#77: Wright Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), GTD: Alan Brynjolfsson, Trent Hindman
There’s an old racing adage that asks, “How fast do you want to go?” The answer begs another question: “How much money do you have?”
SPEED SPORT Insider recently introduced IMSA racer Ben Keating, a well-heeled Texas auto dealer who is just one of many “Am” (amateur) drivers competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
There’s a long list of these passionate racers who love to drive, have a desire to be legitimate competitors and hopefully be winners in the series – and have plenty of money.
Alan Brynjolfsson is at the top of this list.
Brynjolfsson drives the bright yellow Porsche 992 GT3-R. Working alongside former championship winner Trent Hindman, the duo is a perfect match, as Forest Gump would say, “They go together like peas and carrots.”
#44: Magnus Racing, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, GTD: John Potter, Andy Lally
Brynjolfsson and Hindman put on a stunning show at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca recently in round four of the series.
The #77 Wright Motorsports Porsche started last (15th in class) and Brynjolfsson and Hindman did their best to finish the 2 hour 45 minute sprint in sixth place. It was her best result of the season after handing over her new Porsche 992 GT3 R.
Team Principal John Wright commented, “Our entire team did a great job in what was a very busy race. Their performance in the pit lane and on track continues to stand out in a field of very experienced competitors. We’ve made really good progress with the new car and look forward to building on that momentum.”
Last year the pair won the Michelin Pilot Challenge and it wasn’t Brynjolfsson’s first major title.
“In 2019 I won the Porsche Cup worldwide. “I was the first American in 12 years and they gave me a free Porsche 992 Cabriolet Turbo road car, which was pretty cool, and I got to go to the Porsche Night of Champions and collect the Porsche Cup trophy,” said Brynjolfsson. “I sat down with the entire board of Porsche AG, that was pretty cool.”
Talk about earning “a seat at the table.”
Aside from a big greenback infusion (he’s spent $3 million so far), Brynjolfsson is keenly aware of his role as a driver. He despises those with an overbearing attitude.
“I think the part of being a good AM driver that a lot of AMs miss is getting ten-tenths out of a car and thinking every tenth counts, and it does.” But what’s most important, the most important thing is to be flawless, meaning no touch, no accidents, no spins, no penalties. “You’re going to be on the pro driver’s lead lap and you’re going to get points at every race,” said Brynjolfsson. “…I’m not taking any chances.”
His remarks certainly lend credence to the well-established statement, “To finish first, you must finish first.”
Driving slow and fast, Brynjolfsson remarked, “I’ll beat a third of the pros, but not the factory pros, the smaller pros who don’t have a factory car.”
The story is different for John Potter, our second AM driver in the spotlight.
Not only does he drive, Potter also owns Magnus Racing. The team has used different brands over the past few years and has opted for the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Its loud V12 engine sets it apart from the others in its class. For some, it’s music to their ears.
Potter explains how it all works: “Even as a team owner, it’s a different type of relationship that goes beyond just funding, but holistically we get another entry that’s capable of performing well.”
Potter is currently a bronze driver but has had to contend with the FIA to stay at this level. Officials in France wanted to upgrade him to Silver (pro) level. This is a counterintuitive notion to argue against. Potter says it’s the prize money that counts.
“No driver wants to get a higher rank,” he said. “Whoever is the fastest driver in the world makes more money with a lower rank. When the driver rating system was introduced, it closed more doors to higher ranked drivers and in the process opened doors to lower ranked drivers as well. No driver has ever asked for an upgrade and the FIA receives many downgrade requests from drivers each year. Any driver who was demoted was demoted at his request.”
According to the owner of the Magnus Racing team, there is a strategic advantage for Bronze drivers.
“The fact that I’m a Bronze driver and not a Silver driver means I can compete on sticker tires,” Potter explained. (If a silver driver qualifies the car, he or she must start the race with the tires used during qualifying).
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