Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley, Justin Rothberg and Connor De Phillippi have reflected on their Pro class victory at the 2026 DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour, which secured a third consecutive GT World Challenge (GTWC) America Championship for Foley and Rothberg.
The trio finished third overall in the #29 BMW M4 GT3 EVO after a closely contested eight-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Their victory followed a decisive late battle with AF Corse USA, with Foley overtaking Frederik Schandorff’s Ferrari to secure the class lead and ultimately the Drivers’ Championship.
The result completed a remarkable progression for Foley and Rothberg, who secured consecutive Pro-Am titles in 2024 and 2025 before stepping up to the Pro category for 2026. Their latest success also marked Turner Motorsport’s 13th Championship in team history and its second victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this season.
Following the race, all three drivers and Team Owner Will Turner reflected on the team’s performance, the significance of their third consecutive title and the teamwork that made their Indianapolis success possible.
Turner Motorsport overturns championship deficit at Indianapolis
Turner Motorsport entered the Indianapolis 8 Hour facing a closely contested title battle, with Foley and Rothberg sitting seven points behind the Pro Drivers’ Championship leaders.
The pair had established themselves among the leading contenders throughout their first season in the category, but faced strong competition from AF Corse USA and Mercedes-AMG Team JMF Motorsports heading into the finale.
Having outlined his ambitions for a third consecutive title ahead of Indianapolis, Foley delivered an impressive qualifying performance to strengthen Turner’s position.
The #29 BMW topped the three-driver qualifying classification, with De Phillippi setting the fastest time in Q2 before Foley led Q3. The latter subsequently delivered a 1:22.805 in Superpole, securing pole position by just 0.002 seconds ahead of GMG Racing’s Ayhancan Güven.
The narrow Superpole victory gave Turner an important advantage heading into Saturday’s eight-hour contest, although the team still needed to execute a strong race to secure the Championship.
Rothberg survives challenging opening stint
Rothberg led the field towards the green flag aboard the #29 BMW, beginning the race from pole position as Turner attempted to convert its qualifying advantage into a championship-winning result.
However, the opening stages featured several incidents and intense battles throughout the field. Alex Sedgwick moved into the overall lead aboard Dollahite Racing’s Ford Mustang GT3 EVO, while Michai Stephens quickly brought the JMF Mercedes-AMG into contention for the Pro class lead.
Despite losing positions to several competitors, Rothberg avoided the incidents unfolding behind him and completed his required driving time without significant difficulties.
He subsequently handed the BMW to his professional teammates with Turner running third in class, leaving De Phillippi and Foley to recover ground against the leading Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG entries.
Although the team had lost its early advantage, Rothberg’s controlled performance ensured the car remained competitive and capable of challenging during the remaining hours.
His contribution also provided the foundation for the strategic decisions that would ultimately bring Turner back into the fight for the Championship.
De Phillippi helps Turner recover through decisive strategy
De Phillippi played a pivotal role in Turner’s recovery, producing competitive stints that allowed the BMW to close the gap to the leading Pro competitors.
The American moved past several Pro-Am entries during his running, gradually reducing the deficit to the #12 AF Corse USA Ferrari. His pace proved particularly important during a double stint that positioned Turner to challenge as the race approached its final three hours.
The team subsequently committed to an undercut, bringing the BMW into the pits two laps earlier than its principal rival. The decision gave Turner an opportunity to use fresher tyres to close the remaining gap.
As the pit-stop cycles unfolded, the strategy allowed Foley to begin his final double stint within striking distance of Schandorff, who had taken over the Ferrari.
The Indianapolis race report highlighted the importance of Turner’s strategy, particularly as the Pro Championship remained undecided during the closing stages.
With the BMW now back in contention, Foley faced the task of converting the team’s recovery into the result required to secure the title.
Foley delivers championship-winning pass
Foley returned to the wheel for the final two stints, beginning a decisive period as Turner attempted to move ahead of the leading AF Corse Ferrari.
The American patiently navigated traffic while closing the gap to Schandorff, eventually moving into position to challenge for the Pro class lead.
With approximately one hour and 22 minutes remaining, Foley made his move at Turn 1 as Schandorff ran wide, taking advantage of the opportunity to move ahead.
However, the battle continued into the final pit-stop sequence, when AF Corse briefly regained track position. Foley responded immediately, using his tyres’ improved operating temperature to reclaim the advantage.
The move ultimately proved decisive, putting Turner in the position required to secure both the Pro victory and the Drivers’ Championship.
Foley subsequently maintained his advantage until the chequered flag, finishing third overall behind the Pro-Am entries of GMG Racing and Archangel Motorsports.
The result confirmed Turner’s class victory and completed another successful title-winning campaign for Foley and Rothberg.
Foley celebrates third consecutive Championship with Turner
Following the race, Foley expressed his satisfaction with the result, particularly after the team’s successful transition from Pro-Am to Pro.
The American had previously spoken about the importance of consistency and effective endurance racing strategy, recognising that outright pace alone would not necessarily deliver another Championship.
Turner’s performance at Indianapolis demonstrated that approach, with the team overcoming its early difficulties before making the decisive strategic decisions during the closing hours.
“We won Indy! What a race, and to cap off the championship here with three in a row for us in SRO – first in the Pro class. I can’t thank all the guys and girls at Turner enough. Justin and Connor, our LATICRETE BMW was on fire today, and I’m just a lucky guy that gets to drive it. Thanks to everybody at BMW and all of our supporters that bring us here, and we’ll try to keep the run going.”
