Magnus Racing Set for Petit Le Mans Season Finale

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (October 9, 2019) – With the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship coming to a close during this Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans, Magnus Racing will look to end with one sole focus, victory.

“Everyone on this team wants to finish on a high,” stated Magnus Racing team owner and co-driver John Potter. “It’s been a long season and we’ve shown continued promise throughout the year, so to wrap everything out with a win would be the singular ambition. We’ve had some good tests recently and continued to uncover some speed, and with Andy and Spencer we have two really strong co-drivers, so the opportunity is definitely there.”

Driving the No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, drivers John Potter, Andy Lally and Spencer Pumpelly have enjoyed some strong showings throughout the 2019 endurance season. Taking a season-high third place during the 12 Hours of Sebring, this weekend’s 10-hour classic will once again provide a great forum for drivers and team to showcase the speed they know they’ve possessed all year.

While closing on a win remains the key target, there remains much to play for in season-long honors. Having enjoyed a remarkably consistent season, including top-10 finishes at every race, both the team and drivers John Potter and Andy Lally currently sit fourth in the season-long standings, and only six points shy of second place. With the 10 hours of competition at the scenic Road Atlanta circuit, the notorious pace and intensity of the race creates a number of possible scenarios, meaning a fight for runner-up honors presents a viable aim.

While victory has eluded the team at the famed Georgia circuit, Magnus Racing is no stranger to success at “Petit.” The team has enjoyed multiple podiums at the event, including their first-ever professional podium, and even crossed the line in first in 2016 before a penalty would compromise the effort. 

Practice begins tomorrow, October 10, with the 10-hour classic beginning at noon ET with live NBC coverage, with the final hours beginning at 5:30PM on NBCSN.

Magnus Racing Returns to Podium Form at Laguna Seca

MONTEREY, Calif. (November 16, 2019) – After a season of consistency in which Magnus Racing and the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO have finished in the top-10 in every event, the team would finally return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship podium for the first time in six months, taking third during Sunday’s round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Having last taken a podium at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, Sunday’s result would mark the team’s second podium of the year, closing out the sprint season championship for drivers John Potter and Andy Lally on a high as they head to the final event of 2019 in October.

“This was a great way to close out our sprint season,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “The team has worked hard all season, and while we’ve had great pace throughout the summer, we were finally able to have everything come together today. Laguna Seca has always been a good venue for us, and the streak continued today with another podium. Andy drove incredibly, I was very happy with my stint, and we all should be really strong for the upcoming finale at Petit Le Mans.”

Making a strong start, John Potter would take the green flag for the two-hour, forty-minute race holding and embark on one of his strongest drives to date. Balked by the two Lexus teammates throughout much of his run, the Utah resident put his veteran experience to use, managing his tires while awaiting on opportunity to make his way by. When an opportune moment presented itself, John would make his move and elevate himself to eighth, making up lost time to the field in front of him and and finally catching the No. 33 AMG whom he pushed hard in the closing laps of his stint. With the race set for an all-green flag affair, Potter’s drive through the field would prove critical, putting teammate Andy Lally in a prime position for the final two hours.

Following a clean stop by the crew, Lally would make immediate work of the field in front of him, advancing to seventh within the opening laps and beginning an upward march reminiscent of some of his greatest drives. Throughout his middle stint, the Long Island native would demonstrate the incredible pace of his machine, pushing hard and picking off the field one-by-one, moving up to fourth by time the final round of pit stops came.

Following yet another strong stop by the team, the focus shifted to a podium finish, with Andy giving chase to the No. 9 Porsche. As the laps wore on, it was clear the Magnus Lamborghini had the pace, but the tricky nature of Laguna Seca would make it tough to pass. Finally, with 25 minutes remaining, Andy would pull off the move to secure the team’s spot on the podium, not putting a foot wrong until the end and crossing the line in third.

For Lally, it was the highlight to a season that has shown considerable promise and finally beginning to show its true potential.

“The guys deserved this one,” stated Lally. “As consistent as we’ve been, this team is driven by an incredibly competitive group of people, all of whom have wanted to see the results we knew were capable of. It wasn’t really a breakthrough race because we knew we had the car and the team, but everything finally came together. I’m looking forward to Petit Le Mans and confident our momentum can continue.”

While the “sprint” season comes to a close with the weekend’s festivities, one round remains in the overall championship, with the upcoming Petit Le Mans wrapping up the 2019 season. A 10-hour event that has seen the team come heartbreakingly close to victory in previous years, the combination of Potter, Lally, and endurance driver Spencer Pumpelly presents one of their best opportunities, taking place on Saturday, October 12.

Magnus Racing Ready for Last Sprint Race of the Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (September 13, 2019) – Enjoying a remarkably consistent 2019 season that has seem the team finish in the top-10 at every event, Magnus Racing will arrive at this weekend’s tenth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship looking to continue their streak. While consistency has been the key for drivers John Potter and Andy Lally, all focus is on adding to their lone podium tally of the year. The team will enjoy their lone visit to the west coast this year by competing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the most scenic and storied venues on the calendar.

