Andy Lally Shares Bold Vision for Trans Am’s Future During Race Industry Week Appearance
Newly appointed Trans Am President Andy Lally joined EPARTRADE’s Race Industry Week to reflect on his first year leading the iconic American road racing series and to outline an unapologetically bold vision for 2026—Trans Am’s 60th anniversary season and beyond.
Lally, a five-time Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and long-time Trans Am competitor, was candid about the transition from cockpit to control tower.
“It’s been daunting, stressful and tough,” he admitted with a smile. “But I never would’ve taken this on if I didn’t love this series as much as I do.”
From his earliest Trans Am start to one of his final races in TA2, Lally says the series’ unique mix of raw machinery, hard racing and paddock camaraderie is what pulled him back—this time as its leader.
Keeping TA “Raw and Relentless”
At the heart of Lally’s vision is a clear commitment: Trans Am’s flagship TA class will remain a pure, high-horsepower driver’s championship.
He made it clear that the modern push toward electronics and driver aids will stop at the Trans Am garage door.
- Approximately 900 horsepower
- No ABS
- No traction control
- Big, powerful cars that move around, slide and put the result squarely in the driver’s hands
Lally stressed that while technology could easily make the cars faster on paper, that’s not the goal.
He wants fans to keep seeing what they’ve always loved:
cars leaving long black stripes off the corners, drivers countersteering, balancing the car on throttle, and winning or losing based on bravery, skill and judgment—not algorithms.
cars leaving long black stripes off the corners, drivers countersteering, balancing the car on throttle, and winning or losing based on bravery, skill and judgment—not algorithms.
“When a TA car fires off a corner sideways with two black lines behind it, that’s what racing is to me,” Lally said. “I don’t want to sanitize that. I want more of it.”
While he’s open to cost controls and sensible evolution, he emphasized that the character of TA—big power, limited aero, and analog driving—will remain intact.
TA2: “America’s Only Full-Time Stock Car Road Racing Championship”
If TA is Trans Am’s soul, TA2 is its launchpad—and Lally intends to sharpen how the series talks about it.
He framed TA2 very clearly:
“This is America’s only full-time stock car road racing championship.”
Built on late-model-style chassis with three pedals, H-pattern gearboxes, no traction control, no ABS and big sidewall tires, TA2 has evolved into the ideal training ground for young drivers aiming at NASCAR’s road and street courses.
The timing has been perfect. As NASCAR has dramatically expanded the number of road course events in its top series, TA2 has become:
- A direct preparation platform for Xfinity and Cup road course racing
- A cost-effective alternative to other development programs
- A series that races on top-tier American road courses that mirror major NASCAR venues
Lally pointed to recent success stories to make the point:
- Brent Cruz – Now signed with Joe Gibbs Racing to run the No. 19 Xfinity car for most of the season
- Connor Zilisch – Another breakout TA2 star now on a fast-track trajectory in the NASCAR universe
- Tristan McKee – Crowned youngest-ever Trans Am champion at just 15 years old in TA2
These drivers spent their formative years racing door-to-door in TA2—banging doors, making passes, and learning big, heavy, powerful race cars on proper road courses.
Lally sees TA2 as both:
- A destination for pros and veterans who love this style of racing, and
- A proven rung on the ladder toward NASCAR and other top series.
He even draws a parallel to Australian Supercars:
“This could be America’s best shot at having our own version of Supercars—hard, physical racing where a top-five car usually has a donut on the door.”
Balancing Veterans, Young Guns and the Reality of the Paddock
Lally acknowledged one of the biggest internal challenges: balancing the needs and expectations of very different types of competitors:
- Veteran pros and long-time Trans Am loyalists
- Ambitious teenagers with big contracts and big dreams
- Gentleman drivers and serious hobbyists
- Teams with very different budgets and agendas
He joked that, having spent decades arguing with officials as a driver, he now understands just how complex those decisions are.
“It’s not ‘the teams’ versus ‘the series,’” he said. “It’s 12 different opinions from 20 teams, and no matter what you choose, a few are happy and a lot aren’t. My job is to do what’s best for the series as a whole—and still fight like hell for the teams.”
He emphasized that:
- He answers upward to the parent company on budgets and strategy
- He answers outward to teams and drivers
- He sees himself as a translator and advocate between the paddock and the boardroom
That, he believes, is where having just stepped out of the car in 2024 is an asset. He still thinks like a driver, but now carries the responsibility of a president.
2026: Refined Schedule, Bigger Ambitions
Looking ahead to the 2026 season—Trans Am’s 60th anniversary—Lally confirmed several key structural decisions:
- TA2 will run 10 events and 12 races, with two doubleheader weekends
- The calendar continues to feature top U.S. road courses, including tracks shared with major national series
- The focus is on quality over quantity—maximizing track time, race value and event experience
His goals are very clear:
- TA2:
- 15–20 cars capable of winning on pace at the sharp end
- Build toward 50-car grids
- TA (Trans Am):
- Rebuild and strengthen car counts
- Position it clearly as the ultimate American big-power road racing championship
Lally also hinted at new media and promotional partners and a sharpened message around what makes Trans Am different in a crowded motorsports landscape.
Honoring 60 Years of History – and Writing the Next Chapter
Trans Am’s history is stacked with legendary names—many of them inducted into the new Trans Am Hall of Fame, including Chris Dyson, Tommy Kendall, Paul Gentilozzi, Willie T. Ribbs, and others.
Lally wants the 60th season to be about both:
- Celebrating that heritage
- More aggressively telling the story of the current stars and emerging talents
He floated ideas such as more deliberate content bringing Hall of Famers together with current young guns—letting generations talk to each other on camera about racing, preparation and what Trans Am means.
He also shared one of his own favorite memories as a Trans Am driver: his debut victory at Watkins Glen, where he went from pole, to an early puncture, to a charge back through the field for the win—topping it off with big 900-horsepower donuts on the front straight.
“That first TA win at The Glen, in my favorite car on my favorite track—that’s a day I’ll never forget,” he said.
Now, he wants the next wave of drivers to build those same kinds of memories in Trans Am—whether they stay for a decade, or use it as a launchpad to the next level.
