It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of our cherished member and recent chairman, Steve Session. Steve left us at 7:15 PM yesterday evening.

Steve was a cornerstone of our club, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to our community and the passion we all share for MG cars. His leadership, warmth, and consistent positivity touched all who knew him. The outpouring of support from our club during Steve’s recent health challenges, as shared by his wife Jackie in her heartfelt message, reflects the deep bond he fostered within our community. Your generosity through the GoFundMe campaign and your unwavering support provided immense comfort to Steve and Jackie during an incredibly difficult time.

We join Jackie in expressing gratitude for the love and compassion you’ve shown, which exemplified the true spirit of our MG Car Club family. Steve’s legacy will live on in the connections he nurtured and the joy he brought to our gatherings.

Funeral services are planned for Monday, July 21st. We will share details as they become available. In the meantime, let us honor Steve’s memory by continuing to embody the community spirit he so deeply valued.

With heartfelt condolences,

The Houston MG Car Club

One of our Members has been coping with a life-changing medical challenge.  Steve Session and his wife Jackie are amazing in how they have responded.  Steve was elected to our Board of Directors and was selected to be its Chairman.  This recent note from Steve and Jackie speaks for itself:

Our Dearest Family and Friends 

Your kindness, generosity, and unwavering support have lifted us in ways we will never, ever forget.

This GoFundMe campaign organized by the MG Car Club that you are supporting will provide a great level of financial relief and support. You’ve helped ease a tremendous burden, and in doing so, you’ve allowed us to focus more fully on healing, recovery, and just being together throughout Steve’s battle with brain cancer.

Our Facebook family and friends, and the MG Car Club Family, have always meant a great deal to Steve & me, and now we truly understand the deep strength of the bond we share. We are humbled, grateful, and deeply moved.

Please know that your kindness will forever be etched in our hearts. Thank you for showing us what community, love, and support really look like.

With love, and our deepest appreciation!

Thank you,
Steve & Jackie Session

Here is an invitation of interest that was sent to President Rich Colwell:

My name is Tom Padgett and I am part of the British Iron of Northwest Arkansas British car club (https://britishironnwa.org/). We are having our annual car show that benefits ALS this September 18-20 in Fayetteville, AR. More details can be found here https://britishironnwa.org/brits-in-the-ozarks/. We will have great drives hosted by our members on Thursday and Friday that week as well as a cookout Friday and the show on Saturday with Andy Reid - columnist as a guest speaker. 

As a fellow car enthusiast, I'd like to ask that you share this announcement (via website, meeting announcement, FB post, etc...), and the attached registration forms with your membership so they can consider attending it. Please let me know if you have any questions about this or need additional information.

Thanks so much for your support!

Best Regards,

Tom Padgett

BATTLE OF THE BRITS Golf Tournament

On May 1 the annual Battle of the Brits charity golf tournament took place at Jersey Meadow Golf Course between the Houston MG Car Club and the Texas Triumph Register. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.

The event started with a “putting contest” using a unique putter constructed from car parts including a piston from aTR3 as the head.  The shaft was actually a gear shift rod from a Morris. This contest was won by Sallie Rouse of TTR.

.

The “closest to the pin” contest was won by Andrew Fox of TTR.

Michael Cox, also of TTR, won the “longest drive.”

Three TTR teams competed against a single MG team led by team captain Vernon Jones.  He also organized the event.

At the end of the day, the MG team completed play with a minus one score. The TTR Team #1 also finished with a minus one score… a look at the score cards quickly suggested that MG was winning. The TTR team #2 then came in with a par score still leaving the MG team in a winning position. Finally the #3 TTR team finished with a minus 2 score…to secure the win of the team event.  

So, it was a clean sweep for TTR for the first time in the history of the event.  (Fortunately, MG still offers the superior sports car.)

Some will be inspired; some won't... Club member Mark Hammerbacher was intrigued enough that he sent this information to be posted thinking some of our members might be interested.

I (Rob Ficalora) know a lot about the car and I agree with Mark that it is worth sharing; in fact, a local friend of mine made the grille emblem for Jim (see if you notice it in the video). And, I'm not sure what's more impressive, the work Jim did on this car (I'll not be a spoiler; you have to watch the video to see) -- or the fact that this was, I believe, his 3rd or 4th iteration of the car -- with the 1st being featured in the 1985 Hot Rod Magazine Engine Swapping Guide!

Even if you're not into engine swaps, the engineering & problem solving involved has to be admired!

~ ROB FICALORA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RMv8SzcHO4

This Link will provide a very useful article, by Simon Austin, on the removal and replacement of the front springs on the MGB.  