“We’re hoping to end the season strong,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “Everyone has peformed well to keep our top-10 streak going, and as we close the season we all want to do better than just another sixth or seventh. We race for wins and podiums and that’s what we’re out to achieve this weekend and for the finale.”

Taking to the 11-turn, 2.5-mile circuit in their No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, the high hills mixture of corners present a unique challenge. While it remains to be seen just how the Lamborghini will fair among the GTD field, a series of improvements over recent races has left the team more confident than ever on their chances.

For Andy Lally, a return to one of the sport’s iconic tracks is always an exciting one.

“We’ve had many podiums at Laguna, including a win in 2013,” stated Lally. “We all know how to get results here, it’s just a matter of fortune coming our way. We’re optimistic and hopeful but the level of competition is so high there’s just no way to know what to really expect.”

Practice begins today, with the race taking place live on NBC, the first time in series history, on Sunday at 3PM ET.

Magnus Racing Secures Top Ten at VIRginia International Raceway

ALTON, Vir., (August 25, 2019) – Magnus Racing celebrated their ninth consecutive top-ten finish in the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway. Drivers John Potter and Andy Lally would start from a strong position and run error free in a chaotic GT-only race to show an impressive drive to finish sixth.

“We had a very strong car all weekend,” stated Magnus Racing driver and team owner, John Potter. “We performed well throughout practice and gained a lot of ground during the race. It’s unfortunate contact from another car hurt my stint, but I’m glad we were able to recover and fight for a strong finish.”

The team excelled in the practices leading up to race day, dominating one of the sessions in wet conditions while other competitors in the GTD field struggled to stay on course. John Potter would put in a strong qualifying effort, his best in three years to start eighth in a tightly packed field.

The start saw Potter avoid contact in a dicey field, wisely giving up position to keep the car intact. His other competitors would not fare so well, and contact while racing brought several of the cars back into pit lane for repairs or penalties. Potter’s decision to hang back paid off, and his patience would bring him back those positions shortly into his stint. As he charged onward, contact from another car spun the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, but Potter continued, determined to gain any lost track position.

After Potter completed his minimum drive time, Andy Lally took over, with a quick stop putting him within 18 seconds of the No. 57 Acura of Katherine Legge. While a caution flag would have been helpful to close the gap, it would never come. However, within 19 minutes of racing, Lally would shrink the gap to 9.7 seconds. As he closed out the stint, he had caught up completely to Legge, applying heavy pressure before making his final pit stop.

With one hour remaining, Lally rejoined the race with a full tank of fuel, immediately resuming his battle with Legge over eighth position. With 38 minutes remaining, Lally would make the pass, setting his sights on the No. 12 Lexus of Townsend Bell three seconds ahead. He made quick work of Bell before a full course caution with 18 minutes remaining bunched the field back up together.

“John did an excellent job in qualifying to get us in a strong position to have some good battles,” said Lally. “We had the pace all weekend to fight for position and the race played well into our hands. A top five would have been great, but we’re proud of sixth place at a track that has always had a bit of bad luck ready for us.”

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will take place in three weeks’ time, taking the competitors to sunny California to race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Practice begins Friday September 13^th, and the race taking place Sunday the 15^th.

Auric Energy Returns to Magnus Racing, Team Ready to Settle Score at VIRginia International Raceway

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (August 23, 2019) – This week, the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship will host its second GT only race weekend of the season at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), and Magnus Racing has a score to settle with the Danville, Virginia track. Despite ranking as one of the top tracks on the 2019 schedule, the circuit has been one to haunt the Lamborghini team, leaving a trail of crushed hopes and dreams in her wake. In hopes of bringing some positive energy to Magnus Racing in order shake off the bad luck of previous years, Auric Energy has returned to support the team for the remainder of the season. The residential and commercial energy specialists serve Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah, and previously partnered with the team for various events, including their 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona win.

In 2016, the team finished on the podium at VIR after a strongly-executed run, only to be later excluded from the race results for a ride height infringement. The team again showed an impressive run in 2018, utilizing a different pit stop strategy to lead most of the race until a drive through penalty bumped the team back to seventh. This year, the team enters the competition with the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, complete with a new blue livery they debuted in the previous round at Road America.

“Hopefully the bad luck that has plagued us the last couple years at VIR is gone,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “Our new livery brought us a sixth-place finish at Road America, and we’re looking to better that this time around at a track that has been a bit tough on us lately.”

Consistency has been key for Magnus Racing’s success so far this season, earning a top-ten finish in all nine events so far this season, including a podium finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“The GT-only race weekends always provide a good bit of action for both fans and competitors,” said co-driver Andy Lally. “Hopefully this time, we can deliver another strong performance at VIR and have it pay off with a podium finish, or better yet, a win. We’ve had strong, consistent runs all season, and it would be great to finally grab a win here at VIR.”

The 3.27 mile road course is one of the most scenic tracks on the 2019 IMSA schedule, offering seventeen turns through sweeping elevation changes. The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will be a two hour and forty minute race, beginning Sunday, August 25 at 1:35PM Eastern. The event will feature 22 entries across the GTLM and GTD classes, running in the second of two GT-only weekends for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. International audiences can steam live on imsa.tv, and domestic audiences can watch live on NBC Sports Network starting at 1:30PM Eastern.