Having operated in commercial real estate and hotel property development for over two decades, the two-time Rolex 24 winner will focus his 2025 energy on a one-of-a-kind opportunity in the upscale hotel sector.

“Beyond the fun of racing in IMSA, those who know my business side know that my specialty in hotel development and management has continued to build over the last 15 years,” stated 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.”

Coming off of a season-high podium at Watkins Glen, the team and their Aston Martin GT3, along with co-drivers Andy Lally and Spencer Pumpelly, will continue the 2024 IMSA endurance season as planned. Advancing on to this week’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis, as well as the season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the team will then carry into the 2025 season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. Following Daytona, the team will pause for the year.

“Daytona is a special race for us and we’re thankful to IMSA for accepting our entry for the 2025 event” continued Potter. “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.”

Campaigning their first full series campaign in 2010, and one of the original entrants in the re-united IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2014, the team has enjoyed a 15-season run that has accrued a number of accolades, including: two Rolex 24 at Daytona victories, two endurance championships, as well as victories at historic tracks including Sebring, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, and Lime Rock. While the team will pause following the 2025 season-opener, the possibility for select events throughout the season or into the future remains an option.

“The commitment and effort of everyone on the team over recent years has been incredible,” closed Potter. “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.”

Source material - Magnus Racing

That means that the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Racing powered team will be back in action with all except one driver having been on Le Mans 24 duties last weekend with one team or another. Only Ross Gunn had a couple of weekends off from his team commitments last time out at Detroit just over two weeks ago as Alex Riberas again partners the Englishman as he did so in Detroit from where they scored their first podium finish of the season in P3.

Then there is the #27 GTD entry of Roman De Angelis, fresh from his LMP2 debut at Le Mans alongside that of Ian James and Zacharie Robichon who both competed within the LMGT3 class in France. We also see the return of the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTD of John Potter, Andy Lally and Spencer Pumpelly for the first time since the last endurance round at Sebring.

Thanks to their Detroit result, Gunn has seen his Champiosnhip position elevate to third overall but as both Riberas and Mario Farnbacher have been covering that cars second driver slot since Sebring, they are both down in P11/12 respectively.

It’s a similar story in GTD with Roman De Angelis who has also seen a mixed co-driver line up alongside him for the season far which sees him languishing down in an uncharacteristic P10 at this half-way stage of the season.

So far this season, the #44 Magnus crew have only competed within the season openers at both Daytona and Sebring and with three rounds of the season since then, there will be no time for any ‘rustiness’ going into this weekend’s six-hour encounter considering the fifty-six strong entry list.

Track action begins this Friday for the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship grid with the first of two Free Practice sessions before Qualifying on Saturday and race start at 11:10Hrs local on Sunday.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media

The provisional entry list confirms a fifty-eight-car entry spread amongst the GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD classes with both the Heart of Racing and Magnus Racing teams featuring within the latter two classes.

Whilst the Rolex 24 from Daytona can with disappointing conclusions for both the #27 Heart of Racing and #44 Magnus Racing GTD entries, the #23 GTD Pro effort from Heart of Racing did at least recover from their tail end qualifying position to finish just off the podium in P4 at the end. This race did of course represent the first competitive contest for the new 2024 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3.

The only difference within crews competing this time around is within the #27 Heart car as Marco Sorensen will be pre-disposed in Japan where he will be testing along with the D’Station Racing AMR team at their final Japanese Super GT test at Okayama. That means that the #27 car will be piloted by just Roman de Angelis, Ian James and Zacharie Robichon.

The #23 GTD Pro effort from Heart of Racing meanwhile, well they will remain with their season opening group set of drivers including Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas and Mario Farnbacher so far as the endurance rounds are concerned and for as long as Riberas’ World Endurance Championship commitments allow.

Finally, but certainly by no means least, the Magnus Racing AMR effort will also drop back down to their usual trilogy of drivers as Nicki Thiim again takes a back seat leaving just John Potter, Spencer Pumpelly and Andy Lally to guide the #44 AMR around the bumps of the former wartime airbase.

Track action for these guy starts next Thursday with the first Free Practice session before Qualifying on Friday and a 09:40am (Local) race start on Saturday.

