2011 witnessed a significant chapter in NASCAR history as Andy Lally, the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year and a seasoned sports car racer, announced his retirement from racing on Wednesday (Nov. 4). His final regular driving race will take place in January's Rolex 24 at Daytona for Magnus Racing.
Transition to a New Role
In place of his racing endeavors, Lally has been appointed as the new president of the Trans Am Series. He will succeed Michael Printup, the former Watkins Glen International track president who now serves as the chief operating officer of Parella Motorsports Holdings, the parent company of Trans Am. As stated in a press release, Lally expressed, "This is both my retirement from professional driving and a simultaneous transition to president of the Trans Am Series. It's a mix of emotions - looking back at how fortunate I've been and looking forward to this new journey. I'll be leveraging my 32 years of auto racing experience in various cars to contribute to the growth of Trans Am and the development of future stars."Longtime Teammate's Decision
Lally's longtime teammate and car owner, John Potter, has decided to step away from regular competition after the January Rolex 24 at Daytona. In a Magnus Racing press release from September, it was indicated that Potter would be engaging in a unique opportunity in the upscale hotel sector.NASCAR Career Highlights
In NASCAR, Lally made 45 career Cup starts, with his best finish being 18th at Watkins Glen in 2010. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he achieved four fifth-place finishes in 23 starts, the most recent one coming at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2021 for Our Motorsports. Three of these top-fives were with Our Motorsports, and the other was with SS-Green Light Racing in 2017 at Mid-Ohio. Additionally, he made 14 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with a best finish of 11th at Daytona in 2008.Sports Car Racing Achievements
Lally's biggest accomplishments in motorsports were in sports cars. He is a five-time class winner in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Four of these wins came in GT cars, with three in Porsche 911s and one in 2016 with an Audi R8 LMS GT3. His first class win was in Grand-Am's SRP II class in 2001 while driving a Lola B2K/40-Nissan for Archangel Motorsports. He won three championships in what eventually became the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, each in a different class. In 2001, he won the SRP II championship with Archangel Motorsports alongside various co-drivers. In 2004, Lally and Marc Bunting won the SGS championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car for TPC Racing. Finally, in 2006, Lally and Bunting won the GT championship with The Racers Group. Lally was the most successful driver in Grand-Am competition, claiming 27 class victories from 2000-2013. Since the Grand-Am/American Le Mans Series merger, he has five more class victories, the most recent being at Watkins Glen in 2017.After transitioning to GT cars in 2004, Lally won with TPC Racing before moving to The Racers Group, where he raced from 2004 until the end of his Cup season in 2011. He rejoined Magnus Racing in 2012. Apart from running with Acura factory backing for Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian in 2017, he has been racing alongside Potter ever since.In 2024, Lally participated part-time in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Magnus Racing and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge for StarCom Racing. In five WeatherTech starts, his best finish was third at Watkins Glen, partnered with Potter and Spencer Pumpelly. With StarCom Racing, he shared a Hyundai Elantra N TCR with Nick Tucker in two races, and their first race together at Sebring in March saw them finish second.
