Catchfence

TRG Motorsports to run two cars at The Glen

Mooresville, North Carolina (July 29, 2009) – Sports car ace Andy Lally is set to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips race at Watkins Glen International Raceway on August 9. Lally will join TRG Motorsports regular David Gilliland in a second car at The Glen.

The 34-year old Lally, originally from Northport, New York, has always called Watkins Glen his home track. The sports car veteran has an impressive road racing background having won Rolex Series championships in three different classes, GT in 2006, SGS in 2004 and SRPII in 2001. In addition, Lally anchored the GT class winning Rolex 24 Hour GT team this past February. He currently drives the No. 67 TRG Porsche in the Rolex GT Series.

A native of New York, Lally can think of no better circuit to make his first Sprint Cup start at than The Glen.

“Not only am I extremely honored to have a chance to qualify for my first ever Sprint Cup race, but when you add in the fact that it will be in my home state of New York, and at my favorite track makes this opportunity all that more special,” Lally said. “I can’t wait to get out there and see what we have. I would like to thank Kevin Buckler and the partners at TRG Motorsports for putting their faith in me for this race.”

Lally has some miles behind the wheel of the TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS.

“I have had a chance to test the car already as the team prepared for Infineon. I learned a lot that day and the guys have improved the car since then. I only did about 20 laps in that session so it was a good first outing in the car. The team had a good primary car at Infineon and I think we can even improve on that for The Glen. We have a couple of more test dates set, so I will be able to get some more miles under my belt prior to the race. I have three weeks before the race and in that time I will be working with Slugger (Richard “Slugger” Labbe, crew chief) to cram in as much knowledge as possible. ”

Lally knows there is a big learning curve involved in making his first Sprint Cup start, beginning with qualifying.

“Qualifying will be the trickiest part. TRG Motorsports is a go-or-go-home team. There will be a lot of guys coming out to try and make the race, some strong road racers and then you have the regulars who are excellent as well. I have done two NationWide road races at Montreal and Watkins Glen and they were very competitive. The big difference is you get three or four shots at a good qualifying lap in the NationWide Series. In Sprint Cup you get one, you take the green and you take the checker – one chance. If you don’t do it right you are going to the house. That will be a lot of pressure and a big part of the learning curve. I will put a lot of focus on that aspect by getting out of the garage during practice and getting right up to speed every time out on the track.”

“Brake management will be the key at Watkins Glen. You are running in traffic all of the time and the brakes aren’t getting a lot of air. You are really on the brakes hard going into the Bus Stop and into turn 10 as well. Finding the right setup on the car is essential. The guys at the front of the field are the best in the business. If we expect to run anywhere near the front, we have to have everything just right.”

Lally has realistic expectations for his first Sprint Cup start.

“In qualifying, I just want to make the race and secure a spot in the field. In the race, I think a realistic goal is a top 20 finish.”

Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, once again, is giving Lally an opportunity to expand his racing resume.

“Andy has been an integral part of our sports car team for over four years now and has also been a good friend,” Buckler said. “He is one of the best road racers there is and he knows Watkins Glen like his own backyard. We brought him into NASCAR in 2007 when we started our programs, so I feel it is really cool to give him this shot in Sprint Cup. I obviously have a lot of faith in his ability and judgment. There will be a learning curve for Andy, but combine his experience and that of the team and I think we have a very strong package. The partners and I are all really excited about this race. We are running two cars for the first time all season. We will also be introducing our TRG hospitality program that we intend to us in 2010.”

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG’s Porsche sports car program is run out of the company’s headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 28, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

-  TRG Motorsports, Press Release