Photo credits – D Gibson / J Price / Teams

Returning to the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin GTD PRO entry will be Alex Riberas and Ross Gunn, the duo will be joined by multi time champion Mario Farnbacher. Riberas and Gunn secured a front row starting position in last season’s qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Though Farnbacher will be making his debut with HOR during his eleventh Rolex 24 At Daytona start, the German is no stranger to the team as he co-drove with Riberas and Ian James in 2014 - 2016. The trio will be seeking their first win of the famed 24-hour race. 

The Heart of Racing will also look to defend its 2023 GTD class victory with the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage with Roman De Angelis, Marco Sorensen, Zach Robichon, and team principal Ian James. De Angelis, Sorensen, and James were a part of the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona win helping lead the way to finish the season second in championship points standings.

Robichon joins the Rolex 24 At Daytona winning team with a Daytona victory already on his resume, having scored a GTD victory in the 2022 event. The Canadian will be making his sixth Daytona International Speedway start as well as his debut outing with the Heart of Racing Team. 

While the Heart of Racing Team’s IMSA program is in full swing in the United States, the team will also be competing in the Creventic 24H Series for the 24 Hours of Dubai (January 26-28), the same weekend as the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The ROAR Before the 24 weekend will see five on track test sessions before qualifying Sunday afternoon.

Joining up together for one last time this season, all five classes of the IMSA Weathertech Championship will again do battle with a provisional fifty-four cars listed on the entry (although some have now fallen by the wayside since) amongst the GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro and GTD classes.

Amongst that lot, just three Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTD powered crews will take part from both the Heart of Racing and Magnus Racing teams. We would have thought that the Andretti AMR GT3 might have tried to enter this round considering their apparent intentions to be full season entries next season – maybe they did but couldn’t get in, we don’t know.

For the #44 Magnus Racing team of John Potter, Andy Lally and Spencer Pumpelly, the again have only been down as Endurance Cup round entries (plus whatever takes their fancy in-between) only where the crew presently sit fourth in their GTD Championship with still enough points available by the end of this weekend’s events to lift the crown should they finish high upon the podium and with those ahead faltering at some point.

Then there is the #27 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GTD of Roman de Angelis, Marco Sorenson and Ian James who sit at the top of the GTD Endurance Cup leader board going into this final round with a margin of just one point from the chasing Mercedes AMG GT3 crew behind.

Whilst the 2023 GTD Sprint Cup Champiosnhip has already been settled with the #27 Heart of Racing crew this time finishing second to the dominant BMW crew of Bryan Sellars and Madison Snow, the #27 pairing will have a fight on their hands this weekend to finish second again to the Sellars/Snow/BMW combination within the main GTD Championship stakes. The points gap to the P1 team is now insurmountable.

Unfortunately, it is a similar thread for the #23 GTD Pro Heart of Racing AMR entry of Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas (and David Pittard for this event) presently rest at the foot of that championship table after mid-season BoP adjustments to their Vantage effectively threw them out of the championship battle after a heroic mid-season charge after something of a dodgy start.

They sit P5 overall and some 373 points behind the somewhat consistent performing Lexus and with only 302 points being available – a decent championship finish is still possible albeit not the overall crown.

Practice for these guys kicks off on Thursday with three Free Practice sessions before Qualifying on Friday and the start of the final ten-hour race starting at 11:40hrs local on Saturday.

Unfortunately, other prior commitments will keep as away from the screen but if you live outside the mainland USA, you should be able to stream the race live via the IMSA TV link on their website. Good luck to all and have a safe race – it’s been fun ‘being there’ with you!

Photo credits – Teams / Series / Michelin / social media / J Price Photo

Also featuring within the GTD grid of thirty-eight cars were the #44 AMR from the Magnus Racing team as John Potter and Andy Lally looked for seat time ahead of the Championship’s next round of the Endurance Cup at Watkins Glen at the end of June as well as the first competitive running of the new #94 Andretti Autosport AMR of Jarrett Andretti and Gabby Chaves. These latter two crews would struggle during early track sessions and qualifying to start the race from the rear in P16 and P13 respectively.

With Sunday’s race programme being disrupted by untimely morning fog, early morning warm up eventually got underway but with Race Control having to remain somewhat ‘fluid’ to keep the schedule on track ahead of its afternoon live TV slot.

Competing within a field of GTP and LMP2 cars, the staggered grid eventually got away with the #27 car of De Angelis picking off a car to grab P2 overall in class by the exit of the first corner whilst Riberas maintained his position. Early contact between two GTD’s within the mid-field brought out the Safety Car with only two minutes race time on the clock but once the race went back to green, the #94 car of Andretti would be seen recovering from an unchallenged spin.

