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MSR-Houston gets praise from many
Houston Sports Car News: April 2006
First place- 2007 Press Women of Texas Annual ContestSecond place- 2007 National Federation of Press Women Annual Contest
Nestled on 381 acres off Highway 288 in South Houston, MSR Houston is the newest track in the southwest. The 2.38-mile, 17-turn Mercedes Benz of Sugar Land Road Course is also the next stop on the Sports Car Club of America Southwest Division Club Racing schedule.
During the month of March, two Champ Car teams, Forsythe Racing and Rocketsports Racing, came down to the track for two separate testing sessions. The total of four days, two with Forsythe Racing drivers Paul Tracy and Mario Dominguez and two with Rocketsports Racing drivers Antonio Pizzonia and Enrique Bernoldi, were productive for all drivers.
“This is one of the most fun tracks I’ve ever driven,” Paul said. “It has one of the quickest road course corners I’ve ever driven and a great place to test everything from shocks to aero.”
Bernoldi added that the track was both interesting and demanding, both great qualities for a test track.
Many involved in the inner circles of Champ Car are hoping for MSR to be the new primary winter testing location. Phil Howard, Team Manager of Rocketsports Racing, is one of those advocating the track.
“It’s a good track with a combination of high and low speed turns,” Howard said. “Texas has good weather and the location is pretty good too.”
With all the praise coming from the professionals, it will soon be time for the club racers to give their input. Easter weekend, April 15-16, marks the date the Sports Car Club of America visits the track for their “Attack of the Virgin Asphalt” Regional/National event.
Al Mitchell, General Manager and Houston Region member, was a forerunner in the development of MSR.
“The southwest has always been short a good road racing track,” Mitchell said. “The idea for a member track started popping up, so about three and half years ago we started looking into investors.”
With the help of Jerry Massengale, Director of Track Operations, a track was designed to incorporate the best of the best aspects of different road courses.
“Jerry ultimately designed the track,” Mitchell said. “We wanted to incorporate as much diversity as possible because of the lack of elevation in South Houston.”
That meant including enough off and on camber turns as well as high and low speed turns.
“It’s very much a driver’s track.” Mitchell continued. ”You must get the rhythm of the track or else you will be fighting it all day.”
In constructing the track, a few bumps in the road caused for some revision of the original track configuration. Turns 16 and 17 did not evolve as planned.
“Turn 17 is actually faster than I originally designed,” Massengale said. “With that, we had to rethink the entrance to pit lane. Our first concern is safety and with the line of turn 17 being wider than planned, we installed a new pit lane entrance to alleviate the problem.”
Massengale said he doesn’t have a favorite part, that the entire track works together to blend into one cohesive racing course.
“It goes from high speed to technical back to high speed,” Massengale said. “You never really get bound up. Unlike other road courses, there isn’t a section I dread to drive. Each turn and section has its positive features.”
“We made even the easy turns challenging,” Massengale continued. ”We used camber to increase the difficulty as well as the fun. It’s (the camber) the only real elevation to the track.”
The track opened its gates to the public in December 2005, but Mitchell already has big plans for the future.
“We are going to start constructing Formula One-style garages behind pit lane,” Mitchell said. “They will be 10 feet tall with glass garage doors on both sides allowing easy access to both the paddock and the pits. The top will be flat with awnings on top allowing for a prime observation deck.”
Twenty to twenty-five garages will be built in the coming months as well as a video system installed in the timing and scoring and race control buildings. The video system will allow for race officials to be monitoring all parts of the track at all times. A lighting system will also be installed on the starters stand to allow for quick communication with the drivers on track
As for the distant future, Mitchell hopes that the track could eventually be used for professional events.
“We could place grandstands in six to eight locations that still allowed spectators a view of 75 percent of the track,” Mitchell said. “That’s highly unusual for a road course event. With all the acreage out front, there would be plenty of space for parking and the close proximity to Hwy. 288 would make it very accessible for both teams and spectators.”
For now, drivers can look forward to a highly praised new track to add diversity to the SOWDIV Club racing schedule. For more information on the track, check out www.msrhouston.com. To register for the “Attack of the Virgin Asphalt” Regional/National, check out www.houscca.com.
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Negative stereotypes - racing fanatic vents over favorite sport
The Pine Log: September 21, 2006 Opinion Column
Honorable Mention Sports Column- Texas Intercollegiate Press Association
I am the sports editor because, well, I love sports. Not all sports, just some, as I'm sure yall are the same way. The ones that I am more passionate about, I tend to let everyone and anyone within earshot know what's going on. If you know me, you know I have a small obsession with auto racing, motorsports and driving fast on a closed circuit for any length of time. Yes, I am a girl and I like racing, but it's much more than that.
