One of road racing's most successful drivers retired from a 30-plus-year career to become the new president of Trans Am.
 

Andy Lally closed his 30-plus-year road racing career at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this past January, a race he has won a remarkable five times. The three-time IMSA champion in prototypes and GTs then stepped into his new role with Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) as president of the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli. Lally will report to PMH Chief Operating Officer Michael Printup.

Born and raised in Northport, New York, on Long Island, Lally can also count four victories in the Six Hours of The Glen, along with victories in the Petit Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring. He had more than 80 starts in NASCAR's top-three series and was NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2011. He made his Trans Am debut at Lime Rock Park in July 2017, driving to victory alongside Brent Crews in the inaugural SpeedTour All-Star Race.

Lally's love of speed on wheels started as a young boy rolling his Big Wheel down a grassy neighborhood hill. "It was quite a long journey of later trying to convince my parents that it would be okay for me to get a go-kart," he told PRI.

That happened in 1987, when he was 12. "That was my introduction to racing. I knew right away that that was the only thing I wanted to do. Even though I played ball sports and was good, my parents eventually saw that racing was the first thing that I had fully dedicated my focus to. Without their support, none of this would have happened."

PRI: What was your earliest memory of auto racing as a kid?

Lally: Watching on TV. The first race that I was completely enthralled in was the 1988 Budweiser at the Glen, watching that track battle between Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace. That was NASCAR on a road-race course. I had already been a NASCAR fan, but that got me hooked all the way.

PRI: What exposure to Trans Am did you have before taking this role?

Lally: I was a Trans Am fan from the early 1990s, and many of the races I did coming up the ladder were partnered with Trans Am weekends. I always wanted to do it and got my chance in 2017 to race at Watkins Glen. We got the pole and won the race. I did it again at Lime Rock Park in 2021. I've also done a TA2 Series race. I'm very familiar with how the cars are to drive, and especially how much of a help the TA2 side can be to young drivers.

PRI: What are immediate plans for this season?

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