Magnus Racing qualifies third in competitive GTC field for Petit Le Mans

October 1, 2010 (Braselton, GA) – Stepping into the competitive GTC category of the American Le Mans Series in the final race of the season, the Magnus Racing team was expecting a challenge to bring their No. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on pace in time for Petit Le Mans.

After a closely-fought qualifying session, Andrew Davis wheeled the car to third on the grid – just off the front row and very close to the pole position. While starting position means little over the course of a ten hour endurance contest, the team is confident that their Porsche is set up to be fast over the duration of the race. Davis, as well as co-drivers Ryan Eversley and John Potter, posted competitive times throughout the final Petit Le Mans practice sessions.

However, controversy soon swept the Magnus Racing pits as team owner Potter contended that Davis made a promise that he would qualify the Magnus Racing Porsche on the pole position for Sunday’s race. Davis had no recollection of making the statement, while Eversley could barely hide his disappointment.

In any event, all three drivers are looking forward to the green flag for Sunday’s Petit Le Mans, which will be broadcast on SPEED Channel at 11:00 AM ET. Magnus Racing will post updates throughout the race on the team website at www.magnusracing.com, as well as on their Facebook page at facebook.com/magnusracing, and on the team’s twitter account (@magnusracing).

DRIVER QUOTES

John Potter:

It’s been a great week for us and our car has gotten better in each session. We still have a ten-hour race to go, but we are happy with how things have gone. Andrew and Ryan are great teammates and we are really excited to close out the season with what is going to be a really challenging race. It sure would have been good to start on pole, though, like I was promised…

Andrew Davis:

We’ve made good progress over the course of the week – the car is better and faster each session. Qualifying was tight and we didn’t quite have the car over a single lap, but we have one of the strongest cars and one of the strongest driver lineups. I’m proud of the team and the guys have worked really hard, and I appreciate the opportunity to join the Magnus Racing squad. And I did not promise anyone the pole!

Ryan Eversley:

It’s been a great Petit Le Mans week for us so far, with the Magnus Racing crew putting together a really good car that is really well setup. We are going to be very competitive. It’s just too bad that Andrew let us down by not putting it on pole – now Potter and I have to pick up the slack.



Magnus Racing recruits local talent and extends its 2010 season ten hours to contest Petit Le Mans

September 27, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – As it turns out, Magnus Racing’s end-of-season celebration came a bit early. After contesting the entire GRAND-AM Rolex Sportscar Series, the team will complete its inaugural season at this weekend’s Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda 2 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, the final event of the American Le Mans Series.

The familiar green Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – which will be No. 77 on this weekend – will contest in the GTC category at the ten hour / 1000 mile contest on Road Atlanta’s  2.54-mile, 12 turn road course – which is recognized as one of the world’s greatest road courses. The team makeup will be slightly different than it has been throughout the season as Potter’s regular co-driver, Craig Stanton, had a previous commitment for Petit Le Mans. As such, Potter has recruited Georgia-based drivers Ryan Eversley and Andrew Davis to join Magnus Racing for the endurance contest.

“I’m very excited about ending our first season at Petit Le Mans, which has become one of the greatest endurance races in the world – especially after we started at another great endurance race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona,” said Potter. “We are disappointed that Craig couldn’t join us for this race, but I’m glad that Ryan and Andrew – two drivers with plenty of experience at the track – will race with us. The longer races have suited us this season, and I think we will be in the hunt for a podium this weekend.”

Davis spent his season competing against Magnus Racing in the Rolex Sports Car Series, and scored a victory at the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park. Davis has also raced extensively in the ALMS in LMP2, GT1 and GT2, with a highlight being his second place at the 2001 Petit Le Mans.

"I am very excited to join Magnus Racing for this event,” said Davis. “John Potter has done an excellent job of assembling this team, so it is no surprise that they have been gaining momentum throughout the 2010 season.  The addition of this grueling event to the team schedule really shows his commitment to motor sport.  This squad knows a thing or two about endurance racing, and I am confident that we have the combination of drivers, engineering, and technical support to finish up front.  For me personally, Petit LeMans is a special event since Road Atlanta is home track.  So, I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this race once again."

Eversley spent his 2010 contesting the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series, but has enjoyed success at Petit Le Mans when he finished second in the LMP2 class in 2004. Eversley also scored a victory in the World Challenge Touring Class at Mid Ohio this season.

