DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Turner Motorsport has been thirsting for another IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win going on a year now. This week’s stop at Road America may provide just the right place to quench that thirst.
It was at last year’s Motul SportsCar Grand Prix on the renowned Wisconsin road course that Patrick Gallagher and Robby Foley steered the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 to the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class victory.
In a postrace interview after garnering his first series win after several near misses, Gallagher boldly proclaimed, “It’s a bad day to be a Spotted Cow,” a reference to the local favorite beer he expected many on the team to celebrate with at the nearby Siebkens Resort watering hole – another local favorite – that night.
“The team definitely had a little party down at Siebkens afterwards,” Gallagher confirmed Monday during a media teleconference previewing the 2025 race weekend. “It’s just a great place to win in and get to enjoy time with all the guys and girls on the team that make it happen.”
There hasn’t been much for Gallagher and the Turner team to celebrate since, as they work to come to grips with the updated EVO version of the BMW M4 GT3 this season. While he and Foley remain consistent in their efforts in their third season together, the results have ranged from fifth to ninth place through the first six races.
Entering the weekend, the duo sits fifth in the standings. They’re only 12 points behind fourth, but over 300 behind leaders Russell Ward and Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, who they finished second to in the 2024 championship.
Their first two years together featured six podium showings in addition to the Road America triumph.
“I think we’ve just been learning the EVO car and getting a little better every week,” Gallagher said. “I think we’re maybe a little bit behind, but it seems like we’ve made up ground each week. It’s all the same people (on the team) and we’re just getting better, so I think we’ll be back to the podium and hopefully fighting for wins in the future, and I’m hoping it’s the near future that could happen.”
In an effort to change their fortunes, Gallagher has even resorted to growing a mustache.
“It looks ridiculous,” the Ohioan said with a laugh, “but we’ve got to try something.”
One thing Gallagher and longtime friend Foley don’t worry about as they strive to return to victory lane is support from owner Will Turner and the team. The boss has their backs.
“They believe in us and they’re behind us, and there’s not a lot of pressure there, per se, other than to just push the ball forward,” Gallagher said. “Being good friends with Robby and Will definitely makes it easier when it’s going not well. It’s not going bad, but we certainly aren’t getting everything that we want right now.
“I think I’m in a good spot with the car now,” he added, “and just having people believe in you and not be worried about, is this gonna continue or do they think it’s us, we don’t have any of that. So, the chemistry inside the team is great and I am thankful for that.
“And as well as just going racing with your best friend is pretty wild to think about. Most of the ways that these GT cars get paired up with gentlemen drivers is just not the most likely circumstance. So, I’m trying to enjoy it, even when we are running it, you know, fifth or sixth.”
Where they may be able to excel beyond pace on track is from the strategy box, courtesy of Turner’s longtime strategist Don Salama. With unusually long fuel runs paying dividends both in the most recent GTD race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and in GTD PRO at Road America last year, it’s worth watching when the No. 96 car makes its last scheduled stop here.
“Going into a race with him if he asks you to hit a fuel number, you just do it, you don’t even think twice about it,” Gallagher said. “You know that it’s the right call and you know, even if you don’t understand what they’re doing in the moment, you know that they’re up to something.”
Gallagher, Foley and the Turner team will see if more Spotted Cow awaits at the conclusion of Sunday’s race that streams live at 2 p.m. ET on Peacock in the U.S., as well as internationally on IMSA.tv and the IMSA YouTube channel. Qualifying airs on the same streaming outlets starting at 5:35 p.m. Saturday.