Mid-Ohio Presents Magnus Racing’s Favorite Location-Named Track
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 1, 2019) – Enjoying a podium finish at the most recent round of IMSA GTD-category competition at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Magnus Racing with drivers John Potter and Andy Lally are excited to head to the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend for the first sprint race of the year. Located in the rolling hills of central Ohio, the popular 2.4-mile circuit plays host to the team’s favorite location-named circuit.
“Mid-Ohio is by far our favorite track that’s named after its location,” stated team owner and co-driver John Potter. “We used to race at Circuit of the Americas but it was always too vague, and despite our best efforts, we’ve been unable to sway other tracks to follow suit. Watkins Glen was indifferent to ‘Just South of Canada International,’ Detroit was a hard pass on ‘You Can Stay in Windsor if You Prefer Grand Prix Circuit,’ the fine folks at Road Atlanta didn’t think ‘The Loooong Road from Atlanta’ worked for them and WeatherTech Raceway is still considering ‘Where They Shoot Big Little Lies Raceway Laguna Seca.’ As a result, Mid-Ohio is always one we’re excited for. Lamborghini has done a great job giving us a competitive car for the first two rounds, but of course the resulting BoP adjustments will put us at a disadvantage for this weekend, so we’re not entirely sure what to expect. Mid-Ohio is always a fun course to drive but one where you really need good power to pass, so with the current series adjustments we’ll have to see how everything pans out, but regardless we’re looking forward to getting back to it.”
Driving the No. 44 Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3, Potter and Lally will arrive knowing that the rolling hills of Mid-Ohio always present a unique challenge. With two previous podiums at the circuit, the team has the background to earn results, but with a new round of IMSA-mandated car adjustments it remains to be seen how the team will fair. As a course with very little in the way of straights, raw power and torque will be at a premium, which has sadly been compromised in the most recent round of changes.
For Andy Lally, optimism remains heading in to the weekend.
“Mid-Ohio is always a challenging circuit for drivers,” stated Lally. “Nearly every corner blends in to another one, so it’s critical to be placed perfectly every lap, and in that sense the whole team has the experience to do well here. There’s a lot of elements out of our control so it’s tough to say how we’ll do, but the guys have been perfect so far in 2019.”
Practice begins this Friday, May 3, with race action taking place on Sunday, broadcast live on NBCSN at 1:30PM ET. |