The Magnus crew arrived at Daytona International Speedway throughout the day on Tuesday.  Spirits were high as this event was being billed as having the largest, most diverse and best talented field for the GT race.  There were 46 entrants this year, certainly the most I’ve seen in my six years crewing at this event.  Everyone felt that a top ten would be acceptable but a top five would be great.

This time around we were fielding two cars.  The lead 44 car, our full time entry, would feature team owner John Potter along with our new driver Andy Lally, fresh from his NASCAR Rookie of the Year season, Richard Leitz, a Porsche Factory driver, and Rene Rast, a two-time Porsche Super Cup GT Junior Champion.

My time was spent assisting wherever needed on Wednesday.  Thursday, I focused in on Data Capture and Analysis on the 4 car as well as video capture and review, fuel consumption and in-depth data analysis on both cars.  That’s enough to keep me occupied to say the least.  We had four “on track” sessions Thursday including qualifying.  Andy did an excellent job qualifying the 44 car 3rd which kept us out of the craziness in the middle of the 46 car GT field.  The 4 car qualified a bit further back, but still ahead of most.  Two more sessions Friday proved to be uneventful for the team which is always a good thing.

Race day started fine for both cars.  Halfway through the third stint, the 4 car, being driven by Justin Bell, was hit from behind by Boris Said in the 94 Turner Motorsports BMW.  Our car refused to restart and we had to wait for the safety folks to tow us out of the way costing us a couple of laps.  The starter had failed forcing the crew to push start the car at every driver change.  The stress on the engine proved fatal in the early morning hours.  One of the pulleys snapped off the engine case causing us to lose the alternator belt and the engine overheat a bit. The 44 car soldiered on throughout the night staying in the front of the pack. 

In the final hour, it became apparent that we were in the hunt.  Our car, the 67 TRG and 59 Brumos cars swapped positions.  After our last fuel stop and in the lead, both crews and the drivers anxiously count the minutes.  Everyone hears “monsters under the bed.”  With approximately 25 minutes remaining, we hear Richard on the radio:  “I think I am having fuel or electrical problems.”  Oh no, shades of 2007 when, after leading for most of the final two hours, the Farnbacher Loles Porsche lost an engine with fifteen minutes remaining.  NOT AGAIN!!!  This time Lady Luck took a liking to us.  A quick cycle of the fuel pumps and things cleared up.  We took the checkered flag some seven seconds ahead of the 67 TRG and fifty some odd seconds ahead of the 59 Brumos car.

Congratulations to Magnus Racing for a job well done and to Porsche for a clean sweep of the GT field podium.

by Steve Taft