Following the recent announcement by the World Endurance Championship (WEC) to move their October race in Fuji to honor one driver’s schedule, Magnus Racing and owner/co-driver John Potter would like to express their strong displeasure in IMSA’s unwillingness to do the same for his wife’s delivery schedule.
With wife Emily Potter due to give birth to their second child in May, Potter is beyond upset that the series schedule, which has been set for six months now, won’t arbitrarily be changed just because he threw a fit.
“This is beyond acceptable,” stated Potter. “We’ve been asking IMSA to change their schedule for four days now, and they won’t budge. There’s clearly a precedent, and I asked for it, so that should be all there is to it. I don’t understand what other considerations IMSA needs to look at, I asked for it… so it should happen!”
Voted IMSA’s most popular team in 2014, the draw of Magnus Racing is without question. Boasting nearly 150,000 viewers in their most recent Daytona webcast, the group is notoriously highly engaging with fans, with up to as many as 12 more fans attending each race due to the team’s participation.
Unofficially ranked as Audi’s second-favorite GT3 team in the USA, and sixth among all U.S. customers, the team plays a large role in Audi’s 2018 plans, and in such, the team expects the series and manufacturer to do everything they ask for, regardless of how reasonable it is.
“If the series doesn’t do what we ask for, we may leave,” stated Potter. “Some may say ‘well we might leave anyway,’ but that’s irrelevant. It’s far easier to get what you want when your threats have nothing to do with your plan of action already in place. I want what I want, and the series needs to give it to me. I’m one of a few dozen paying customers, and what I say should matter more than those other pleebs.”
Expecting their second child at the beginning of May, Magnus Racing’s attendance at the heralded return to action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is likely not in doubt. Somehow the cars will still race, the fans will still come, and whether John Potter is personally there or not, the team is still confirmed to participate and entertain the crowd.
While no official response has been given from IMSA, one off-the-record series official cited the fact the schedule came out before the couple became pregnant, and the fact it may conflict with plans from every other team, manufacturer, driver, and fan.
