to CNN’s Larry King. Roscoe’s opened its first restaurant in 1975 and now operates five restaurants in the Southern California area. The Long Beach location has a jazz club - the Seabird Jazz Lounge, and the company promotes the best tasting energy drink on the market – Pitbull Energy Drink.

For more information regarding everything Roscoe's visit www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com. For more information regarding the 'Club at Roscoes' visit www.seabirdjazzlounge.com. More information on Pitbull Energy Drink can be found at www.hiphopbev.com.



Magnus Racing Welcomes Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles to American Le Mans Series at Long Beach

April 11, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – In another major announcement for Magnus Racing, the team is proud to announce that it has formed a partnership with Los Angeles-based Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles for the upcoming American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, a featured event at the 37^th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

“It’s really exciting to get local businesses involved in this type of event,” said John Potter, owner of Magnus Racing. “Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles is a staple of the Southern California community, and I’m proud that they will be the primary sponsor of our Porsche next weekend in Long Beach. We’re excited that they will be a part of our team for the weekend and that they will be a part of the World Class American Le Mans Series.”

A cultural landmark of Southern California, Roscoe’s  House of Chicken ‘n Waffles brought soul food to Southern California in 1975 with the first 24-hour diner in Los Angeles. Its signature dish, Scoe’s Chicken prepared Southern Style with two waffles, has been popularized by the restaurant’s famous patrons - which include singers, to players of all Los Angeles sports teams, to countless television and movie stars. On any given night at Roscoe’s you might find Snoop Dogg or Larry King.

Roscoe’s Long Beach location, one of five operated by the company, is located mere blocks from the Grand Prix Circuit at the intersection of Broadway Blvd and Alamitos St and is traditionally a hub of activity during the Grand Prix weekend. This year, however, will mark the first time that the distinctive chicken and waffle logo will appear on a race car. Driver Craig Stanton, who lives not far from the Roscoe’s Long Beach location, knows all about the legendary status Roscoe’s has in the Long Beach community.

“Roscoe’s is an institution in Long Beach,” said Stanton. “It’s like a secret handshake – if you are from this area you know all about Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Everyone has been there at least once. It is a real honor to be a part of this, especially since I’m from Long Beach, and I hope the fans enjoy this as much as I am going to.”

Additionally, the no.77 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup will feature additional sponsorship from partnering companies Pitbull Energy Drink and Seabird Jazz Lounge. Pitbull, owned by the Hip Hop Beverage Company, is the only minority-owned independent energy drink in the nation.  Most popular for featuring no aftertaste and rated as one of the best tasting energy drinks on the market, Pitbull Energy Drink is available at Los Angeles and Orange County Chevron stations, Jethro’s Cash & Carry, and is coming soon to Walgreens. Seabird Jazz Lounge is another staple of Long Beach. Featuring a number of jazz and other musical acts, the club is rich with a diverse group of acts and a relaxed, easy-going atmosphere. 

The American Le Mans at Long Beach will be Magnus Racing’s second GT-C race of the season, and their last until the Baltimore Grand Prix in September. However, after being taken out of contention while leading the class in the eighth hour of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the team is eager to get the ‘Party Barge’ – the name bestowed on the team’s ALMS Porsche, in honor of the turn 10 crowd at Sebring – into victory circle.

“Without a doubt, we have some unfinished business in GT-C,” said Potter. “We were really robbed of our chance in Sebring. That’s just part of endurance racing, but it doesn’t make it much easier. We have a team that can win and that’s what we are setting out to do in Long Beach.”

The American Le Mans at Long Beach weekend begins with Friday morning practice, 7:15 AM – 9:15 AM PST before qualifying in the afternoon, with GT-C qualifying scheduled for 5:20 PM – 5:35 PM PST. The Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will begin on Saturday at 4:30 PM PST with the checkered flag falling at 6:30 PM PST.

The race can be viewed live in its entirety on ESPN3.com, with coverage beginning at 4:15 PST, with a broadcast on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 17, at 5:00 ET. Fans of Magnus Racing can follow the team throughout the weekend on Facebook (facebook.com/magnusracing) and twitter (@magnusracing).

About Magnus Racing

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.

About Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles

At Roscoe’s, fried chicken and waffles are our specialties!  No one knows chicken like Roscoe’s, but chicken and waffles are only part of our story. We are also famous for our delicious greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, red beans and rice. Roscoe’s is a place for the entire family and is a household name internationally, renowned throughout the entertainment industry and general public with regular guests ranging from Snoop Dogg to CNN’s Larry King. Roscoe’s opened its first restaurant in 1975 and now operates five restaurants in the Southern California area. The Long Beach location has a jazz club - the Seabird Jazz Lounge, and the company promotes the best tasting energy drink on the market – Pitbull Energy Drink.

For more information regarding everything Roscoe's  visit www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com. For more information regarding the 'Club at Roscoes' visit www.seabirdjazzlounge.com. More information on Pitbull Energy Drink can be found at www.hiphopbev.com.

Magnus Racing Retains Points Lead and Finishes as Best Porsche at Porsche 250

April 10, 2011 (Birmingham, Alabama) – Entering this past Saturday’s Porsche 250 as the points leader in the GT class of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask no.16, Magnus Racing’s duo of John Potter and Craig Stanton were looking for another strong run to stay at the front of the title chase.

Historically the hilly, 2.3-mile road course has not been a good one for Porsches and the high ambient temperatures in Birmingham, Alabama would also mean high cockpit temperatures that Potter and Stanton would have to contend with. Tire management would also play a large factor in the race as tire degradation would be very high with the fast corners and major elevation changes of Barber Motorsports Park.

After qualifying in twelfth position, Potter took the green flag and ran consistently throughout the first hour of the race, advancing two positions before turning the car over to Stanton under yellow. Taking over the car, Stanton was able to advance several positions and the team’s strategy helped to put him up into the lead for a period of time. However, a late-race caution put Stanton out of touch with the GT class leaders, and he brought the no.44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car home in fifth place, the best placed Porsche in the GT field.

“We are really focused on the championship, and Barber is a difficult track for the Porsche,” said Potter. “Our goal was really to drive our race and try to not get caught up in any battles at the start – really we were racing the track and managing our car and tires for the end of the race. This isn’t a place where we are going to beat anyone on speed so we planned our strategy and took what the race gave us.”

The result, their third top-five of the GRAND-AM season, means that Stanton and Potter currently share the lead of the GT class standings with Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana at 83 points, and are only a single point ahead of Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito. Potter also sits second in the Bob Akin Award standings for GT drivers.

“Coming away with good points from Barber is really great for us in the championship,” said Stanton. “The points differences are super-close now and will probably still be super-close at the end of the year. We can’t afford to have bad races, so to come away with a fifth from Barber, a place that isn’t the best for the Porsche, is really good. I could see the two Mazdas ahead of us at the end but we just didn’t have enough to catch them. We had a great car and a great strategy and we still come away with the points lead, and that is the most important thing.”

Magnus Racing won’t get much of a break as they will compete in next week’s American Le Mans Series race at the Long Beach Grand Prix, competing in the GT-C class. That race will be held on Saturday, April 16, from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET, and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.  The race will also be shown on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 17, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET.

The next GRAND AM race will be the Bosch Engineering 250, held at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, VA on May 14. Last year’s race at VIR saw Magnus Racing record their best finish of the season when they finished in fourth.

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.



The team in green looks to defend Porsche’s honor at the Porsche 250

April 4, 2011 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – You could say that there is a little bit of extra pressure on the Magnus Racing team this week.

As the leading Porsche in the GRAND- AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask no.16, the driving duo of team owner John Potter and Craig Stanton are keen to put in a good showing at the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on April 8-9. In addition to sponsoring the event, Porsche bases its Porsche Sport Driving School at the facility, and there will no doubt be a large contingent of Porsche owners at the race.

Hitting closer to home, however, is the fact that the no.44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup enters the weekend as the leaders in the GT class points standings.  Potter and Stanton teamed with Richard Lietz and Marco Holzer to finish fourth at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona before finishing third at last month’s Grand Prix of Miami. The team also competed at 12 Hours of Sebring two weeks ago – joined by Hong Kong’s Matthew Marsh, the team’s Porsche was leading the GT-C class in the eighth hour until losing several laps in the pits when it was hit by a prototype.

With three strong performances to start the year, the team is riding a wave of momentum that they hope extends to the fourth round of the Rolex Sports Car Series.