Let me start by establishing something. I am not just a racing fan; it's practically my life.
If it's not school, it's racing. I don't just watch it, I photograph it, write about and I race myself. I hopefully plan to spend my career in the motorsports journalism industry too.
I am sick and tired of the stereotypes that surround this amazing sport. I have been a licensed racecar driver with the Sports Car Club of America for the past three years, so I have a different perspective when it comes to racing. I can laugh at those who think NASCAR is easy and question why people are so hung up on Danica Patrick.
If you think NASCAR drivers drive around in circles, you are one of those I laugh at. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but it's not that easy. Have you ever hydroplaned in the rain? Okay, now try that at 180+ mph while you are going through a 20-degree banked turn with cars inches away. And that's if your car is handling properly, which rarely happens.
If you can handle that, then I will stop laughing, but I doubt many of you could. Oh, I forgot to mention that you have to do that for roughly 250 laps. And then there are pit stops, crashes and such. Check out an in-car camera of a driver sometime and I think you might change your opinion.
When I tell people I race, one of their first questions is usually, "Do you like Danica?" If someone gave me a dollar for every time I was asked that question, I could buy an iPod shuffle. But to answer the question, NO.
I never have and probably never will like Danica. Why? Most men only like her because she's hot. Yeah, great reason to like a racecar driver.
I'm the type of person who gets to know a driver's talents before I make a decision about him or her. In Danica's case, she has nothing to back her talents up, or at least nothing that has really impressed me.
Ok, so she led a few laps at Indy. That doesn't mean she can walk on water now. That year, 2004, I had someone ask me how I felt about a woman winning the Indy 500. I just about strangled the kid and set him straight - she didn't and Dan Wheldon did. Just in case you didn't know either.
Other drivers in the Indy Racing League, who have actually won races and championships, have been practically ignored because of Danica. Her teammates even wore shirts after Indy that said, "Danica's Teammate" and "Danica's Other Teammate." Dan had to wear a shirt that said, "I actually won the Indy 500."
If she had some real talent, she wouldn't have to get ahead by posing half naked in Maxim either. Like I said, guys think she's great, but I'm beginning to understand why: sex sells.
People have asked me why I don't support a fellow female driver. I have one response for them: I will support any female driver who doesn't use her sex appeal to further her career.
Take Katherine Legge for example. I doubt anyone has heard of her. Why? Because she's actually won a race. It's sad, she's the first woman to win a professional open-wheel race, and no one knows who she is. Katherine used her talents and skills to move up through the ranks in the ChampCar series. I am a huge fan of Katherine and all that she has accomplished because she raced for it.
Danica has established an image for herself, one that isn't based on her talents. Using that image, she got a ride with one of the top teams in the IRL. Instead of hiring a driver with racing talent, they choose to get the marketing talent.
No doubt, Danica can bring fans to a race, but now comes the test. Since she is with a winning team can she perform to the standards of every other IRL driver? Everyone says she can race, but until she seriously fights for a win at the end of a race, I'm going to continue to be skeptical.
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A.J. Foyt Racing Tests Driver and Sponsors at MSR Houston
MSR Houston / A.J. Foyt Enterprises Press Release
ANGLETON, Texas, October 8, 2008—A.J. Foyt Racing had a busy day down at MSR Houston testing both its new driver, Vitor Meira, and its sponsor ABC Supply.
The day started out with six ABC Supply guests testing an old IndyCar. The oval car was retro-fitted to drive on a road course. A section of the 2.38 mile road course was coned off to create a small oval-like course. The guests then took turns making runs of five and ten laps each.
"Today was great," A.J. Foyt said. "The ABC guys had a lot of fun and the weather was just perfect."
After the ride of a lifetime, Meira went out to show the guys how it's really done. Foyt made sure to point out how much better the professional was at driving, bringing out a laugh in everyone.
"See how he gets on the gas there?" Foyt asked the ABC Supply guests, "That's how it's supposed to be done."
Meira tested the car that was prepped for the upcoming race through the streets of Surfers Paradise in Australia.
"We just wanted to shake down the car," Meira said, "We actually have the Surfers' setup on the car, and we just wanted to get a feel for it. This gives us something to start with when we get on the other side of the world."
