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Tag: TRG

  • As NASCAR Heads to California…

    As NASCAR Heads to California…

    I’ll be short this time. The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series teams are headed to Fontana, California and Auto Club Speedway, and while the folks who cover NASCAR continue to try to brainwash us into thinking that we’re just going to love the race on Sunday, it’s woefully obvious that we’re going to see a race that disappoints us. Why? Because it’s California, that’s why. Despite the rave reviews I’ve heard this week about how much the fans are just prejudiced against this track, the truth is that they have good reason for their prejudice. It hasn’t been a show to remember ever. Let’s hope that things change this week.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”253″][/media-credit]And one more thing about Fontana. Who in the wide, wide world of sports decided it was a good thing to go out to Phoenix and Las Vegas, take a week off, run Bristol and head back to California? It boggles my mind. The week off makes more sense if you run at Fontana and come back to Bristol due to weather considerations. The schedule makers get a bye because last weekend was so wonderful and this weekend is going to be cold. Luck, I guess, but the travel costs for teams are not a laughing matter.

    I am amazed at the continuing saga of Rick Russell’s 2nd Chance Motorsports and driver Jennifer Jo Cobb’s disputes. Today, Russell filed a complaint against Cobb saying she was guilty of larceny for stealing parts. If I read the comments right, Cobb says that the parts were moved to a storage building on Russell’s property and the storage facility belonged to Russell. What? Sounds like the way things are going all over America. Everyone wants to sue once there is a disagreement and if a suit is not possible, you either take it to the press or call the law. Even more amazing is that Russell and Cobb had a contract that required her to repair the car if it was damaged in a race, which happened at Las Vegas. Furthermore, she was required to supply engines for the car. I guess Jennifer Jo really wanted to race so much she entered into a really lousy contract. This can be best described as a mess.

    I noted with interest that TRG Motorsports is changing to Ford bodies and power after California. It’s a limited agreement with Roush Fenway Racing to build the cars and with Roush-Yates Engines to supply powerplants. I wonder if this is a trend. We’ve seen Richard Petty Motorsports move from Dodge to a similar agreement with RFR last year. The same thing happened with Front Row Motorsports and now with TRG. Ford has now increased their number of cars from five in 2008 to nine in 2011, and if rumors are to be believed, there could be more. It’s very interesting, to say the least.

    Finally, all I’ve heard this week is how Jimmie Johnson is a lock to win at Auto Club Speedway. And if not him, it has to be Jeff Gordon. I might agree if it weren’t for a couple of guys who have performed much better and have a record at Fontana, namely Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth, not to mention Kevin Harvick. No one promotes “Five-Time” and Gordon more than the fine folks, who cover the sport, but here’s my shocking prediction—it might be Kyle Busch, much to the chagrin of NASCAR Nation. But, then again, who knows? I just know that we’ll know late on Sunday evening. But the constant presumption that the favorite always has to be one of the Hendrick teams is interesting. It ignores recent performances. But what do I know?

  • For Andy Lally, NASCAR Has Always Been His First Love

    For Andy Lally, NASCAR Has Always Been His First Love

    Andy Lally, known as one of the best road racers in the world with three Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona wins under his belt, has always had just one dream. He has always wanted to run the NASCAR circuit.

    “This is where I’ve always wanted to be,” Lally said of his foray into the NASCAR ranks. “My first race car toys, everything I’ve ever watched on TV was always NASCAR. This was my first love and always where I wanted to go.”

    [media-credit name=”CIA Photography/TRG Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”240″][/media-credit]Lally grew up idolizing many of the NASCAR greats back in the day. His initial racing heroes included Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Morgan Shepherd.

    “When I got my first go kart when I was 12 and started racing, right around that time was when Davey Allison came on the scene,” Lally said. “He then became my new favorite driver and was my first real racing idol and hero.”

    Lally would have loved to have followed his NASCAR idols onto the track, but he and his family had no racing background. His soccer coach introduced him to a local car dealer, Walter Simonendinger, who took Lally under his wing and introduced him to road racing instead.

    “We were just doing local, regional events, but it got me out of a go kart and into a car,” Lally said. “He mentored me for about three years and helped me along until I was able to get rides in more of a national series. That’s how the road racing route took hold.”

    “I’ve always wanted to give NASCAR a shot but all my opportunities have been up that ladder,” Lally continued. “It’s hard to make a lateral move.”

    After establishing himself in the sports car world, Lally then began to work his connections to try to make his NASCAR dream a reality. In fact, Lally became a bit of a nag, particularly with Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner, to get his shot behind the wheel of a stock car.

    “We started working together in the Rolex Series in the end of 2004,” Lally said of his association with Buckler. “We clicked right away and started winning races right away.” A lot of this NASCAR program came about from me bugging Kevin (Buckler).”

    Lally admits that he is humbled and even a little bit frustrated as he makes the transition from road racing star to stock car racing student. But he readily says that he is tackling his NASCAR career with his “eyes wide open.”

    “I know how good these guys are,” Lally said of his Cup competitors. “I know that it would have been better to go do a couple years of Nationwide and really learn these tracks. But the opportunity came with TRG to give Sprint Cup a shot.”

    “I’m 36 and I’m not getting any younger,” Lally continued. “This may be my only shot. I plan to make the most of it, learn and do the best I can for TRG in the equipment we have here.”

    While Lally and his team are making the most of their opportunity, they are surely doing it on a shoe string. They currently have just two cars in their fleet, constantly keeping their fingers crossed for their equipment, as well as for some much needed sponsorship.

    “This will be my first full year in Cup if we can maintain,” Lally said. “We still need to maintain and I have to do a good enough job that they want to keep me and we have to find sponsorship.”

    Speaking of that all important sponsorship dollar, Lally and TRG have secured a new sponsor that joined them for the Daytona race and will be with them for a few more.

    “Eco Fuel Saver, the world’s best fuel additive, came on for us at Daytona and they just signed on for five more races,” Lally said. “Hopefully we can get something sorted out real soon so we can announce full season sponsorship.”

    Lally has also signed himself up this year to compete for NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series. Ironically, as with last year, he is the only driver to be running for the rookie honors for the 2011 season to date.

    “It’s an honor to go for such a prestigious honor,” Lally said. “But I’m not going to play it up and I’d love to have more competition than I do right now.”

    Lally admits that his first two races in the elite Cup Series have been filled with challenges. At Daytona, he was running in the top fifteen before being caught up in a wreck and at Phoenix, he again was one of the unfortunates involved in that race’s ‘big one.’

    “We’re looking forward to getting a good, clean one here at Vegas,” Lally said. “The harder you work the luckier you get and we’re working hard here.”

    Whether lucky in Vegas or not, Lally just wants to make his NASCAR dreams come true.

    “If I can keep on going and at least make a name for myself working real hard and trying to go fast, then wonderful,” Lally said. “I’d love to stay here.”

    “This means the world to me,” Lally said passionately. “I know we are the Davey in the David and Goliath story right now.”

    “That’s how a lot of my opportunities have come down and I’ve been able to make the best of it,” Lally said. “I’m going to try to make this another one of those stories.”