The victory also strengthened Foley’s already impressive record at Indianapolis, where he has enjoyed several successful outings across different GT racing categories.
His latest achievement carried additional significance because it marked the final Indianapolis 8 Hour before the international endurance event moves to the Circuit of the Americas in 2027.
Rothberg reflects on successful transition into Pro
For Rothberg, the Championship represented an important personal milestone following his decision to move into the Pro category for 2026.
Having previously competed alongside Foley in Pro-Am, he faced a different level of competition throughout the season. The transition required him to adapt his approach and improve his consistency against experienced professional and highly rated Silver drivers.
Nevertheless, his development helped Turner remain competitive throughout the campaign and ultimately secure another title.
“I’m insanely happy to be coming out of the 2026 season victorious. After moving up to the Pro class, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was racing against a lot of really good drivers, and I definitely had to up my game, which I’ve slowly been doing. I definitely still have a lot to learn, but to be standing here as 2026 champions is an amazing feeling. It’s even better knowing that this is our third time doing it, which means a ton.
“It also means a little bit more because this past season, I lost my first ever coach, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, and we put his name on the car, and to get him into victory lane one more time and have him on a championship car one more time just means everything.”
Rothberg dedicates championship success to late coach
Rothberg’s comments added an emotional dimension to Turner’s Indianapolis triumph, with the American paying tribute to his first racing coach, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli.
The team carried Sbirrazzuoli’s name on the #29 BMW during the season, allowing Rothberg to honour someone who had played an important role in his early development as a racing driver.
Securing the Championship therefore represented more than another addition to his achievements. It also provided an opportunity to commemorate his former coach through a victory at one of the most significant events on the GTWC America calendar.
Rothberg’s tribute came at the conclusion of a demanding campaign in which he had continued developing his skills against stronger competition.
The significance of the result was also heightened by his longstanding partnership with Foley. Having progressed from Pro-Am Champions to winners in the Pro category, the pair have now completed three consecutive title-winning seasons together.
Their latest success demonstrated the progress Rothberg has made during that period, with the Indianapolis result providing a particularly meaningful conclusion to his 2026 campaign.
De Phillippi praises Turner’s strategic execution
De Phillippi joined Turner Motorsport for the Indianapolis finale, bringing additional BMW factory racing experience to the team’s Championship challenge.
The American had previously worked with the outfit but had not competed for Turner in a race before the 2026 event. His arrival completed the team’s three-driver Indianapolis line-up, providing another experienced competitor alongside Foley and Rothberg.
His performance ultimately proved crucial, particularly during the middle stages when he helped recover ground against the leading Pro entries.
Reflecting on the victory, De Phillippi highlighted the team’s strategy and Foley’s decisive overtakes.
“It was an unbelievable race in one of the best M4 GT3s I’ve ever driven. The team executed a phenomenal race strategy and got us back in the mix with a couple hours to go, and Robby just did a phenomenal stint. He was just patient, was working on the number 12, and managed to get by them and we were smooth sailing from there.
“I’m just happy to be a part of this operation, super proud of these two guys for winning this championship, and hopefully this is good momentum for everybody to go into the 2027 season.”
His comments reflected the importance of Turner’s collective performance, with all three drivers contributing to the result despite facing different challenges throughout the race.
Will Turner celebrates team’s 13th Championship
Team Owner Will Turner also expressed his satisfaction with the result, highlighting the collective effort behind the team’s recovery from its pre-race Championship deficit.
The outfit entered Indianapolis knowing that Foley and Rothberg needed to overturn a seven-point gap, but the team’s strong qualifying performance provided an encouraging start.
Despite losing ground during the opening stages, Turner remained committed to its strategy and eventually recovered through De Phillippi’s pace and Foley’s closing stints.
The team’s success marked its 13th Championship and second Indianapolis victory of 2026, adding another achievement to its long history in BMW racing.
“What an unbelievable day. Coming into this, the odds were a little against us being behind in points, so in a way, the pressure was off. So, we all put our heads down and went for it.
“Hats off to the entire team. What great strategy calls and clean runs from the drivers. That was definitely the longest two hours of the season. Winning Indy twice in 2026 is surreal, but winning a third championship in a row is also surreal!”
The result also demonstrated Turner’s ability to adapt to the higher level of competition after moving its championship-winning partnership into the Pro category.
Turner completes remarkable three-year title-winning run
Turner Motorsport’s Indianapolis victory brought a successful conclusion to a campaign in which Foley and Rothberg continued building on their established partnership.
After securing consecutive Pro-Am Championships in 2024 and 2025, the pair faced a new challenge in 2026 but remained among the leading contenders throughout the season.
Their achievement at Indianapolis demonstrated the importance of each driver’s contribution. Rothberg completed his opening stint without significant difficulties, De Phillippi delivered the pace required to bring Turner back into contention and Foley executed the decisive overtakes.
The team’s strategic decisions also proved essential, particularly its willingness to use an undercut to challenge AF Corse during the closing hours.
For Foley and Rothberg, the result secured their third consecutive GTWC America Drivers’ Championship, this time in the Pro category. Meanwhile, Turner Motorsport celebrated its 13th title and another important Indianapolis victory.
With the 2026 season concluded, the American outfit will look to build on those achievements as it prepares for the next chapter of GTWC America competition.