“It has been a really good start to the season for the team,” said Potter. “We entered the year with the plan to contend for the championship and get the best results possible on any given day. If we can win, we’ll win, if we can’t, we’ll finish second, and so on. Since we received our new Porsche the guys have been really focused on developing it, and I think we’ll have a competitive car at Barber.”

Teammate Stanton, who visited a Rolex Sports Car Series podium for the first time in six seasons in Homestead, is more than excited about getting back behind the wheel of the no.44 Magnus Racing Porsche.

“We had a great run going in Sebring, but ever since I got out of our Rolex Series car in Homestead I’ve been waiting to get back in it,” said Stanton. “The series is so competitive right now and all the other teams have been raising their game, but Lars, John, and the rest of the guys have done a great job with our Porsches all year. It’s great to be in a position of contending for a championship, even though it is still really early in the year. We’re going to take it one race at a time and just do everything we can to get good results.”

The Rolex Sports Car Series can still be found on live television, and will be shown live on Saturday, April 9, on SPEED Channel at 12:00 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.



The Party Barge is derailed by a Prototype as Magnus Racing finishes Seventh in Sebring

March 19, 2011 (Sebring, Fl.) – Prior to the start of the 59^th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the wing endplates of the no.077 Magnus Racing / Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup were decorated with decals that proudly stated ‘Party Barge Sebring’. The decals were placed in honor of team fueler Bruce Sallet’s yearly tradition as part of the ‘Turn 10’ crowd at the 12 Hours of Sebring – unable to take part this year due to his duties with Magnus Racing, the team’s car would now be known as the ‘Party Barge’.

Craig Stanton put Magnus Racing’s Porsche second in the GT-C field during qualifying, in his return to the circuit for the first time since 2008. He was also tasked with starting the race and after a clean start, he spent the first several laps behind polesitter Leh Keen before moving the Party Barge into the lead for the first time. Magnus Racing team owner John Potter relieved Stanton after his first stint, and as differing pitstop strategies began to play out Potter spent the duration of his stint in third place but turned the car over to Hong Kong’s Matthew Marsh in second.

Putting in quick times, Marsh also moved into the lead and maintained it throughout his time at the wheel. Another turn at the wheel for Stanton saw the no.077 machine move solidly into the lead as the race moved into its eighth hour.

Unfortunately, that’s when the party would come to an end. After a restart, Potter was hit in turn eleven while being lapped by an LMP1 car, puncturing the radiator and front tire and causing significant front bodywork damage. Used to working miracles, the Magnus Racing crew took the car back to the hauler and repaired the damage, returning Potter to the race but suffering a loss of fifteen laps.

After that, it was smooth sailing home for the team but despite Marsh’s and Stanton’s best efforts, the best the car would do was seventh in the class that it had dominated throughout the day. The car did see the checkered flag, however, an accomplishment in its own right at the team’s first attempt at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.

Magnus Racing will compete next at the Rolex Sports Car Series’ Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. They enter as the points leader in the GT class. The week after, however, they will return to ALMS GT-C competition at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach, California.

John Potter – Owner, Magnus Racing

“It is really, really frustrating when one of these races gets away from you because a prototype doesn’t give you enough room and can’t wait a turn or two. The guys worked so hard all week and made the car so good. It’s really hard to come away from this one feeling positive about something when we had the car to win – and were leading. However, this team will give us fast cars all year long and we’ll have more chances to get more wins.”

Craig Stanton – Driver, no.077 Magnus Racing / Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

“It’s a really tough break, this was new territory for the team. John, Matthew, and the whole team just absolutely nailed it. It was easy to drive fast, a total joy, and we got taken out. However he fact that they did things so well this time means I am really confident that we will have the car to beat in GT-C again at Long Beach, and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Matthew Marsh – Driver, no.077 Magnus Racing / Flex-Box Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

“This wasn’t the result we wanted, especially after things were going so well in the early stages of the race. We had a competitive car and the team did a great job preparing it – this was definitely the most comfortable team experience I’ve had yet. It was great to take part in my first 12 Hours of Sebring with this organization and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

Race highlights will be shown Sunday, March 20, at 12:30-2:30 PM ET on ABC. The entire race will also be available on demand soon at AmericanLeMans.com.

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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.