“I’ve known John and the guys at Magnus Racing for a while, and I know they are a great team who takes racing seriously but always have fun,” said Eversley. “So I am really happy to be getting in the team’s Porsche, and considering it is at my home track and a track I have instructed at for seven years. We have a team that can do really well and I can’t wait for Saturday.”

Qualifying for Petit Le Mans will be shown live on Speed.com on Friday at 3:10 PM ET, and can be seen at stream.speedtv.com. The live broadcast of Petit Le Mans will begin on Saturday, October 2^nd, beginning at 11:00 AM ET and ending at 9:30 PM ET.

Fans of Magnus Racing can stay up to date on the team’s progress throughout the weekend on the team’s website (magnusracing.com) and via 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 sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.



Half of Salt Lake City turns out to see Magnus Racing round out Grand-Am season

September 13, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Calif.) – With the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season finale held at the home base of Magnus Racing – the expansive Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah – it was no surprise that half of the event attendance was made up of visitors of the Magnus Racing hospitality area.

As such, team owner John Potter was eager to put on a strong showing in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Saturday’s Utah 250, and the team was in high spirits after a strong showing at the Montreal 200 in Montreal, Quebec when he led the race in the early going before Craig Stanton brought the car home in fifth place.

Finishing in 11^th position in Friday’s qualifying session, Potter had a clean start when the green flag fell for Saturday’s Utah 250 and ran a steady pace throughout his stint. He advanced a position when he passed the No. 41 Mazda RX-8 before a caution for ‘debris’ saw him pit and hand the car over to Stanton.

With the race being relatively incident-free and with the field spread out, Stanton was directed by the team to begin saving fuel with the goal being to have enough to make it to the end of the race. Running a conservative pace, he ran as high as seventh before two yellow flags removed any issue of fuel mileage from the race. With such a long stint on his tires, Stanton struggled for grip but found a way to make a last-lap, last-corner pass attempt on Memo Gidley in the No. 43 Mazda RX-8 that he was unable to pull off. He crossed the finish line in eight to put a cap on the first GRAND-AM season for Magnus Racing.

“Craig refers to the people who post on our website and Facebook pages as the Magnus Nation. If that is the case, then this is Magnus City,” said Potter. “We wanted to put on a good show and the Porsche ran great today and all weekend. We picked a strategy and unfortunately the race played out differently than we would have liked, but we brought the car home in one piece, none of our drivers passed out, and no one hit us, so it was a good day in GT.”

Unfortunately, the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche Cayman was more reluctant than its green brother, as it flat out refused to start after Friday’s final practice session. A glitch in the car’s ECU could not be resolved, despite the efforts of the Magnus Racing crew and Ken Garff Automotive Group, the Porsche dealership in not-so-nearby Orem, Utah.

No such problems existed on Friday when Potter drove the Cayman from downtown Salt Lake City to Taylorsville, Utah, when he drove 11-year-old Reed Tyler to Bennion Elementary School. Tyler was selected by Miller Motorsports Park as the winner of the VIP Ride to School contest, which included a live television spot on the local Fox News affiliate and a high-speed police escorted ride in the Magnus Racing Cayman down I-215. Tyler also joined the crew during the Utah 250, wearing a Magnus Racing firesuit and sitting on the pit box with Potter and the team’s engineering staff.

Magnus Racing finished ninth in the team championship in their first season, and it will be a short off-season before the team reappears in January for the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona – where Magnus Racing’s campaign to bring a new perspective back to sports car racing will continue.

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.



Potter takes break from filming schedule to appear at Grand-Am finale

September 8, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – With the finales of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge on the horizon this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, John Potter has confirmed his appearance at the track this weekend.

Potter, who is scheduled to drive the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the GT class of the Rolex Sports Car Series, as well as the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche Cayman in the GS class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, has been away from his home in Salt Lake City, Utah while on location filming ‘The Art of Racing in Prototype Traffic,’ a film that delves deep into the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations of being a Prototype driver. It was unclear, however, if Potter would be able to attend the Grand-Am finale and race for the team that he has lent his name to, but thankfully he will be able to race this weekend.

“It was pretty difficult to get into character at first, because I’m used to playing the part of the GT driver that gets run into by the wayward Daytona Prototype driver,” said Potter. “But when I realized that when I closed my eyes and pretended that the GT cars weren’t there, things got much easier.

