Salt Lake City, UT (November 12, 2010)- Just one month away from the first official tests of the 2011 GRAND-AM racing season, Magnus Racing is already hard at work as the team looks for bigger and better achievements in the coming year.
Following the debut season of the team, Magnus Racing has not only developed a solid reputation as a competitive and professional organization, but is widely recognized as one of the most personable and outright fun teams in the paddock. Taking multiple top-five finishes, a pole position at Watkins Glen, a podium finish at this year’s Petit Le Mans, and finishing the season as the highest ranked Porsche team in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, 2010 set the stage for what will be an even better 2011. Running as a one-car team in 2010, the team has its sights set on a limited multi-car program in 2011, providing new opportunities for sponsored drivers and with a focused goal of race victory.
For Team Owner John Potter, seeing the team come together and mature in only one year has been a dream come true.
“I think we can look at 2010 as a successful season for sure,” stated Potter. “We had a number of highlights throughout the year, but I believe what has separated us from the rest of the field has been the environment we create for all of our guests and team members.”
Not to be ignored, the team has even garnered the attention of Porsche, who in 2011 will continue to work directly with the team. In 2010, Magnus Racing received support from the factory in a number of ways, including drivers for The Rolex 24 at Daytona. Continuing the partnership, Porsche's support for the program is actually strengthening.
For Jens Walther, newly appointed President of Porsche Motorsport North America, the alignment of Magnus Racing with Porsche is a welcome one.
"Magnus is a threat to get on the podium every time they start a race," stated Walther. " We value the partnership they bring to our program,"
Staying on target with the team’s multi-year business plan, Magnus Racing will expand to a multi-car team in 2011, however the team will maintain a limit to this expansion. Having an acute awareness of race teams often over-stretching themselves to accommodate as many as seven cars at a time, everyone at Magnus Racing agrees to limit the program to a small, exclusive line-up in order to ensure the team’s attention to quality and delivering on promises.
“Historically, some teams will come in to the Rolex 24 as a means to build up as high a car count as they can, and that just doesn’t interest us right now,” stated Potter. “It’s important that we give everyone who joins our program first rate attention, and we want to ensure this by keeping our program limited to a capped off car count. We have a multi-year plan in place for this business, and we’re making sure our growth is not only measured, but also in line with maintaining high satisfaction for everyone involved.”
Indeed, the hospitality and overall environment at Magnus Racing is certainly one that has set itself apart from the traditionally conservative environment in professional sportscar racing. With a dedicated hospitality staff headed by GRAND-AM veteran Lorie Bedell, it isn’t an unusual occurrence to see members of other teams peaking under the team’s tent in search of good food!
“I think we should start charging all the other teams when their guys come to our tent” joked Potter. “It’s a real testament to what Lorie and our team provide. We’re very proud of the quality and professionalism we’ve delivered on track, but Lorie and our crew make a real effort to take care of our guests and sponsors when they’re here, and I think it shows when you see so many other team members using our space to take a break.”
As the team looks to expand its efforts to a multi-car program in both the GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series GTC ranks, having brought in some of the sport’s most experienced professionals all lends itself to putting Magnus Racing on the map as not only one of the most solid Porsche teams on the track, but a new “alternative” to the traditionally frustrating experiences a lot of Porsche drivers have with other organizations. Returning to the team and managing the whole effort is ace engineer Lars Giersing, who has called the shots for four GRAND-AM championships in the last six years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). With a crew headed by GRAND-AM veteran John Bedell, who has been part of winning Porsche efforts for the last decade, the crew is made up of veteran mechanics and technicians from the top teams throughout the series. Combined with the hospitality effort of Lorie Bedell and staff, a full-time marketing and PR effort, and a straightforward and no-nonsense business approach by John Potter, Magnus Racing is quickly becoming the new home for a number of drivers, especially those seeking programs for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
“We’re lucky to bring back the same crew to our program, which is more than a lot of teams can say, even the ones who have been around longer,” stated Potter. “With that comes a group who works really well together, and above all, a group who does a solid job of putting a reliable car on the track. We’ve had multiple discussions with sponsored drivers looking for a home at this year’s Rolex 24 and for the 2011 season, and I believe most people have been impressed with our approach. We’re not salesmen, and we don’t try to be, we have a great product backed by some of the best in the business. Our model is such that we’re trying to build a long and solid foundation with everyone we work with, and in that I believe our clients and partners have appreciated our straightforward and family-oriented approach.”
For more information on opportunities regarding the upcoming 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona, or 2011 GRAND-AM and ALMS GTC seasons, please visit www.magnusracing.com or Email info@magnusracing.com.
Monday, January 10, 2011 at 05:16PM 
