Five-Time Rolex 24 At Daytona Class Winner Back for Latest Magnus Sojourn
By Holly Cain
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Andy Lally joked this week that part of the reason he has decided the weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona will mark his farewell as a regular IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver is that he doesn’t ever want to be perceived as slowing down or missing a beat.
With five Rolex 24 class victories, 34 IMSA wins, a record 110 podium finishes and three IMSA championships (GRAND-AM SRPII 2001, GT 2004, 2006) in one of the most highly decorated careers in sports car history, the 49-year-old Lally has nothing to worry about. In fact, he and the No. 44 Magnus Racing team are a perpetual favorite when it comes to the weekend’s 24-hour season-opener on the Daytona high banks.
And just for good measure, he’s going full-in in his last Rolex weekend – doubling up with longtime teammate Spencer Pumpelly for Friday’s four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opener as well as the year’s twice-around-the-clock Rolex classic. He’ll share the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with Pumpelly and Thomas Collingwood, set to roll off 14th in the 27-car Grand Sport (GS) class field.
Pumpelly has had fun teasing that Lally’s leaving the cockpit because he (Pumpelly, pictured with him in 2017 when they were in different teams) is just plain faster than Lally now – which elicits a huge laugh from Lally – who just increased his record Rolex 24 podium grand total to 16 in 2023 when the Magnus team was runner-up in the GTD class.
“One of the best parts of being teamed with him (Pumpelly) is there are some parts of our driving styles that are super similar and funny enough we both tend to always like the same car, but there are definitely things we do quite differently at the controls, so it’s usually a compromise,” Lally says of sharing the GTD class No. 44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with Pumpelly, and another longtime co-driver and friend John Potter and Nicki Thiim. Potter qualified the car 12th in GTD on Thursday in the 22-car class.
“On the competition side and the friendly side, we push each other and turn things up,” Lally continued. “And internally it will force each other to go faster just because we’re competitive with each other. It’s one thing I love about what this whole Magnus group has done, and it’s been a bedrock.”
The weekend’s Magnus Racing entry will feature an ode to the team’s Rolex success in its paint scheme – a look at its “15ish Years” of competition which included the class victory in the 2012 50th anniversary running of this world-renowned sports car race – one of Lally’s favorite wins and most beloved memories in his 23 consecutive race starts on the Daytona road course.
“The 50th is special because back then it was just two classes, and that meant, I think, it was the biggest class ever in the history of Rolex,” Lally said. “So to win the biggest ever class – it was like 30-40 cars. … of the five (I’ve won), that’s probably one of the most, if not the most, special because it’s the biggest one.
“The biggest class ever at the biggest race ever, we won that class. So that’s really special.”
Understandably a bit sentimental this weekend, Lally acknowledges his love of racing started humbly enough – not as a multi-generational high-speed legacy but more simply, as a young kid riding cardboard boxes down snowy hills near his home in upstate New York before finally being a hired driver as an 18-year-old.
Ultimately that drive and talent has taken Lally to celebrated victories and earned him great admiration. When Lally formally announced his farewell and new job as the Trans-Am Series President on social media in December, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Mark Martin, IndyCar Series champion Jimmy Vasser and sports car greats Andy Pilgrim and Tommy Kendall were among the very first to respond with their congratulations.
“Bravo on a stellar career,” Kendall wrote.
“Many congrats for such a great career Andy,” Pilgrim added. “All the very best with your new role!!”
It all speaks to the respect Lally has earned – from so many through a 33-year career behind the wheel – decades of high achievement from all the sports car victories to the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors. He has helped shape the careers of young drivers and prolonged the drives of veterans.
And beyond the good-natured ribbing they exchange, Pumpelly has decades of special memories – whether sharing the seat or racing against Lally.
“Andy and I have a long history at Daytona,’’ Pumpelly said. “We actually met here in 2001 and have been friends ever since. Over the years, we have been both direct competitors and teammates on various efforts.
“My first win in 2006 turned into a direct fight against him as we battled each other all night. In 2009 and 2012, I finished second to his wins. We also share a victory in the 2011 race and multiple second-place finishes.
“It’s not going to be the same race without Andy,” Pumpelly continued. “I’ll miss having him be a part of our efforts.”
It will be a transition for Lally too, but one he can make with great satisfaction in his contributions to the sport – personally and professionally.
“. …only in my dreams did I ever think it would last this long,’’ Lally wrote when announcing his new plans. “I’m truly one of the luckiest people on Earth. Thank you to everyone that has been by my side to help. Thank you to every team owner and teammate that I’ve celebrated success with and thank you to all the fans that have been so encouraging and exciting through the decades of this amazing adventure.”
When Lally takes that final Daytona checkered flag, for now, Sunday afternoon, he can be assured the gratitude goes both ways – from teammates, from competitors, from fans, from friends and associates – anyone who got to witness and relish the career of one of the most endearing and talented competitors in IMSA’s rich history.