MGB Front Coil Springs Removal and Replacement (PDF).pdf

It was a beautiful Saturday for a drive -- a bit overcast which kept the heat at bay, but no real threat of rain.  That made for a phenomenal drive through some great roads in the area.  We had 14 participants with nine club members (some with spouses) in eight cars including 5 MG's, a '68 Volvo, and a 2015 Bentley GT3-R.  We gathered in Conroe at about 10am for the roughly 120 mile drive.  We started out heading west across Lake Conroe - with a beautiful view of the lake.  We then turned North on FM-149 through the Sam Houston National Forest.  This route is characterized by tree lined roads, sparse development, elevation changes, and plenty of sweeping curves.  We eventually reached Highway 30 where we turned west toward our lunch stop - the Yankee Tavern & Grill -- which is near Gibbons Creek Reservoir and a little past Roans Prairie (population 63 so you may not be familiar with it ).  After a leisurely lunch at Yankee Tavern & Grill, we started south on what is probably the most fun road around - FM-3090.  This stretch of road has fast sweeping turns, sharp turns requiring downshifts, and plenty of elevation changes.  It's one where, if you're talking too much and not paying attention, you can find yourself headed straight when the road makes a hard turn like Gordon Bard & I almost did (luckily I have good brakes and no MG's were negligently injured on the drive).  After FM-3090, we arrived at Highway 6 near Navasota where one car, Neil Humphries' 1971 MGB lost his clutch.  It wouldn't be an outing if we didn't have at least one car needing assistance & this drive proved to be especially true of that as a second car, Bill Bowers' 1974 MGB GT (V6 powered) had some odd noises from the hydraulic throwout bearing so he decided to take this opportunity to take a more direct route home for fear it might fail as well.  He made it home without incident we're happy to report!  The rest of us continued on our route but I alluded earlier to my tendency to chat with my co-pilot.  Gordon & I were busy catching up again talking and I missed a turn that, by the time we realized, had added about 10 miles to our total route.  We recovered & re-joined our planned route with only a slight detour.  The average round trip for the participants - excluding Scott & Trish Hardy who came from the Dripping Springs area -- was about 150 miles.  Scott & Trish clocked 530 miles!  The best way to ensure your car is prepared to make long drives is, well, to drive it.  You may have an issue along the way, but other members will come to your rescue & once you get through any gremlins, you'll be the one helping others out!  So, next time there's an opportunity, don't hesitate to join in!

~ Rob Ficalora

                         A short video clip:  race bit.mov

A picture-perfect Sunday set the stage for an unforgettable driving event at the Angleton MSR Track 1 racetrack, where eleven MG enthusiasts gathered for a day of camaraderie, curves, and classic car excitement. Members came from near and far—some logging just 20 miles round trip, others nearly 140—but it was the two miles of racetrack that really got the engines (and heart rates) revving.

Though billed as “parade laps,” these sessions were anything but a casual cruise. The sharp corners and quick pace delivered plenty of adrenaline, proving once again that MGs were built for more than leisurely Sunday drives.

Adding a dash of drama to the day’s stories was the revelation that event organizer Pete Sandy had rolled his racer just two days earlier during a track session. Thanks to a solid roll-bar, Pete walked away unscathed—but the same couldn't be said for his car, which took a beating. Pete was tight-lipped about how long he hung upside-down, but we’re glad to report he was in good spirits on Sunday.

Leading the pack in style was David Griffith, serving as our enthusiastic pace car driver in his beautifully supercharged 1948 MG TC—a true crowd-pleaser both on and off the track.    

Events like this capture the spirit of MG ownership: the thrill of driving, the joy of community, and the simple pleasure of putting these cars to the test. As we know, our cars are meant to go “Safety Fast”—and this day proved just that.

Participants:
Lee Drum, Mike Woodward, Clay Ownby, Rick Colwell, Ken Evesson, Pete Sandy, Derek Shelton (and grandson), Bill Sysman, Bob Crow, David Griffith, and Dwight Dawson.

  Pete Sandy with Lee Drum

Seven trusty souls attended the recent Safety inspection tech session at the Woodward garage.  All seven MGs failed!! The most common failure was non- functioning lights.   Two cars had no brake lights and some had  other lights not working. Oil leaks and suspension problems were also observed.  

Perhaps the most distressing was a Past President's car that arrived with a barely-functioning brake system. Event coordinator Mike Woodward was available to adjust the rear brakes so that Member was able to make it home safely.

This event had a welcome outcome in making participants fully aware of their mechanical issues before they caused a bigger problem.  And, as at this inspection, it was great to actually correct the problem on the spot.  

For those not attending this event, perhaps some self-inspection of your MG is advised.  

~ Mike Woodward

    Click these links to view the latest standings: 

MG Driver Award 2025.pdf

MG Safety Fast Driver Award 2025.pdf