Auric Energy Returns to Magnus Racing, Team Ready to Settle Score at VIRginia International Raceway
Friday, August 23, 2019 at 01:05AM 
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.
