Pirelli Paddock Pass: Robby Foley

Robby Foley is set to contest the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX season alongside Michael Dinan in a Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport alongside Michael Dinan.

This week in the Pirelli Paddock Pass, Foley fills us in on why it’s special to him to be driving for Flying Lizard, how the opportunity came about, and more.

How did the deal come together to race for Flying Lizard Motorsports this year?

“I have a good relationship with their engineer Jim Bell. He and I go back a few years and an opportunity came up last year when there was a seat available.

“Mike Hedlund had to miss a race, so together with Michael Dinan, who is a young up and coming kid, we were offered the chance to fill in for Mike in the SprintX races at Utah.

“That was kind of a no-brainer. That helped build the relationship with the team. It all came together for this year pretty easily.”

How does it feel to be a part of such an accomplished team?

“It’s definitely cool to be driving a Flying Lizard Porsche. I grew up in New Jersey and used to go to Lime Rock all the time with my dad.

“I distinctly remember those old GT2 RSRs that they had, so now to be in a Flying Lizard Porsche is a little bit surreal but really cool.”

What can you tell us about your co-driver Michael Dinan?

“He is 20 years old and in college. He and his dad are very passionate about cars and they share that through racing.

“He came up through doing some driving days at Monticello and different track days with his dad and some friends. He wanted to progress from there and pursue this passion.

“He’s very new to racing. He’s done a few MX-5 Cup races and the one PWC race. He’s very naturally talented but still young and new to this whole scene.

“It’s going to be important for him to gain experience and learn as much as he can.”

What made Pirelli GT4 America the best option for you and Michael?

“Part of the motivation for doing this was the fact that he has the opportunity this year to do 32 races between Sprint and SprintX.

“He’s young and has big aspirations to accelerate his learning curve and this was the perfect place to do that. You’re basically never going to be in a series where you can do 32 races, so for him it was a no brainer.

“He’s going to do his own thing in the Sprint races and I’ll be coaching him over the radio, but then I can also drive the car and give feedback on the setup and help him learn.

“Collectively, I think it’s a really good format for teaching.”

How helpful is it to have a former driver in Darren Law overseeing the team?

“Darren is great to have as a team boss because he obviously understands all of the driving stuff, he understands the politics of the sport quite well, and collectively he and his partners do a great job managing the program.

“In terms of a team to step into to give Michael a good introduction to what this is all about, I couldn’t think of a better place. We’re excited for sure and looking to kick off the season well in a few weeks.”