Magnus Racing Maintains Points Lead with Fourth Place at Barber

Birmingham, AL (April 1, 2012)- Headed in to the beautiful Barber Motorsports Park circuit in Birmingham, Alabama, Magnus Racing came in to the weekend as not only the reigning GT champions of The Rolex 24 at Daytona, but also as the current points leaders in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT championship. With the second round of the series now behind, both facts still remain.

With the constant, sweeping turns of the Alabama circuit presiding as the biggest feature of the track, this weekend’s Porsche 250 was assumed to favor the lighter vehicles such as the Mazda or the Ferrari, if for no other reason than tire wear. In spite of the deficit, Magnus Racing drivers John Potter and Andy Lally had their eyes firmly set on getting the best possible result.

“With Daytona behind us, the focus is very solidly on the championship,” stated John Potter, Team Owner of Magnus Racing. “Obviously the best way to achieve that is winning as many races as possible, but we also don’t want to take any risks that can cost us big points.”

After being forced to switch engines during Thursday practice due to a rare failure on the Porsche motor, the team was hoping that the worst of their luck was behind them. Following a smooth qualifying effort on Friday by John Potter, the team came in to Saturday’s race with high hopes.

Starting the no. 44 Porsche GT3 Cup in 11th, Magnus Racing’s John Potter put in an impressive opening stint. Not putting a wheel wrong during the first 45 minutes, John not only drove mistake-free, but also kept within sight of the lead pack, turning lap times on par with everyone in front of him. Most importantly as it would turn out, John did a great job of taking care of his fuel use.

Around the 45-minute mark, many of the GT teams had already pitted for fuel and tires, however the no. 44 and a handful of other teams managed to stay out. When an opportune caution period was thrown, the group of cars who had yet to pit were handed a major advantage as their position on track allowed them to cycle around to being almost a lap up on their GT competition.

Using this opportunity to pit for fuel, tires, and driver change, it was now up to Andy Lally to drive the rest of the way, hoping to continue his 100% win rate for the team so far.

As the race unfolded, Lally made remarkable work of the field in front of him, taking part in a strong battle among the top-four. As the race wore on and tire wear began to show, Lally was at his best. Pushing fellow Porsche driver Leh Keen’s no 59 Brumos vehicle to the limit, the two would be involved in a several lap battle that struck a delicate balance between over aggression and patience.

As pit stops cycled through, it was clear that many of the teams, including the no. 59, would have to pit early enough that they may have needed to make a third stop for a “splash” at the end. As Lally circled around longer and longer, the no. 44 would only have to make a second stop.

With pit stops cycling through, the no. 44 team would lead briefly before making their own error-free stop. With only 45 minutes to go, the Magnus team would look comfortably in the top-five, now playing “the waiting game” as they hoped for the cars in front to either pit again for a last gasp of fuel or risk running out entirely.

Unfortunately, with only 10 minutes remaining, a late race caution would buy the leading cars much needed fuel mileage, thus eliminating Magnus’s strong strategy call. When the green flag fell again, only three laps remained, and though Andy Lally would put together a strong run for the podium, patience prevailed and the team settled for a strong fourth-place finish.

While not a podium, the team still walks away as the points leader over the now-tied no. 59 Brumos drivers of Andrew Davis and Leh Keen and no. 60 Speedsource duo of Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito.

For John Potter, a productive points day is a good way to leave the track.

“Obviously we’d like to leave the track with a trophy, but we’re not disappointed at all,” stated Potter. “The guys did a great job getting the car turned over and ready after Thursday’s engine change, and Andy gave it a great effort as well. Overall I think we proved ourselves well, and it’s a good to race this well at a track that traditionally doesn’t favor the Porsche.”

For Andy Lally, a strong car was the most rewarding part of the day.

