Mid-Ohio: Magnus Racing preview

Watkins Glen -- and LeMans -- a shot in the arm for Magnus Racing's trip to Mid-Ohio

June 14, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) -- The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16 has quite a hectic summer schedule, and only two weeks after the series' last event at Watkins Glen -- which was only one week after the races at Lime Rock -- Magnus Racing will have its Porsches back on track at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.

This weekend's EMCO Gears Classic presented by Keybank will see the team's No.44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup back in action after its stirring performance at Watkins Glen, where it took pole position, set a new track record with Craig Stanton behind the wheel, and lead the GT class for most of the first three and a half hours. Additionally, the team's No.44 Magnus Racing Porsche Cayman will contest the EMCO Gears Classic for the Continental Tie Sports Car Challenge, two weeks after it too led its race for the first time at Watkins Glen after John Potter and Leh Keen charged forward from their 15th starting position.

Buoyed by the turn of pace that his rookie team's cars showed at Watkins Glen, Team Owner Potter is enthused for this weekend's pair of races.

"Watkins Glen was a great weekend for us -- it gave the team a big boost and was really fun for us drivers to be right at the front and to showcase the level of talent we have on this crew," he said. "Mid-Ohio isn't Watkins Glen, and might not suit the Porsches as well, but we're going to attack it the same way that we did two weeks ago. The whole team did a great job at Watkins Glen -- like they have all season -- and after racing at the front of the GRAND-AM field at Watkins Glen, everyone really wants to stay there!"

In the two weeks since Watkins Glen, Magnus Racing drivers have stayed busy as Jeroen Bleekemolen, who is drafted in by the team to drive the GT3 in the endurance events, and Leh Keen, who co-drives the Cayman with Potter, both competed at the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Keen drove to a podium position with a 2nd in GT2, while Bleekemolen finished 8th in GT2 as well. Keen has returned from France and will be back in the Cayman for this weekend's race.

Potter and Stanton are currently tenth in the Rolex Sports Car Series GT class standings, while Potter is third in the Bob Akin Award standings for sportsman drivers in the GT class. Magnus Racing is tied for fifth in the GT-class Team Championship.

-source: magnus racing