"We accomplished what we came out to do," Foyt said. "I won't be going down there though. It's too long of a trip for me, and I've been there five or six times before."
Today was Meira's first trip to the facility, not that it showed.
"I think he did a good job for not ever being here before," Foyt said. "His times got down pretty quick in the few laps he ran here."
"The track is good," Meira said. "It was a little green, with the hurricane and rain, but it's good. I like the track, and if it's up to me I'd like to come back, many times if possible."
Meira was hired by A.J. Foyt Racing in late September to replace Darren Manning. Meira previously raced for Panther Racing during the 2008 season finishing 13th in the overall standings with a best finish of second in the Indianapolis 500.
"Working for A.J., is always good," Meira said. "I have a lot to learn, but the first thing you learn is that you gotta push. You gotta push all the time with him."
"That's what I try to do when I'm in and out of the car," he continued. "It's too good of a job to take for granted. You have to try to be your best every day, and you have to try and beat your best everyday cause that's how you are going to improve."
Catch the live race coverage at 10:30 p.m., October 25 on ESPN Classic as A.J. Foyt Racing and 23 other IndyCar Series teams race live down under. A rebroadcast of the race can be seen on ESPN2 at 11 p.m., October 26.
Catching up with a Triple Crown winner
SportsCar Magazine: February 2009 Southwest Division Column
The 2008 National Championship Runoffs marked the end of a stellar season for SSC driver Joseph McClughan.
After winning the June Sprints, the Houston Region racer set his sights on finishing the season and heading to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. And, by winning SSC in the Southwest Division, McClughan became eligible for the coveted Triple Crown at the Runoffs.
Heading into the race, McClughan’s goal – as with many racers – was to win.
“I have been trying to do it for the past five years in SSC,” he recalls, “I have been in the hunt for the past three, so [to finally win] was a dream come true for me.”
The Runoffs bring out the best of the best, and although McClughan proved to be the ultimate victor, even he felt the competition.
“Joel [Lipperini] was my biggest competition,” he says. “And behind him, I figured Bill [Hagerty] would be a threat if he kept his head down.”
McClughan started the race from the pole position, but dropped back to second toward the middle of the race – an intentional move. By letting Lipperini pass him, McClughan felt he could control the race, and ultimately force him to make a mistake.
“I knew if I tried to keep him behind me all race, we would never get away from the rest of the crowd,” McClughan says. “As it turned out, tires are the biggest issue for Joel, and I was able to use that to my advantage.”
As the laps ticked off, McClughan took his time, and made his move on lap 14, taking the lead back from Lipperini. McClughan never looked back as he drove into the history books as one of the year’s Triple Crown winners.
“There are so many feelings at that moment [the checkered flag comes out] it’s hard to pick just one,” he recalls. “I will tell you this, it was damn hard to do those last two laps.”
McClughan was born into a racing family. Both his parents raced in SCCA as he was growing up. His mother ran Solo events at a Regional level, while his father Club raced at the National level, as well as entering some SCCA ProRacing events in Trans-Am.
With such a heavy background, it was only natural that McClughan joined in the family activities. He started out in karts and made his way
to Club Racing in 1980, driving an SSC Rabbit for three years.
He then moved over to GT cars for a few years before getting back into Showroom Stock in the late 1990s. He raced SSB Miatas for several years before moving back to SSC in 2004.
So, why SSC back then and now?
“Well, originally, the idea was to get a car that I could drive on the street back and forth to school, and race on the weekends,” he McClughan says. “In 2003, we looked around to see where the best racing was, and SSC had the closest racing with the deepest talent pool at that time. And the nostalgia thing sort of struck me, too.”
Through the years, McClughan has had the opportunity to race against some of the greats, but still considers his dad to be the biggest racing influence in his life.
“It sort of goes without saying, but my dad was my biggest influence. He is one of the most talented drivers I have ever seen,” he says. “Several of my fellow racers stand out in my mind also. John Phillips, Randy Saucier, John Saucier and Lipperini are all great drivers, and I have learned a ton from racing with all of them.
McClughan, like most, is thankful for the opportunity he had to race, not only in the Runoffs, but also all year long. Everyone, from friends and fellow racers who showed their support and gave advice to manufacturers that helped provide quality, played a role in this win. But, in the end, it’s family that means the most.
“I’d like to thank my wife Susan, for putting up with all the late nights and crap that goes with this crazy passion,” he says. “And most of all, to my idol, my dad. Without him, none of this would have been possible.”
From all of us in the Southwest Division: Congratulations on a great year of racing.