Turner Motorsport driver Robby Foley is looking forward to the strategy opening up at the second IMSA sprint race of the year at Laguna Seca.
The #96 BMW M4 GT3 Evo driver compared the recent Grand Prix of Long Beach and the upcoming Course de Monterery on 11 May.
“… in some ways, the Long Beach pit stop is a little bit more critical just because it’s so short,” he told Motorsport Week in a pre-event press conference.
“Being a 100-minute race, our energy fill was quite short, so that plays to our strengths.
“Generally, we have pretty quick driver changes or really fast driver changes.
“So in 2024, we elected to not take tyres, did a quick driver change and we jumped like five cars in the pits, ended up finishing second.
“This year, everybody copied our strategy, and there was less track position gained for sure.
“But now you go to Laguna Seca, where it’s a normal two-hour 40-minute race, you have multiple pit stops.
“It opens you up for more strategy options, but in some ways, there’s a little bit less emphasis and stress on that one pit stop.
“So, for us last year, Patrick [Gallagher] qualified really well.
“We had a strong opening stint, but there was an opportunity to beat a yellow that cycled us to the front.
“And from then on, we set sail from the lead.
“The tracks and the races certainly are quite different in the dynamic, but ultimately it’s still down to the same fundamentals, focusing on execution, having a fast car and not over-complicating it.”
After taking second place in last year’s race, Foley and Gallagher are looking for their first victory since last August at the Road America sprint.
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