DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2019) – Following a successful test at the season-opening Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway, Magnus Racing and the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO are as ready as they can be, with the team fully prepared for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first race of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
While John Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly had previously been confirmed for their respective full-season and endurance roles, the team also used the event to welcome team newcomer Marco Mapelli to the fold, who will join as a factory-supplied driver to add to the team’s 24-hour effort.
A native of Italy, Mapelli joins as a veteran of a number of international programs, including the Japanese Super GT Series, Blancpain GT, GT Masters, International GT Open, and specialty events including the Bathurst 12 Hour. Unique to Mapelli, he even holds the street car record at the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife, setting an incredible 6:44.97 lap time in Lamborghini Huracán Performante.
“Marco immediately fit in to our group from Day One, and we’re looking forward to him joining us at Daytona,” stated team owner and driver John Potter. “Being new to the platform, having someone with his experience and success is an immediate asset, and he’s already acclimated to our way of working so it should be a great relationship. “
For Mapelli, a similar sentiment is shared.
“The team at Magnus has a great history at Daytona, so I’m looking forward to the event,” stated Marco. “We had a good test together, I’m already comfortable with their environment, now we all have to turn our attention to a great race. The Rolex 24 is of course a race that every driver wants to win in his career, and we’re all very focused on victory.”
The second-to-last paragraph of all Roar Before the 24 post-event releases must inevitably say something about balance-of-performance, as Magnus Racing walked away with a disadvantage, of course totes moreso than every other team who claims the same.
Official practice for the Rolex 24 at Daytona begins on Thursday, January 24. The race will begin that Saturday, January 26 at 2:35PM. The team will have additional announcements in the coming weeks.