“But yes, I’m very glad that I got the green light to come back home and compete in the Grand-Am finale. Since if I own the team, invite a number of guests and Grand-Am heavily markets Magnus Racing's presence at these races, it wouldn’t make much sense if I didn’t actually get behind the wheel.”

Potter and co-driver Craig Stanton are fresh off of an encouraging run at the Montreal 200 in Montreal, Quebec, where Potter led the GT-class in the early stages. Following a wild series of events, Stanton moved the Porsche from 9^th in class to fifth just before the checkered flag came out.

“I am really looking forward to getting back in the car after our race in Montreal,” said Stanton. “It’s great to be able to race in front of John’s friends and family at Miller Motorsports Park, and to celebrate the end of our first season as Magnus Racing. The guys are going to have the Porsche flying, and John and I will do everything we can to get them their first Rolex podium before the season is over.”

In the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Potter will be joined by Leh Keen. Their last outing was at the Grand Prix du Trois Rivieres, in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, where the duo struggled with braking issues to finish the race in eighth position. The team’s highest finish was second at Mid-Ohio, and this weekend presents a strong opportunity to finally take the top place.

The Utah 250, the final race of the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series, will be broadcast live on Saturday, September 11, at 2:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel, while Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge finale will be broadcast a week later on Saturday, September 18, at 9:00 PM ET on SPEED Channel.

Fans of Magnus Racing can stay up to date on the team’s progress throughout the weekend on the team’s website (magnusracing.com), via twitter (@magnusracing) and with GRAND-AM’s live timing and scoring at www.grand-am.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-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

Au revoir to Montreal as Magnus Racing leaves with a fifth place

August 30, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Calif.) – It was an up and down day in Montreal as the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 of John Potter and Craig Stanton went from the back, to the front, to the back, and ultimately crossed the finish line in fifth position.

Debuting its “Magnus Racing, eh?” livery for the first time on the weekend, Potter took the green flag in tenth position, but the team gambled on track position to keep him out on track during an early yellow flag when most other cars went to the pits. As a result, Potter led the race overall under yellow and inherited the GT class lead. That, however, placed him perfectly in the middle of two spinning Daytona Prototypes on the restart, forcing him to take to the grass to avoid a collision.

Making it through that near-miss, Potter led the GT race for several laps before he spun entering turn two. He rejoined down the order and finished out his stint trouble-free until handing over to Stanton.

Stanton, cool as ever, jumped into the Magnus Racing Porsche in ninth and began making progress through the field. Over the final hour, he picked off several cars before catching the No. 70 Mazda RX-8 of Sylvain Tremblay, which was running fifth. Although Stanton could get around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve faster than Tremblay, he found making a pass difficult on the lightweight Mazda difficult. In the final minutes of the race, however, Stanton got the pass done and was running behind the fourth-placed Mazda and third-placed Camaro with an opportunity to move the Magnus Racing Porsche up to third. Ever the professional, Stanton elected to keep the nose of the Porsche clean and crossed the line in fifth place.

“I really wish I hadn’t spun the car around in turn two,” said Potter. “It was going really well and the car was fast. I was comfortable pushing things a bit to keep the Mazda behind – I guess I just pushed it a little too hard. We had a good weekend and nothing went wrong – other than my spin – and we’re excited to go to Miller for the finale.”

After a completely frustrating weekend in Watkins Glen two weeks ago, when the team was mystified by tire and braking problems throughout the race, leading in Montreal before finishing fifth was a big boost for the drivers and team as they now only have the finale at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, remaining in the 2010 season. Magnus Racing happens to be based in Salt Lake City, and Potter makes his home there, making the Miller race a big one for the team.

“What a great weekend for the team,” said Stanton after the race. “We ran strong and fast and led for a while, and it was great for us to get a good, solid weekend underneath us. The guys did great and it was fun to see John lead a race for the first time. Now we’ve got some momentum on our side and we can finish strong at John’s home race at Miller Motorsports Park next month.”

The final race of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series weekend will be the Utah 250, October 10-11, at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. Potter and Stanton will be aiming to finish Magnus Racing’s inaugural season on a high note, while Potter will team with Leh Keen for the final Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche Cayman. The Utah 250 will be broadcast live on SPEED on October 11 at 2:00 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-AM Rolex Sports Car Series can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.