“It was great to have the car as competitive as it was all weekend long,” stated Andy. “Between Thursday’s problem and the ability to not only turn the car around, but turn it around and keep it as fast as it was is a good sign moving forward. John also did a fantastic job in the opening stint. There were some really strong guys up front and he stayed in the thick of it. We’ll head to Homestead now and push as hard as we can.”

Headed in to the next round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, twelve rounds still remain in the championship, and it remains anybody’s game. The Grand Prix of Miami will take place on Sunday, April 29, with live coverage featured on SPEED.

Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via magnusracing.com. You can also follow Andy Lally on Twitter (@AndyLally).

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 sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

Magnus Racing’s Mega Millions' Numbers: 1, 8, 26, 40, and 44

March 27, 2012 (Salt Lake City, UT)- On Saturday, January 28 at 3:29PM, Magnus Racing entered the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona as a team who had achieved podiums, pole positions, but had yet to achieve the elusive first win. Just 24 hours later, the team and their no. 44 Porsche GT3 Cup celebrated not only their first-ever victory in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, but led an incredible 1-2-3 sweep for Porsche at the storied 24-hour race.

Following an eight-week hiatus for the series, Magnus Racing heads in to this weekend’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, as not only the point leader in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT category, but also boasting several other interesting numbers to consider.

In honor of today’s Mega Millions jackpot, we figured we’d throw out some favorite numbers for good luck.

1. The current poinst position of Magnus Racing in the Rolex GT series. Having taken a historic first victory at The 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24, the team heads in to this weekend’s race on top of the standings for the second time in team history.

8. The number of weeks elapsed between the last GRAND-AM race and now. While the team certainly had a good party following The Rolex 24, the team has taken very little time off since, including a strong test in Kershaw, South Carolina last week as well as hosting several fan contests to keep their fans engaged.

26. The number of races that Magnus Racing has competed in. Why is this significant? At Barber Motorsports Park in 2010, Magnus Racing was the only Porsche entered; thus giving them the current highest active streak among GRAND-AM Porsche entrants.

40. John Potter’s current active streak driving in consecutive GRAND-AM races. No other active Porsche driver currently hasa streak this high.

44. The total number of race John Potter has competed in while in GRAND-AM racing. This also happens to be his car number… coincidence?? Well, yes.

But it’s a good omen.

Magnus Racing’s Mega Number? Well, that remains a debate.

“Well we can’t give away all of our secrets,” stated John Potter, Team Owner and Driver of the Magnus Racing no. 44. “Being a resident of Utah I can’t exactly promote Mega Millions, but hopefully this will give our fans some numbers to think about. It’s actually really cool that we have the highest active streak among Porsche teams, both as a team and driver, and at what better race to promote that than the Porsche 250. It’s been great to have such a long break between races, our fan and media support have been fantastic, but I’m happy to just get back in and drive.”

Andy Lally's lucky number also appears to be. 44, driving a 44-branded Porsche in multiple major racing series this year.

“Magnus Racing is becoming a staple of Porsche racing and the last eight weeks really showed what kind of support we have,” stated Lally. “It’s been a great honor to run with such a group, and I’m happy that we can finally get on with the rest of the season this weekend.”

While luck plays both a role in racing and winning the lottery, the ultimate difference is that preparation and opportunity are what eventually create success in racing, and the team is hoping that Daytona was just the beginning.

The Porsche 250 will take place on Saturday, March 31, with same-day coverage on SPEED at 4PM ET. Magnus Racing will continue to provide updates and coverage throughout the week via their Facebook (facebook.com/RacingMagnus) and Twitter (@MagnusRacing), as well as via magnusracing.com.

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 sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.

Remembering Larry Sauer

On March 13, 2012, the entire sportscar community lost one of its most colorful characters in Lawrence William Sauer.

Known to all simply as Larry, his sense of humor and attitude was as infectious as it was memorable, making him one of the most likable individuals to anyone at the track. Working in a number of capacities ranging from hospitality, to logistics, equipment management and even over-the-wall pit duties, Larry was a staple of both the GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series scene. Having worked with a number of top teams including Level 5 Motorsports, TRG, and many more, Larry was certainly a man who knew his way around the paddock. Everyone at Magnus Racing extends their heartfelt condolences to the entire Sauer family.

