Magnus Racing Closes 2018 Season with Ninth

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 15, 2018) – Following a series of tire failures resulting in multiple unscheduled pit stops, Magnus Racing and drivers John Potter, Andy Lally and Andrew Davis would endure the 2018 Petit Le Mans without incident, but maligned by recurring pit emergencies to ultimately settle for ninth.

“This wasn’t the weekend we were hoping for, but it was out of our control,” stated Magnus Racing team owner John Potter. “Between testing and prep for this weekend we were as ready as we could be, and we were on the right course with our opening strategy, but after three tire failures there’s not exactly much we could do to salvage the day. We would have liked to have gone in to the off-season with the momentum of a strong close, but we’ll put it behind us and focus on our 2019 program.”

Opening the 10-hour race in the No. 44 Audi Tire Center Audi R8 LMS GT3, John Potter’s race-start would actually kick the event off with a lot of promise. Running a unique strategy to the field, Potter actually drove an incredible triple-stint, running three consecutive pit cycles without putting a foot wrong, ultimately pitting near the three-hour mark having completed his minimum drive-time and handing a clean car to teammates Lally and Davis for the remainder of the race.

Unfortunately, as the middle of the race took hold, in conjunction with the heat of the mid-afternoon, Lally’s climb through the field would be cut short, pitting earlier than expected as a left-rear tire began to lose pressure. Trading for Andrew Davis, a similar fate would ensue, identifying a real problem for the team.

As circumstances continued, a third failure would occur as the race progressed. While no specific problem has been identified, the team would like to make it clear that they ran well within the recommended parameters on both camber and tire pressure, deliberately choosing a conservative strategy to ensure this sort of problem was mitigated in the race.

As the track cooled and the team adjusted their setup to try and manage the issue, the team would eventually climb back up the order, but ultimately resigned to a conservative pace and finishing ninth.

With the season at a conclusion, Magnus Racing will make further announcements on their 2019 plans at a later date.