For the past two seasons, Justin Rothberg has become accustomed to one particular view from the top. Driving the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO alongside teammate Robby Foley, Rothberg captured back-to-back Pro-Am championships, and a GT America championship to boot, establishing himself as one of the leading drivers in the class. But success, in his case, was never going to be measured solely by the accumulation of trophies.
For 2026, Rothberg made the step, moving into the Pro class and putting himself on the same playing field as some of the quickest drivers in the field. The progress has been encouraging, but perhaps more importantly, the season has given Rothberg the opportunity to see just how he stacks up against some of the best in the business.
“I like competing against quick drivers because it pushes me to go faster,” Rothberg said. “I think I've learned a lot this year.”
That learning curve has been the defining theme of Rothberg’s year. His two Pro-Am championships gave him a strong foundation and valuable knowledge and experience, but moving into Pro required something different in order to remain in the hunt.
“It definitely was a proper echelon,” Rothberg explained. “Pro-Am was competitive, but it's still Bronze pace at the end of the day, and then stepping up to Pro I had to do Silver pace. It was the next big step to take.”
That distinction is important, as Rothberg did not enter 2026 as an inexperienced driver suddenly finding himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was well aware of the realities of the series, the machinery under him, the tracks he’d be taking on, and how much championship momentum can ebb and flow throughout a season. The primary element that changed was the benchmark.
Rather than measuring himself against his previous results, Rothberg now finds himself scrutinizing lap times and comparing his performance to the Silver-rated drivers around him. Even his longtime teammate Foley, whom Rothberg freely describes as “really damn good,” has become an intentionally unrealistic measuring stick.
“I try to compare myself to Robby, but that's just humbling every single time,” Rothberg laughed. “I've tried to stop comparing against him and instead compare myself against the Silvers I'm directly racing against.”
His approach is rooted in realism. While his previous success was hard-earned and inspires confidence, he prefers to look forward and focus on closing the gap to those ahead.
Nevertheless, the first breakthrough came at Sebring International Raceway, where Rothberg and Foley scored their first Pro-class victory of the season. The circumstances may not have been exactly how Rothberg envisioned his first Pro win, with the leading car suffering a mechanical failure rather than being overtaken on track, but the result still carried plenty of significance.
“It felt great,” Rothberg said. “Obviously we were really excited. It would've been better to get it done by actually passing them on track, but we'll take what we can get. It happens, that's racing.”
Although he is understated in his explanations, it remains clear that Rothberg is not satisfied simply being competitive in Pro; he wants to prove he belongs there. That pressure, however, is largely self-imposed.
Coming off two consecutive Pro-Am titles, there could easily have been an expectation that Rothberg would immediately carry that success into the Pro ranks. Instead, he entered the season viewing the move as something of a clean slate with his ambitions being predicated on proving to himself that he could keep improving as the stakes got higher.
“The Pro-Am championship is great, but I didn't want to be stuck there,” he stated. “I wanted to be able to compete in the Pro class against Silvers.”
After the opening run of events in Sonoma, Austin, Sebring, and Atlanta, the championship calendar entered a summer break period, something Rothberg admits has made the transition back into the car less straightforward than he'd prefer. For a driver still building his reservoir of experience at Pro pace, that time away matters.
The summer break itself has at least accomplished one goal. Rothberg has been traveling and spending time away from racing, admitting that his time off has served its purpose when it comes to recharging, but that he’s eager to get back on track at Road America.
Few circuits on the calendar are as demanding, or in turn as rewarding, as America’s 4.048-mile “National Park of Speed.” Rothberg arrives with experience at the circuit, but he knows that experience alone doesn't guarantee instant pace.
Nevertheless, there is no complicated benchmark for Rothberg heading into the second half of the year. He isn't setting an arbitrary number of podiums or wins. His goal is more fundamental and level-headed.
“I just want to stay competitive, stay sharp, and be driving as good or better than the guys I'm competing against,” he detailed. “They're all really quick, so if I can do that, then we're in a good position.”
It is a modest-sounding goal for a two-time champion, but it reflects where Rothberg is in his driver development. The longer three-hour race format has also given him another tool in that pursuit. He enjoys the additional time behind the wheel, but perhaps more importantly, the format has introduced greater strategic variety, forcing him to adapt to different circumstances throughout a stint.
“Sometimes I'm on scuffs, sometimes I have heavy fuel,” he shared. “It adds more strategy into it, and I enjoy that.”
That added experience could prove valuable when the championship reaches its most consequential event: the Indianapolis 8 Hour. Rothberg sees the longer season finale round as a fundamentally different challenge from the regular three-hour races. The addition of another driver, the jump in race length and, perhaps most importantly, the double-points structure all combine to make the event an important outlier to close out the calendar.
“I really like the three-hour format,” Rothberg said. “But I think the 8 Hour is still its own beast."
Before Indianapolis, though, there is plenty of racing to be done, beginning at Road America from August 28th to 30th. To see Justin and Turner Motorsport go toe to toe with the rest of the pros, get your #GTRoadAmerica tickets now.