Although Larry never worked directly for Magnus Racing, the team had extremely close ties with Larry and his wife Carole, often helping and coordinating with one another on various hospitality and logistical projects, as well as of course employing Larry’s daughter, Flynn.

In honor of Larry, we feel it appropriate to share some of our favorite sentiments.

In true Larry fashion, we should also warn you that not all stories may be appropriate for all readers.

Andy Lally, Driver, no. 44: I think Larry may have been one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He was mellow, caring, cool and a great friend that I knew I could count on if I needed something. His sense of humor and attitude was the type I took well to, and he was always one of those guys you'd look forward to seeing every weekend.

John Potter, Team Owner and Driver: A few years ago, before I knew Larry or who he was, he came up to me sitting at a table at the track.  He said ‘Hey John, f*** you.’  It through me a bit, needless to say, and I really didn't like this guy for a few months.  I later figured out he was talking to John Bedell (Magnus Racing Crew Chief) who was sitting next to me at the time...

Ryan Eversley, Driver, no. 4: Larry was the definition of "character". He was always armed with a one liner no matter the situation, and he really looked out for his friends. I got to know him more these last few years and I'm glad my last memories of him are so great. I'll always miss him.

Lorie Bedell, Hospitality: Taylor (Lorie’s teenaged daughter) was remembering when she was ten, and travelled to Virginia International Raceway. With Carole and Larry being two of her favorite people, we went to their favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Larry taught her how to do Tequila shots (with Sprite), how to salt and lime and say " ay ay ay ay ay" when your done. Taylor proceeds to tell her teacher this when she returns to school.  I was lucky they asked me before calling Child Protective Services.

Sean Heckman, Marketing (The Media Barons): If we’re being honest, and maybe only Larry would appreciate this, but I’ll always remember him as the first person to call me a certain word that rhymes with “bunt.” You don’t forget a guy who can joke like that. What I always appreciated about Larry was he could joke and call someone out like that, but he would ALWAYS stop and offer me a ride if he saw me walking somewhere, and never did anything short of his best effort to take care of everyone around him. He was a true character and someone we’ll truly miss.

Magnus Racing Takes Historic Rolex 24 Victory

Daytona Beach, Fl (January 30, 2012)- Following 24 of the most closely contested hours in race history, and with one of the deepest fields ever, Magnus Racing took their historic first victory in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series by taking the checkered flag at the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

As the signature event of the series, and featuring 45 cars in the GT category, the hype behind the 50th Anniversary was shaping the twice-around-the-clock classic to possibly be the best ever. As the event unfolded, the race definitely exceeded expectations, as the race saw three different cars finish on the lead lap in the DP category, and a narrow margin of victory in GT. Following an amazing three-way battle between the Brumos Racing no. 59 and TRG no. 67 Porsches, the Magnus Racing no. 44 of John Potter, Andy Lally, Richard Lietz and René Rast emerged victorious, as part of a three-way Porsche sweep of the podium.

“I’ve never been here, and I don’t know what to say,” stated a stunned John Potter. “We’ve come so close to winning, to do it here is just so unbelievable. René and Richard drove incredibly, and proved once again why Porsche brings such great drivers. What can I say about Andy? He drove incredibly, and I think he proved yet again why he’s got the reputation he does. Ultimately, however, I really need to thank everyone around me. The crew of men and women behind this team are what make it so special. They deserve to be on the podium with us, and it’s just amazing to be here.”

Qualifying in third place, Andy Lally was off to a great start in the no. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup. Getting away cleanly as the field spread, it was clear that Porsche had the upper hand, as the Brumos no. 59 of Andrew Davis and no. 44 of Lally drove away from the rest of the field, establishing themeselves as the pace of the field.

