DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – To celebrate switching marques to Aston Martin for this season’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Magnus Racing adopted a jocular Olde English theme for its promotional effort, taking inspiration from the classic motion picture “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
The team’s “Quest for the Holy Rolex” at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona ended up narrowly missing out on victory in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, alas including the coveted Rolex watches presented to the winners.
But the second-place finish achieved by “King” (and Magnus Racing owner/driver) John Potter and co-drivers/knights “Sir” Andy Lally, “Sir” Spencer Pumpelly and “Sir” Jonny Adam marked the best-ever finish for Aston Martin in the 60-year history of the legendary endurance race.
The No. 44 Magnus Aston Vantage GT3 finished 12.542 seconds behind the class-winning Wright Motorsports Porsche. The effort pleased Potter, who gave his 11-year-old team a major makeover for the ’22 campaign.
Magnus is a two-time class winner at the Rolex 24 – in 2012 in affiliation with Porsche and in 2016 with Audi. A Magnus Porsche also took the class win at the 2014 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts.
After two seasons operating in conjunction with other organizations and marques (Archangel and Acura in 2021, GRT Grasser and Lamborghini the year prior), Potter and Magnus are flying solo this year – with one important caveat. Magnus Racing is receiving factory engineering support from Aston Martin, which also provided contracted driver Adam to ease the team’s transition to a new and very different car.
“I wasn’t happy with our results from our 2021 season, so I wanted to change a big variable,” Potter stated. “That’s how we ended up with Aston. It’s the first time I have driven a front-engine race car, outside of some small tests in low-HP/low-aero cars, so we knew that would be a big change, which I wanted.
“Also, we knew with any big change there would be a learning curve on drivers and crew, so I wanted to work with the manufacturer on the technical side,” he added. “Aston Martin is providing that engineering and data/electronic support, and that has been critical to helping the team and drivers get up to speed. It’s been a great relationship and I am excited to continue.”
If the team’s approach to racing seems lighthearted to outsiders, Aston Martin executives quickly recognized the serious and professional side of the operation.
“They definitely confirmed that they are serious at the core and the heart of what they do,” said Huw Tasker, Head of Customer Racing for Aston Martin. “They’re there to win, and they showed at Daytona that they have the potential to do that. We look to work with partners who have the wherewithal and the ambition to bring about our objectives, and Magnus are a great example of that.
“They also like to do things their own way in terms of PR and how they approach big events from that point of view, but don’t let anyone be fooled that they aren’t serious racers – which is great for us.”
Magnus Racing’s creative approach to promotion is inspired by Potter and his wife, Emily. They hire creative teams to produce unique posters and videos, while public relations and social media is handled by Kelly Brouillet and her team at KBru Communications.
Potter believes humor is not only an effective tool for reducing tension within the team, it functions as a reward for those hardcore racing fans who have the patience and stamina to closely follow a lengthy endurance race.
“In some ways, a 24-hour race is an awful thing,” he mused. “If you don’t believe me, go hang out next to your local highway for two days and see how you feel! But it’s also an amazing event and spectacle of sport, and an amazing achievement when one does well.
“With that dichotomy of good and bad, what better way to get through it then with a little levity?” Potter continued. “The highs and lows are intense and everyone on the team side does better when relaxed. Our fans show commitment too, and I hope we can have some fun with them to help them get through a crazy period and have a great experience.”
The No. 44 Magnus car is currently scheduled to compete in the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the WeatherTech Championship. Aston Martin has two other IMSA entries fielded by The Heart of Racing Team, with the effort split one car each in GTD and GTD PRO.
The Heart of Racing No. 23 Aston finished third in last year’s GTD standings, capturing the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup crown. A GT4 homologated version of the Vantage is also campaigned by four teams in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
“We love the racing in America,” said Tasker. “It’s very much a target area for us to build on the Vantage’s success. It’s an important market, and Magnus’ decision to race with us is further evidence of the car’s growing reputation and the success of the GT3 program. The team did a great job and showed us in that first race how kind of ‘plug and play’ the Vantage GT3 can be, and how robust it can be in a tough race like Daytona.
“Heart of Racing put a lot of hard work into their program, something we’ve also put a lot of effort into, and they were pretty unlucky with their two cars (at Daytona),” he added. “It’s fantastic to have participation in both categories, especially when you’re running at the front.”
The next round of the WeatherTech Championship is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 16-19 at Sebring International Raceway. It also serves as the second of four rounds in the Michelin Endurance Cup.
Keyword: New Car Equals Strong Start For Magnus Racing