However, just a further ten minutes into their Aston Martin/IMSA debut, the #94 would then be seen getting a nudge from a passing GTP that would send the American heavily into the tyre wall at pit entrance – bringing out the Safety Car again and bringing about their immediate retirement as well. Thankfully Andretti was otherwise unhurt but at least he would be cleared of any wrongdoing as the #7 Porsche would be later sanctioned by Race Control.

With the pit lane opening this time, both Heart cars pitted for tyres and fuel but dropped track position as a consequence as the third Safety Car was called at the hour mark for an LMP2 car in the gravel and tyre wall.

By the time the race went back to green this time around, the #23 car of Riberas had now claimed top position in GTD Pro, with the #27 car in P8 and with the #44 car upon the cusp of a top ten position in GTD.

Just over an hour to go and all three remaining Aston Martin cars pitted for the final time as Gunn took over the #23, Sorensen the #27 and (slightly earlier) Lally the #44 cars.

Ten minutes later, another Safety Car for a stricken GTD Pro car at the final corner. What happened next was extremely ‘odd’ as the #23 car was seen to be driving extremely slowly to a point of cars behind deciding whether to pass it or not within the ongoing Safety Car train! What that turned out to be was the first inklings of a mistake from the Heart team in getting the #23 car to pass on the wave around – incorrectly it then transpired with the slowing an attempt to make amends for that pit wall error.

Unfortunately for the #23 car, that error came with a mighty price as Gunn was soon instructed to park up for a stop and hold that would lose them the class lead and two further laps as a consequence.

That left little over half an hour for the #44 car to maintain its GTD class lead after having unassumingly taken that position despite being listed as visiting pit lane five times over the usual three from their peers around them. As the laps counted down, the tyre degradation was beginning to show and one by one, the four cars stacked up behind Lally passed his car for position.

Having battled it hard to the end, the #44 car would finish just off the GTD podium in forth whilst the #27 had never recovered from the second Safety Car period to finish a disappointed P8 with the #23 being relegated to last in class after being passed by the equally culpable Corvette in the dying stages of the race.

With now just over a month until the next round at Watkins Glen, that gives the teams enough time to analyse what exactly went on at Laguna Seca and prepare themselves for the next round!

Photo credits – Jamie Price / Teams / AMR

Full season entries from the Heart of Racing team re-join forces with their base crew after several weeks away racing in the World Endurance Championship, British GT and the 24 Series in Europe for their two GTD Pro and GTD class entries for their #23 and #27 AMR Vantage GTD cars respectively.

Competing within another sizeable, mixed class grid of thirty-eight cars, the #23 GTD Pro car of Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas will again do battle with four other cars whilst the #27 GTD entry of Roman de Angelis and Marco Sorenson will not be alone as the only AMR in class.

Usually an Endurance Cup entry, the #44 Magnus Racing AMR of John Potter and Andy Lally return for the first time since Sebring, but they also get joined by the series debuting #94 Andretti Autosport AMR Vantage GTD entry for drivers Jarett Andretti and Gabby Chaves.

No strangers to the demands of modern motor racing of course, sees the Andretti turn to the GTD for the first time in which is listed as being a selective race IMSA programme for this normally LMP3 powered crew.

Within the Championship standings, the #23 crew of Gunn/Riberas presently lie in fifth after something of a difficult start to the season at the two endurance openers in Florida but with still eight rounds to go, there is still plenty of scope to progress. The #27 crew of De Angelis/Sorenson however, come straight off the back of an impressive class win at Long Beach which lifts them into second place within the GTD class.

Official track action gets underway on Friday with the first Free Practice session with Qualifying scheduled for late afternoon, early evening on Saturday before a green flag to the race at 15:10hrs local on Sunday.

Photo credits – Teams

The team is also proud to announce that Denmark sensation Nicki Thiim will join team regulars John Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 as the group contests the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The team previously revealed plans to run in all four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship endurance races with Potter, Lally, and Pumpelly, with the remaining sprint races to be determined at a later date.

Straight from the land of the world’s favorite brick toy, Nicki Thiim brings an illustrious resume and an impressive head of hair to the driving lineup of the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The 33-year-old needs little introduction, but for the newer members of our audience, Thiim is an Aston Marton Racing Factory Driver and two-time WEC Champion. He has shiny and prestigious awards from all over the world, having secured victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2014), the 24H Nürburgring (2017), and the FIA World Endurance Championship (2016, 2020).

