“It’s been a long four years,” TRG Motorsports’ Kevin Buckler said shortly after TRG driving-regular Andy Lally made Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dip’s At The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
“Andy’s done a lot for this team, sacrificed a lot, put up with a lot of things that would make other drivers walk away,” Buckler said, “But Andy’s been really loyal and I had to repay him.”
Indeed, Buckler repaid him to the tune of losing a sponsor who would’ve otherwise graced the side of the TRG Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet.
“It’s a sponsor who’ll be on the car for the 2010 season with (NASCAR-series regular) David (Gilliland),” Buckler said, “but they wanted to be on the car for this race only if David was in the car."
Even though having given Lally no Watkins Glen ride guarantee other than that with co-driver Justin Marks in TRG’s No. 66 No Fear Porsche GT3 car in Friday’s Crown Royal At The Glen 200, Buckler still felt himself caught between a rock and hard place with much-needed sponsorship money offered on one hand, or showing his appreciation of Lally’s dedication to the team on the other.
Even though at minimum doubling his team’s Glen costs - and possibly footing most of the cost himself - Buckler opted to put Lally in the No. 71 Adobe Road Winery Chevrolet and Gilliland in the No. 70 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet.
Out for his attempt, first, Gilliland bobbled once under braking and sealed a go-home, 46th-fast qualifying attempt.
On pit road two cars behind Gilliland, Lally’s mind alternately drifted from wanting to pinch himself for just being there and the realization that he needed to gather his focus for the one-shot chance at making the field.
“It was when I cleanly got through the Carousel that I felt it’d be a good lap,” Lally said, “and all I needed to do was hit my marks cleanly from that point.
“I got a little squirley coming out of the last turn, put a couple of wheels in the dirt and made it look good for TV, but the tires were chattering a little and I was kind of concerned that I might’ve scrubbed off too much speed so I just buried the throttle and headed for start/finish.”
Moments later, when he got word of his time, the adrenaline pump’s letdown was coursing through his body when his emotions hit a high.
“I knew my time was good enough to make the field,” Lally said shortly after recording his eventual 15th-fastest time – bested only by Boris Said’s 8th-quickest time among the Cup’s non-regulars on hand.
“At 34, after I had at times wondered if I’d ever get the chance, I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream,” Lally said with a slightly cracking voice that gave him pause.
Back to a broad smile, it nonetheless was momentarily dashed when someone asked if both TRG Motorsports’ cars had made the field.
“No, I don’t think David did,” Lally responded and not without some sadness - such not particularly surprising given the degree to which Lally has been a team player.
Soon, a beaming Said approached, embraced Lally in a bear hug shared by racers who first climbed racing’s pinnacles in sportscars. The two, soon also joined by Ron Fellows - who came in at 37th-fastest and also made the Heluva field - the three quickly slipped into an animated, laughing world all their own.
Making his way back to the garage, Buckler stopped for a moment to talk with a reporter.
“This is going to cost me but it’s worth it because Andy is in the show",” he said. “He’s been incredibly loyal to the team for many, many years and really deserved the chance.”
“I’m very, very proud of him,” Buckler said.
And also loyal.
Later.
DC
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