As the next hours unfolded, it was clear that the Brumos Racing no. 59 was going to be a very strong competitor. Beyond winning the pole position for the race, the no. 59 featured a strong drive line-up, including reigning GT series champions Leh Keen and Andrew Davis, as well as multi-time Daytona 24 winner Hurley Haywood and Porsche ace Marc Lieb. Between off setting pit strategies and occasional caution periods, the lead would shift several times throughout the afternoon and early evening between the Magnus no. 44 and Brumos no. 59, and the TRG no. 67 Porsche eventually fitting themselves in to the mix as well.

With the midnight hour striking and the calendars officially moving to the 29th, the Magnus no. 44 encountered their first heavy challenge of the race, as Richard Lietz was served a stop and go penalty for passing on a re-start. Not happy with the decision, Lietz was cited for passing a car in front of him before crossing the start-finish line, though Lietz and the team contested that he made the pass prior to coming out of turn six, which was allowed by GRAND-AM rule.

Regardless, the team would fall towards the tail end of the lead lap as a result of the incident, thus settling in to a solid third place behind the no. 59 and 67. With Andy Lally taking the wheel followed by John Potter, the no. 44 would slowly gain ground on the cars in front as the night wore on. Then, at approximately 5AM, Daytona newbie René Rast got in the car… and that’s when things got interesting. Rast, the two-time reigning Porsche Supercup Champion, truly put in a blinding double-stint as the sun went up. Fighting with the no. 67 of old rival Jeroen Bleekemolen for second place, Rast would slowly gain on the Dutchman for lap after lap, making a bold pass on the outside in to turn one and pulling off the impossible.

Turning his attentions to the no. 59 ahead of him, Rast then put on a charge for Marc Lieb. Slowly chipping away on the gap, Rast would close tightly in on Lieb as his double-stint came to a close. Headed out of NASCAR turn 2, Rast would grab a draft on Lieb moving toward the bus-stop chicane, not only out-braking him to take the lead, but also causing Lieb to run wide and run straight across through the bus-stop chicane.

As the sun came up, the no. 44 was now the clear leader. With Rast out and Lietz in, the team would enjoy the lead for the next hour before being handed their second challenge of the day. As Lietz came in for his second stop of the stint, the team made a crucial error during re-fueling. By GRAND-AM rule, no team member may be do anything perceived as working “under the car”; and when a crew member dipped his head in a wheel well to look at brake wear, the team was penalized another stop and go for the action. However, for this particular violation, it wasn’t just a stop and go, but a stop and go requiring the car to be held for one minute while in the pit. Facing the most excruciating one minute of the race, the team fell back by a lap and a half as this all unfolded, putting the team in third.

This would start a four hour process of fighting back for top honors. With Lietz, Lally, and Rast all trading duties through the morning, the team would slowly gain ground on the 59 and 67 cars ahead of them, fighting to return to the lead lap by lunch-time, until an opportune yellow would finally bring the 44 right back in to contention.

With only three hours remaining, it was time to race. Putting Andy Lally behind the wheel, and having caught the 59 and 67 cars thanks to caution periods, it was time for Lally to go to work. Making easy work of Wolf Henzler in the 67, Lally would set his sights on Leh Keen in the Brumos no. 59 in the closing hours. With off-setting pit strategies starting to come to light, it was clear that every team would likely need to make at least two more stops, and as the laps continued, it was clear Lally would need to make work of Keen on the track.

With just under two and a half hours to go, Lally was able to make good use of the draft through NASCAR Turn Three, passing Keen down the front stretch and re-assuming the lead. Almost equally important, in his efforts to get back around Lally, Keen’s aggression would get the better of him as he made slight contact with Lally’s bumper in the International Horseshoe, slightly damaging his front splitter and effecting the car’s speed.

