Magnus Racing has announced its upcoming hiatus from sports car racing in its signature, snarky style.
In a press release issued today, the team stated: “While evaluating a number of ways to point fingers normally found in such an announcement, Magnus Racing and team owner John Potter have decided to simply state the team will pause operations for 2025, following the upcoming 63rd Running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“Breaking with a long-held sportscar tradition of blaming the BoP, series rules, or some randomly benign issue to skirt accountability, Potter will instead cite business commitments as his reason to shift focus; but he’s actually telling the truth.”
The #44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly will run the final two IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship rounds of this season at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta, before returning for what will be the last race – for now – at Daytona next January.
Since its debut in the 2010 Grand-Am Series, Magnus Racing won its class at the 2012 and 2016 Daytona 24 Hours, and the 2014 Sebring 12 Hours, with Potter and Lally leading the charge. Magnus’ last victory came at Lime Rock Park in 2016; the trio of Potter, Lally, and Pumpelly finished third in GTD during the rain-shortened Six Hours of the Glen in June.
However, Potter and Magnus Racing have made it clear that this is not the end of the team’s journey, and stated their intentions to return to racing by 2026, or even in select races later in 2025.
“Beyond the fun of racing in IMSA, those who know my business side know that my speciality in hotel development and management has continued to build over the last 15 years,” said Potter. “In 2025, a long-time dream project will, fingers crossed, finally be rolling forward and I simply need to concentrate my time and energy in that direction for the upcoming year. It’s been an agonizing decision, but one that ultimately seemed necessary.
“Daytona is a special race for us and we’re thankful to IMSA for accepting our entry for the 2025 event. Our intention is to then continue into 2026 or possibly select races in 2025, but the reason for the pause is to make sure my attention is less divided as business commitments ramp up, so I need to remain flexible for the time being.
“The commitment and effort of everyone on the team over recent years has been incredible. Only running the endurance rounds, many of our crew have had to balance work with our team against other commitments, leading to countless days aways from home. The loyalty from everyone to stick with the program says a lot about their character, and I hope we can close this current era with the results everyone has worked so hard for.”
Feature image © Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com