“The Rolex 24 At Daytona is one of my personal highlights of the year,” exclaimed Thiim. “To go there with all that Aston Martin and Magnus Racing with Flex-Box have done in IMSA over the years is a great opportunity. The fact that the Magnus crew did so well last year gives you a little more confidence to go there and do well for everyone! The Rolex 24 is the start of every season, and one of the top-three races every driver wants to do and do well in. Going from winter break straight to fighting a big battle is super awesome and exciting!”

Flex-Box first partnered with Magnus Racing in 2011 at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, then they came together again for a full season in 2013. After that, Magnus and Flex-Box have partnered together numerous times in IMSA competition. Flex-Box is an international leader in shipping container development and manufacturing. Offering the “Best Box, Best Price”, they are known worldwide for continuing innovation and development of new industry standards, manufacturing shipping containers to meet customer requirements.

“We have worked together with Flex-Box for a number of seasons, most recently in 2020, and it’s great to be back with them again,” said Team Somebody John Potter. “Every time I drive through the newer tunnel into Daytona, I see on the wall our historic Magnus Racing/Flex-Box car and it brings back memories of our great partnerships. The best we have finished at Daytona with Flex-Box on the car was in 2020 when finishing second, and I hope we can improve that this year! We are partnered together for the entire season, so I hope we can find success beyond Daytona as well!”

The No. 44 Magnus Racing with Flex-Box Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will debut its new luminescent grey and blue livery, with a touch of Flex-Box orange, at the Roar Before the 24, the first full-series test at Daytona International Speedway, January 20-22. The team will participate in the several-day test event, getting Thiim plugged into the team and everyone getting significant track time in the Aston Martin.

The 61st Rolex 24 at Daytona will begin Saturday, January 28, 2023, at 1:40 PM Eastern

Source material – Magnus Racing / D Gibson

With the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona looming on the horizon, sports car racing team Magnus Racing is ready to reveal a completely shocking driver lineup for the No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. John Potter, Andy Lally, and Spencer Pumpelly will pilot the Aston Martin in the four endurance events of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. The fourth Daytona driver and the fate of the remaining seven sprint events to be announced at a later date.

The team will be celebrating its lucky 13th year in racing as the team kicks off the momentous occasion with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 25-29. Last season, the team put in an impressive performance in their new machinery from their ninth place starting position to finish second in the GTD class. This year, the team returns with strength in consistency, along with a season of experience under their belts in the Aston Martin and its exemplary support from the British manufacturer.

“I am just excited to back with Aston Martin and their engineering team,” said Team Somebody John Potter. “It’s great to have so many crew returning too. Will be a great Daytona to start the season and I just wonder if we will ever get a clean lap during the entire 24 with so many cars!

Andy Lally’s return to the team brings about a notable anniversary, as the skateboarder who sometimes drives a race car completed his 10th year with the team in 2022 and will return for his 11th this year. 

“It’s an honor to be back with Magnus Racing,” said Lally. “John has been a great teammate over the years, and we have had a lot of success together. I’m looking forward for running the Aston for a second season and building on what we learned in 2022.

Sports car racing champion Pumpelly returns with the team, and will compete in his 22nd Rolex 24, eager to become a three-time Daytona 24 At Daytona race winner. Despite the continued success of his nationally known rock band, the Terrible Two, the lead guitarist was able to carve out time to again join the Magnus Racing squad for the 2023 season.

“This season I’m really excited to start racing with Magnus again,” said Pumpelly, or perhaps someone else with the Pumpelly surname. “Everyone is really nice there and Magnus is one of my favorite racing teams. I think we improved from last year. I really like working with my best bud Andy Lally and John is really nice and he does good in the car. And thank you Magnus, that’s all.”

“That’s the most horriblest quote ever,” concluded Lally.

The friendly and fierce trio will kick off the 2023 season with Magnus Racing once again in January. The field for the Rolex 24 At Daytona hit capacity during the off season, prompting series officials to recreate a reserve list for the at least nine entries that didn’t make the 61-car filed. The literally packed event will begin January 20th with the Roar Before the 24, the first full-season test for the series before official race activities begin on Thursday, January 26. The 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona will begin on Saturday, January 28 at 1:40 PM. Magnus Racing will reveal further event details in the coming weeks.

Source material - Magnus Racing