With under two hours to go, the leading Magnus no. 44 of Andy Lally would pit, with Richard Lietz taking the reigns until the end. With Wolf Henzler driving hard in the no. 67 and now Marc Lieb in the no. 59, Lietz needed to keep pace in order to keep everyone behind, and he did so with great aplomb. Making their final stop with 40 minutes remaining, Lietz never looked back and gave the team their first victory on the biggest of stages.

For Andy Lally, now a four-time Rolex 24 winner, a similar series of sentiments exists.

“Unreal.” Stated Lally. “John drove incredibly today, and was a huge part of our win. Richard was the professional you’d expect him to be, and René just really came on strong. We were lucky to have the line-up we did, and even luckier to have such an incredible crew. Magnus Racing is an incredible team, this is going to be a special year.”

For the no. 4 eBay Motors/Children’s Tumor Foundation/QuickenLoans/Racing4Research.org car, an early incident would lead to a compounding series of difficulties for the day.

Qualifying 17th, Ryan Eversley proved his mettle early on, climbing quickly through the field to get the no. 4 car in the top-10 by the end of his stint. Driving a double stint, the no. 4 car was an early contender, with lap-times on par with the leaders. Full of optimism, Eversley got out of the car, and in came former LeMans winner and SPEED in-race reporter Justin Bell.

Fast and on the pace, Bell was in the thick of the race when trouble would strike. Driving in to the International Horseshoe corner, Bell was fighting strong with the no. 94 of Boris Said when hard contact from Said would send the no. 4 car backwards, coming to a stall on the inside of the track.

With the contact not seeming too heavy, Bell tried to re-fire the car to resume on track, however the car failed to start. Following a number of interchanges over the radio, it became clear the problem was that the car’s starter motor took damage from the incident, meaning the car wouldn’t be able to start on its own. Receiving a bump-start from track workers, the no. 4 car resumed, and following a pit inspection, seemed OK.

With Bell out, Daniel Graeff would get in the car, and continued on. Now four laps down, it was early enough in the race that the team still had a good shot at top results, and in such the team continued at a steady pace. Driving consistently strong laps, Graeff would step out and hand the reigns over to Ron Yarab, who drove his usual consistent pace as well.

With all four of the team’s drivers continuing an incident free series of stints, one small nagging problem remained. With the starter motor’s damage, the team had to “bump start” the engine nearly every time they would pit. Every time the car needed to get rolling, the team would push the car down the pit road, drop the clutch, and force the engine to turn over and resume speed. As time wore on, this stress on the engine’s pully system eventually led it to fail, forcing the no. 4 car back to the garage.

Luckily, the pieces that failed on the engine were replaceable, and after a short visit to the Porsche Motorsport parts trailer, the engine was back up and running, and the no. 4 would manage to see the checkered flag, taking a final finish of 38th.

For Ryan Eversley, the race was a day of mixed fortunes.

“I’m very happy with opening stint, but obviously the finish is disappointing. The team did a great job of preparing the car, but you simply can’t do much about the problem they had. It’s most disappointing for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, but I think we still did a great job of raising awareness and bring donations to the cause.”

Jill Beck, Program Director for Racing4Research had similar feelings.

“We definitely hoped for better results, but what can you do?” stated Beck. “We still had a great experience with the Magnus Racing organization, and I believe very strongly we have a great foundation to move forward. Today’s result was tough, but we still worked hard to achieve our goal.”

Beyond the results of the no. 44 and 4 car, Magnus Racing had a number of other accomplishments to be proud of. After pushing very hard via web and social media, Magnus Racing launched a series of interactive fan contests leading up to the race, in which dozens of fans received everything from apparel to hero cards and more. Additionally, the team had a series of on-going videos and other content that, leading up to the race, had hit a cumulative 50,000+ hits between all videos and mediums.

During the race, the team launched a widely popular “Rolex Wars” poster, which aside from getting track-wide recognition for its ingenuity, also received several mentions on SPEED during broadcast.

