A city known for being the host of the 1996 Olympics, world famous hot dogs, juicy peaches and its contributions to southern hip-hop, is the next stop on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. Among all of its allure, the city of Atlanta, Georgia may soon be known for something else; its status as the residence of NASCAR rookie points leader Andy Lally.
The official motto of the State of Georgia is Resurgens, which in Latin, means, “rising again.” That motto seems fitting for a race team that has recently experienced a resurgence of its own. TRG Motorsports will be looking for its seventh consecutive top-30 finish. The team also hopes to improve its position in the top-35 of NASCAR’s Owner’s Points Standings for the fifth week in-a-row.
Driver Andy Lally has earned an average finish of 25.8 over the past six races. He has also significantly improved his consistency, completing 99.6% of the laps run in that time period. While that stat may often go overlooked, Lally’s lap completion percentage since Kentucky is better than that of top names and championship contenders such as Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.
Team owner Kevin Buckler is delighted over his team’s recent resurgence, commenting:
“I would definitely say this is a team on the rise. We are growing as a race team, as a company and as a brand. Andy is proving he is capable of doing big things in this sport and our team is proving we can consistently run in the top-25. If you pay any attention to our team, you hear me mention the potential I believe this organization has. We are just beginning to show that potential. We are a championship-winning organization that is here to make it in the world of NASCAR. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time and can only imagine what we will do in the future as we continue to improve.
Andy is driving smart right now. He is staying out of trouble and gaining a lot of seat time. That is helping to build his confidence and it’s showing on the track. Our entire team has performed very well at a diverse set of racetracks over the past month or so. That shows that our program is not just getting better in one area, but that we’re improving overall as an organization. I’m eager to see what we do as we return to a 1.5 mile track.”
Crew chief Doug Richert lists eleven career top-10 finishes on his Atlanta resume. He will be seeking to help the team continue its late-summer resurgence this Sunday night. He remarked:
“It’s been about a month and a half since we last raced at a 1.5 mile oval. That being said, Atlanta still tends to differentiate itself from the other 1.5 mile tracks we race on, due to its steep banking. You can carry a lot of speed around that track. It wasn’t too long ago that you could build the setup, so a driver could consistently run wide open around this track. With the cars we race now and the tires we run, you don’t see that as much anymore. However, the driver is still in the throttle for a significant portion of a lap here. The entry and braking points here aren’t like those of other racetracks. Because the driver is using the throttle so much, the track can become very slick, very fast. The other neat thing about Atlanta is that a driver can run a variety of lines. You will see drivers running the top, middle and bottom Sunday night. While that may make me nervous as a crew chief, it makes for great racing for all of the fans.”
Driver Andy Lally joins Buckler in anticipating Sunday’s Advocare 500. Lally, who finished 22nd in his only Camping World Truck Series start at Atlanta, has spent the past week working with Atlanta Motor Speedway, President, Ed Clark to help promote this weekend’s festivities. Lally’s appearance schedule this week included a Wednesday morning visit to the set of Fox’s Good Day Atlanta where he and Clark discussed NASCAR’s upcoming visit to the track. Lally has been awaiting his opportunity to race at home, saying:
“It’s cool to not have to board a plane or take a long trip this weekend. Performance-wise, our team has been great lately. We’re starting to hit our stride at the perfect point in the season. I want to keep building on our recent momentum and take it into next year. This will be my first cup race at Atlanta and I couldn’t be more excited. I ran a truck race here a few years back, but I’m sure this will be a little different. From what I’ve studied from the in-car footage of previous races, it seems like a track where you can run a variety of lines and spend a lot of time on the throttle. I’m sure the first time I approach 200 miles per hour heading into the corner will be a thrill and I can’t wait to experience my first cup race at Atlanta.”
TRG Motorsports PR
- Dover Weekend Schedule - April 21, 2024
- Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Ag-Pro 300 - April 20, 2024
- Odd Tony Stewart Talladega Post Race Q&A - May 7, 2012