Challenging weekend for Magnus Racing at Grand Prix of Miami

March 8, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – What began as a very promising weekend for the No.44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, with a tenth-place qualifying run at the hands of John Potter for the Rolex Sports Car Series Presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16’s Grand Prix of Miami, turned around very quickly as Craig Stanton made heavy contact with the front straightaway retaining wall during Sunday morning practice. A tire failure at nearly 150mph meant Stanton could do little as the Porsche registered a 7G impact with the concrete wall.

However, the day was not over yet for Magnus Racing. With the car returned via flatbed to the garage, the team got started on the very large task of making the car ready to race for the afternoon. There were several passersby who remarked that it would take a miracle to get the car prepared in time for the 5pm starting time, as well as several who felt that it couldn’t be done.

At 5pm, the repaired car lined up on the pit straightaway just in time for the national anthem on Homestead’s front straightaway. In a few short hours, the team had replaced all of the right side suspension and brake components, the front bumper, splitter, radiator, right front fender, right door, as well as engine and transmission. In short, the team had rebuilt 75% of the car in a time frame when most would feel lucky to replace just one of those items.

“Simply put, they did an unbelievable job,” said Potter, team owner of Magnus Racing. “John Bedell and the rest of the crew have shown each time that when they are under pressure and there is major work that has to be done, they get it done. I couldn’t ask for a better crew.”

The No.44 Porsche took the green flag but nearly immediately there were lingering effects from the morning’s crash. Throughout the first 45 minutes, the car was in and out of the pits making more repairs but by the time that Stanton took over the car around the 45 minute mark, all was well with the car and Stanton was posting lap times equivalent to the leading cars. However, well down in the order, the team elected to simply collect laps and collect points as other cars dropped out of the race. When the checkered flew, the team breathed a collective sigh of relief and recorded what may well be the most satisfying 14^th place they have ever recorded.

“Those guys just never quit,” said Stanton, following the race. “They just kept plugging away and plugging away until the car was right again. It gives me such confidence as a driver to know that we have the best crew in the paddock right here.”

Potter, Stanton, and the rest of Magnus Racing will see action on April 8-10 at the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. The race will be broadcast on April 10 at 1:30pm on SPEED Channel.

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

Magnus Racing to debut Porsche Cayman at Homestead

March 1, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – The team in green has now grown to two cars. At the Grand Prix of Miami, Magnus Racing will expand into the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge when it debuts its 2009 Porsche Cayman in the GS category.

The expansion of the team into a Cayman – and into the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge – has been a part of the Magnus Racing plan from the beginning. As an undeveloped platform in the series, the Cayman has a tremendous amount of potential against the Mustangs, Camaros, BMW M3’s and Porsche 997’s that currently run at the front of the series.

While the team was focused on its GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16  program for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, the decision was made to delay the introduction of the Cayman until after the Rolex 24. Under development for several months, Magnus Racing’s Porsche Cayman has been built and developed at Magnus Racing’s home base in Salt Lake City, Utah and shaken down by Potter at Miller Motorsports Park.

In order to score points for the championship before the Cayman made its debut, Potter competed in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race in Daytona, renting a Porsche 997 for the race. He ran as high as ninth before a late stop for fuel put him down in 19^th. Potter scored a win in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in 2009 at Watkins Glen.

Potter will be joined by open-wheel and sportscar veteran Bryan Sellers at the Grand Prix of Miami. Sellers, having been a front-runner for a number of Continental Challenge teams, looks to add both his talent and experience in developing this brand new car.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the team at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Miami,” said Sellers. “John and I have crossed paths at previous teams in the past, but we’ve never actually driven the same car together, so it should be a lot of fun. The Porsche Cayman could be a really competitive car, so we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

In addition to the debut of the team’s Cayman in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, the team will return with its No.44 Porsche GT3 Cup in the Rolex Sports Car Series with drivers Potter and Craig Stanton. The team is happy to be back in competition after a challenging Rolex 24 at Daytona in which Magnus Racing finished fifth in their series debut.   

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



Magnus Racing launches website and live blog for Rolex 24 at Daytona

January 26, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – With the largest race on the GRAND-AM schedule in just a few days time – the Rolex 24 at Daytona – Magnus Racing is proud to unveil their long awaited new website at www.magnusracing.com.

The new website will be updated constantly with news, photos, videos, and more than a few behind-the-scenes looks at the cast and characters of Magnus Racing, including drivers John Potter and Craig Stanton, as well as the crew that puts the No.44 Porsche GT3 Cup on the track for each GRAND-AM race weekend.

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THE TEAM IN GREEN WRAPS UP WINTER TESTING IN DAYTONA

 

January 11, 2010 (Daytona Beach, Fl) – Florida was most certainly not the Sunshine State as Magnus Racing participated in January’s Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. As cold and rainy as it was throughout the three-day test, team owner and driver, John Potter, always kept things in perspective.

“At least it’s better than a hurricane,” stated Potter.

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MAGNUS RACING UNVEILS STRONG DRIVER LINEUP FOR ROLEX 24

December 31, 2009 (Salt Lake City, UT) – The No.44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car raised some eyebrows with its form during the Rolex Sportscar Series’ December test at Daytona International Speedway, leading to much speculation about the team’s driver lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. With help from Porsche Motorsports North America, Magnus Racing is proud to announce their driver lineup for January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

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