“Looking back on this, he got up to speed very quickly and after reviewing the data that I said I wasn’t going to review and watching the video that I said I wasn’t going to watch because I told him you don’t have to impress me, I was actually impressed,” Turner said. “What I guess impressed me when before I would give somebody a shot at the big leagues, driving for a championship-winning team in a car you haven’t driven I saw a little bit of panic like they’re going to win something by doing this.
“But with Robby, he went quick but with no drama. He did exactly what he was told so he demonstrated a maturity and a calmness that I really liked.”
The only thing that has changed since then is Foley keeps getting better and faster. “The guy is a sponge,” Turner noted.
Foley openly admits his ignorance.
“I came into a situation that was very established already. The team and Bill had a lot of success on their own and I came into an already winning situation. It was up to me to deliver,” Foley said. “They have helped me know what I didn’t know. When it comes to young drivers there are a lot of talented people out there and guys I’ve raced against in the past. Some are naturally fast but they need the total package. They (Turner and Auberlen) have been very helpful probably thinking the kid doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.”
Auberlen is teaching his protégé well.
“From the beginning when I first met him, he’s a nice individual but you never know how good they’re going to be or what their capacity to learn is going to be,” Auberlen said. “He started out at a certain speed and he’s only gotten better, faster, better faster. Everything I throw at him he learns it, he accepts it, pulls it into his own library of racing. He utilizes it and he never makes a mistake. We’re a few years into this and he is now polished, fast and refined on the track.”
Foley notes Auberlen’s obsession for details.
“The little things, the nitpicky things on how to drive the tires, how to manage a stint, how do you handle certain situations in the race, dealing with traffic, all the kind of stuff people take for granted outside of driving a fast lap time,” Foley said. “I have been lucky and fortunate to have a position and a situation where, one I can take it all in and learn by having people around me to give me advice.
“Obviously, the record speaks for itself, there has not been a situation he (Auberlen) hasn’t experienced. He sees things before they happen. That’s helpful for myself and the team. Beyond that he’s one of the fastest guys out there all the time. We’ve become good friends even though we have a good separation in age. We have a common goal and we like some of the same stuff.”
The last part of Foley’s education is learning how to be the “total package.” He knows it and so do Turner and Auberlen.
“You have to imagine that a factory is putting a huge amount on your shoulders in terms of representing their product and their brand. They spend 24 hours a day making sure their brand is presented perfectly, polished and great,” Auberlen noted. “They want to have a driver who is good-looking, a polished guy that everything coming out of his mouth will be accurate and make people smile and want to buy the car.”
Turner had a similar thought, “We’ve got to remember when he’s got a helmet and the driver’s suit on he’s a race driver, but when he’s not he’s still a college kid who has a lot to learn.”
On the competency scale, Foley is close to moving from the conscious incompetent to the conscious competent. He will be smarter and know exactly what it takes to succeed.
So, class is still in session at Turner Motorsports and the expectations are high for both the student and his teachers.