March 14 HMGCC-TTR Autocross

March 17, 2026 4:56 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

Once again the Texas Triumph Registry bested our MG's in Saturday's autocross event.  Congrats to our brave rubber-bumper MG drivers Rich Colwell, Bill Bowers, Mike Craven, Sergio Sabido, Jay Schwartz, Mike Menard, Peter Maxwell and Mike Woodward for their valiant efforts.  Hope to see some MGA's and chrome bumper MGB's next time. 

Here are the official times from the event:

 


Mike Craven checking our Rich's donor car.


Comments

  • March 18, 2026 1:22 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    A Day at the Races (from Rich Colwell):

    The weather was cool, and the day was fine, as a good number of the HMGCC showed up in Sugar Land to help beat the Triumph club in the Spring autocross. Sadly missing was Ken Evesson in his Resto-Mod MGA, as I was looking forward to beating him this year in our nearly decade old grudge match.

    This year I showed up in my “donor car” 1980 MGB. For those who don’t know the story, the MGB was donated to the club last year, and I purchased her for $200. The motor was seized, brakes were locked, not a hose was flexible. There was 3 inches of desiccated cat droppings in each footwell. Rob Ficalora helped drag her onto a trailer, and get her to my driveway, and in April 2025, 19 members of the HMGCC got the motor to turn over after sitting for 33 years.

    With the support of my wife (Kathy), I invested considerable time in getting the into drivable shape. I replaced gas tank, brake lines, tires, wheels, every rubber tube, cleaned the cooling system, replaced the Weber with a pair of SU carburetors, removed the smog equipment and the air conditioner to recover some horsepower and did a lot of scrubbing. I was surprised at how well she ran. I then improved the interior to a point where I was happy to sit in it. I even put in a stereo, as i wasn’t going to obsess over engine sounds, and sounds of other components failing. I now listen to the Beach Boys and the Doobie Brothers. The $200 car is now a $4000 car. A foolish investment, but a great past-time.

    When I bought the car, I promised to offer it up to club members to race it in the autocross. Last Saturday I had 4 takers, all committed to doing their best to beat the times of the Triumph drivers. The only rule was to drive as fast as you are comfortable.

    This nearly came apart, as we were pushing the car hard, and at one point the throttle stuck at a very high rpm and then the engine overheated. We thought we figured it out. Mike Craven was kind enough to get some antifreeze to get her back on the track. With this issue temporarily fixed, we finished our runs, all enjoying the adrenaline rush that comes from driving faster than is allowed on public roads.

    I was happy to provide the car for use, and happy to put her through a tough break in. I had two episodes of run-away throttle on my way home, and have yet to sort that out, but was glad to be out there with club members enjoying a day at the races.
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