He did a short stint in our W123 at Road Atlanta. Cut 6 seconds off our hotlap in that short time.
Andy Lally knows road racing. After quickly climbing through the SCCA Club Racing ranks, he became a top pro. He’s won the Rolex 24 At Daytona five times to date. He has three IMSA titles. During this year’s IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, he’s driving the GMT Magnus Lamborghini Huracan GT3. He’s also a nice guy who likes animals.
Lally also knows NASCAR, claiming NASCAR Cup Series rookie-of-the-year honors in 2011. Lately he’s been tapped as a road course specialist, finishing fifth at last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Road America.
During this weekend's NASCAR Daytona Road Course Weekend, look for him flying the Knockaround colors on the OurMotorsports Chevy Camaro during Saturday’s Xfinity race. This will represent NASCAR's first use of Daytona’s road course and, to keep things interesting, teams will not receive any practice.
GRM: As someone with more than a few laps in a Cup car, how would you describe the driving experience?
Andy Lally: Cup cars are like heavy GT cars with space shuttle engines on them. Doesn’t matter how much boost you’ve ever had kick you in the ass in a prototype or GT car: When you step on the loud pedal in a NASCAR Cup car, you feel an insane rush.
GRM: How does the NASCAR driving experience compare to the IMSA experience?
Andy Lally: I drive the cars almost completely differently. I prefer to right-foot brake in a GT3 car and left-foot brake in NASCAR—paddle shift to H pattern, traction control and ABS to raw feel, huge sidewalls to tiny sidewalls. Barely anything transfers except the need to be aggressive.
Semi-related: GRM’s sim test on this subject.
He did a short stint in our W123 at Road Atlanta. Cut 6 seconds off our hotlap in that short time.
In reply to buzzboy :
Nice.
A year or so ago, I missed my connection in Atlanta, so I arranged a ride to a local hotel. As I'm waiting for my ride at like midnight at the ride pick-up area at ATL, Andy comes walking up--waiting on his ride as well.
He has been fastest in the EVSR as well, and contributed significant development time to our project in its early stages. Great guy,fast guy!
Just saw that Lally's car is now available on Trading Paints.
And we're under a weather delay due to lightning. They have wet tires, but no nothing when lightning.
Lally starts in P6.
"Cup cars are like heavy GT cars with space shuttle engines on them."
That made me smile.
Sports cars are fun, but I think a cup car would make me giggle like a school girl the first time I tromped the throttle.
Then I'd hit the tire wall.
Listening here.
I dont watch Nascar, but I just turned on because of this.
ANd when I did it was his car on screen. It was him and someone battling for a position (it's commercial, I cant see what all is happeneing)
P6 in 'stage one'
Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) said:"Cup cars are like heavy GT cars with space shuttle engines on them."
That made me smile.
Sports cars are fun, but I think a cup car would make me giggle like a school girl the first time I tromped the throttle.
Then I'd hit the tire wall.
I've driven the neutered ones at the NASCAR experience. It's different. I've street driven a 10 second car and I thought it was fast. The cup car pulled up to the limited 150 really quick and smooth and you could tell it wanted to go faster. They've got some really long legs and pull up through the RPMs quick.
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