Finally, the team launched a webcast from the pit, “Live at Daytona.” Interacting with fans for all 24 hours, the broadcast boasted an impressive 140,000 hits and even more impressive 105,000 unique viewers. These are numbers that compete with many cable TV shows!

All in all, Magnus Racing had a near-perfect weekend, and looks forward to the challenge of the coming season.

“This was definitely a great start,” stated Potter. “Now our focus is on the championship. We’re now the points leaders, so we’re headed in the right direction!”

The second round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series will take place on Saturday, March 31 as the Rolex Sports Car Series joins the Indy Racing Leage at the scenic Barber Motorsorts Park near Birmingham, Alabama.

The Friday Report

Today was a short day and the last practices before the big event. A transient thunderstorm welcomed us this morning and the day was a bit soggy, but things weren’t so bad. During the first practice, a strange occurrence happened. Apparently when it rains before a 24-hour race, and there’s no prediction of rain during the race, no one wants to be on track. So, the 44 car went out to bed in a few things, but otherwise stayed dry. Our no. 4 car, they didn’t even bother doing that! There was simply no point to go on track and risk anything.

During the second practice session we had minor technical difficulties with the webcast, but it was the rain that really affected everyone. The bulk of the morning storm had passed, but the downpour was heavy enough to switch to rain tires and even cause a bit of a damper on the moods of a few drivers, though not on their performance. Since the rain was clearly not letting up, both cars put in a few laps in anger in the wet just to get used to it. Playing it safe, both cars stayed in the mix and finished the second practice with ridiculously close top ten times.

We continued our live Ustream webcast of the practice session; and worked out last minute kinks so that we can bring you the only full 24 hour coverage of the race.

After practice, we grabbed an umbrella and caught up with Porsche Factory driver Richard Lietz to keep him dry on his way back to the hauler. A really mellow, young man, he was nice enough to give a candid look at his feelings about the events of the day and the big event tomorrow. The rain didn’t bother him a bit.

“The practice was fine. We’re still driving and that’s what matters. It isn’t supposed to rain tomorrow; and even if it does, today’s rain has nothing to do with tomorrow. This is an endurance race and in a race such as this, the ability to adapt is very important. There can be sunshine every day of practice; but that won’t help you if it rains the day of the race, and vice versa. Practices are for making sure the cars work properly and that everyone is acclimated to the track and each other. During a 24 hour race, drivers must be able to go with the flow and take whatever may come their way.”

In regard to how he felt about his newest teammates he was all smiles when he said, “I’ve never had a teammate with [Magnus] that I didn’t like. I’ve just met Rene Rast and he is a great guy and fast! However, while speed is important to an extent; it is the way we treat each other that matters most. I’d rather have a teammate who isn’t as fast, but is a great person than 10 of the fastest who are [awful people]. Fortunately we have the best of both worlds with this team.”

Mentally, physically, mechanically, and spiritually, the team and crew are ready for the challenge of the Rolex 24. As a cohesive unit with their eye on the prize, Magnus Racing intends to race smart and give their supportive fans a great show.

Ustream, Inc. is the leader in live and interactive video streaming. The interactive platform connects broadcasters and viewers of unlimited size through innovative technology including co-hosting video features, IRC chat, Facebook, and Twitter. Ustream’s free and premium solutions allow any broadcaster to create their own customizable channel with robust social and notification features to enhance visibility and virality across multiple platforms. In addition to activating the embeddable features on external websites, users are able to broadcast and view content while interacting in real-time directly from mobile phone devices, tablets, streaming players, smart TVs, and more. The company attracts millions of users ranging from music artists, celebrities, politicians, athletes, corporate executives, animal enthusiasts, and gamers which has contributed to Ustream’s Guinness World Record for the “Most Content Ingested by An Online Video Service”. For more information about Ustream, visit www.ustream.com and follow us on our socials: Twitter (@Ustream); Facebook facebook.com/Ustream).

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 sports car racing can e-mail info@magnusracing.com. All press inquiries can be directed to press@magnusracing.com.