On Friday, Magnus Racing announced that Andy Lally will return to the Utah-based organization full-time in 2018. Lally, who recently helped out on the pit box as the team claimed overall victory in the California 8 Hours, returns after one year with Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian.
Lally is quite pleased to return to his somewhat off-beat buddies at Magnus Racing.
“I couldn’t be happier to return to my family at Magnus [Racing],” Lally said. “Some of my best memories in my career are with the team, and it’s great to return with them in 2018. I would really like to express my gratitude to Michael Shank Racing and HPD for a tremendous 2017, and it was not an easy decision to return to John Potter and everyone at Magnus, but it felt like the right move. There’s a lot in motion right now, but I believe we’ll immediately be in a position to contend, and I’m excited to get the season going.”
In 2017, Lally and teammate Katherine Legge earned GT Daytona class victories at Belle Isle Park and Watkins Glen, along with second-place finishes at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. However, three DNFs in the final four races dropped Lally and Legge to sixth in GT Daytona points.
Team owner/driver John Potter is very happy to have Lally back with the team.
“It’s great to have Andy back with the team,” Potter stated. “The relationship between Andy and our team has always been strong, and we’re thrilled to see him return for 2018. The extent of our program is still a work in progress, but it’s a great testament to our organization that Andy is willing to return after having a strong 2017, and we’re thrilled to have him. The specifics of next year are still a work in progress, but we’re excited to secure a major piece of the puzzle.”
Lally originally joined Magnus Racing in 2012 after winning Rookie of the Year in the then-Sprint Cup Series. Over the next five years, Lally and Potter claimed six victories, including two class victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (2012, 2016). The team also won GT Daytona at Sebring in 2014. The pair’s highest points finish was third in the Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series’ GT class in 2013.
As Potter noted, there are unknowns about the team’s future other than the fact that they are racing full-time in 2018 and that Lally’s involved. The team is currently finalizing their plans for 2018, including the series they’ll compete in and what they’ll be fielding. Also, the release makes note of a “surprise co-driver” for Lally as well.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
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