Potter Scores GT3 Challenge Podium at Road Atlanta...then Magnus Racing packs up and goes home
Sunday, 02 October 2011 21:19
October 1, 2011 (Braselton, GA) - It was a week of waiting for John Potter, Craig Stanton, Ryan Eversley and the Magnus Racing team at Road Atlanta. Unfortunately, their week would end up being a day shorter than they would have preferred.
 
Due to the large number of teams taking part in this year's Petit Le Mans, the final round of the American Le Mans Series, only four GT-C teams were guaranteed a starting position in this year's race. Magnus Racing made the decision to enter Petit Le Mans and practice throughout the week in case enough cars withdrew from the race to allow the no. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup the chance to defend its third-place finish from 2010.
 
However, following qualifications for the event, ALMS officials informed the team that the event was still oversubscribed and the team would be unable to participate.
 
Although the team will not take the green flag for today's Petit Le Mans, the Magnus Racing Porsche did compete in the two final IMSA GT3 Challenge races of the season at Road Atlanta with Potter at the wheel. In the first race, held Thursday morning, Potter converted a sixth place starting position to a third-place finish. It was his second IMSA GT3 Challenge podium of the season, and brought Magnus Racing's podium count to a total of seven for the year. In the second race, held Friday morning, Potter would finish sixth after a frantic race in which he was hit at the start, falling well down the field. Later in the race, while coming through the field, he took flight in turn five to avoid another spinning car.
 
"We are definitely disappointed that we aren't able to take part in Petit Le Mans this year," said Potter. "We knew it was a long shot to get into the race but we had high hopes. The guys had done a great job all week with our Porsche, and they had also put in a lot of work converting the car back and forth from the GT3 and ALMS setups. They have been heroes all year and I'm glad we have the best guys in the business working on our cars."