Texas and Texans in Racing

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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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This thread is an interesting concept I want to introduce. Something interesting I've noted about Texas is that a lot of Texans and Texas-based teams competed in a variety of events ranging from NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Also pertaining to motocross and supermoto racers all the way to MotoGP and FIM World Superbike. This thread is all about Texans and Texas-based operations involved in racing. You could say that I'm part of the GTPlanet Texas club along with *McLaren*, RACECAR, and even m.piegrdos (I feel like I'm forgetting somebody for some reason...). Anyhow, this thread is all about Texans in all types of racing. I hope this becomes an interesting concept. I may even open threads regarding other states in the future. Oh... this even pertains to classic racing moments in Texas. If it ain't Texas, it ain't part of this discussion.

I'll lead off (to use baseball terminology) with two examples.

One of the finest of-the-moment teams is Risi Competizione based here in my hometown of Houston. The ALMS will head to Houston with Risi basically unbeaten in GT2. Risi could have been 2-1 had Flying Lizard beat them at Sebring last month. Even before now, Risi Competizione has long been one of America's finest sportscar racing teams. They campaigned the beautiful Ferrari 333SP in some of their tours of duty that has even taken them to Le Mans. The Ferrari F430GT is the current mount for this team. They even campaigned the controversial Maserati MC12 in the ALMS as a guest. Can you really imagine this Ferrari and Maserati group campaigning something other than these two storied marques?

Perhaps the finest Texan in automobiles and racing needs no introduction- Carroll Shelby. I had the distinct honor of seeing a beautiful Shelby Cobra one time at a restaurant near the wonderful city of Kemah. Even though it was in black (sorry. I don't have my own camera), I love it best in blue with white stripes. Equally impressive were the GT350 and GT500 Mustangs. Most of you know I love 1960s Mustangs. These were two of the most memorable Mustangs of all time. Who would think that a chicken farmer from Leesburg, Texas could be such an icon? Let's not forget his racing success. He's shown his strength in everything from sportscar racing to USAC and more.


I'd like to offer this as an off-topic deal. I'm finally seeming to realize that Dodge Viper was inspired the Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe. I actually noted the lines that inspired one of the baddest American cars of today. Well, the floor is yours in talking about what some of the finest Texans in motorsport including Texas contributions to motorsport. Go for it!
 
Really, if you want to talk Texans in motorsport, Carroll Shelby is only the tip of the iceberg. Here's another three greats: 3-time Indy 500 Winner Johnny Rutherford (nicknamed Lonestar J.R.), the first man to break 300mph in the 1/4mile, Eddie Hill, and esteemed Chaparral sportscar builder Jim Hall.

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Johnny Rutherford

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Eddie Hill

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Jim Hall


Interesting footnote, Johnny Rutherford's 3rd Indy 500 win (1980) was scored while driving a Chaparral 2K. Texas driver in a Texas car!
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And where is "Super Tex" from? Houston, Texas. Remember, any motorsport. Any personality. As long as they are from Texas or involving great racing events in Texas. Keep this going.
 
you guys forgot the Labontes, Terry and Bobby Labonte.
 
I was going to mention the LaBontes (honestly! I was!). Terry and Bobby have about what... 3 titles in Cup among them? These two are out of Corpus Christi. I'm probably sure there was a great following when either one or both of these two would race around Texas Motor Speedway. Both of them were great drivers when they were winning races and finishing consistently. Only other LaBonte I know of is Justin LaBonte. I don't know too much about his racing career except for karting and some stock car experience.

If you're a fan of Chaparral, I looked up this book on Amazon: < http://www.amazon.com/dp/1583880666/?tag=gtplanet-20 >. Anyone raced these machines in Gran Turismo 4? They are awfully quick! Only model I felt was missing that would have improved the GT4 lineup was the Chaparral 2F (the big-winged car). You can go to Midland, Texas and visit the Petroleum Museum. There is a Chaparral exhibit there. I've never been that far around Texas, but Chaparral was really something. I almost imagined if they designed cars again for today's sportscar racing world.

Stuff like this is the reason why I came up with this thread. It's because I never truly realized how Texans have impacted racing in America and abroad. Even Texas-based teams have done their thing as well. It's just really amazing. Feel free to carry on.
 
I didn't know Jim Hall and Carroll Shelby were from Texas. thats pretty awesome to know.
 
One of this state's finest racers won himself another championship- Ben Spies. The AMA Superbike title was basically among two Team Yoshimura Suzukis. It would either be Mat Mladin or Ben Spies. Sure enough, Ben Spies of Longview, TX defended his title well at Laguna Seca. Maybe the best motorcycle racer from Texas is Houston's own- Colin Edwards (the "Texas Tornado").

So that's some two-wheeled love as I revive this topic.
 
JohnBM01
One of this state's finest racers won himself another championship- Ben Spies. The AMA Superbike title was basically among two Team Yoshimura Suzukis. It would either be Mat Mladin or Ben Spies. Sure enough, Ben Spies of Longview, TX defended his title well at Laguna Seca. Maybe the best motorcycle racer from Texas is Houston's own- Colin Edwards (the "Texas Tornado").

So that's some two-wheeled love as I revive this topic.
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I saw that race. Great racing. I wasn't all that much into two-wheel racing, but the AMA superbikes are starting to grow on me.
 
There's a driver in open-wheel racing whom I didn't know was from Texas:

Ryan Hunter-Reay.

I saw he was from Texas when ESPN2 had a rundown of where all the drivers were from. I noted that Hunter-Reay is as Texan as it gets- out of Dallas. I think he was able to get into this year's Indy 500, so congratulations to him.
 
JohnBM01
There's a driver in open-wheel racing whom I didn't know was from Texas:

Ryan Hunter-Reay.

I saw he was from Texas when ESPN2 had a rundown of where all the drivers were from. I noted that Hunter-Reay is as Texan as it gets- out of Dallas. I think he was able to get into this year's Indy 500, so congratulations to him.
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How funny. I've cheered him on when he was doing the Sunchaser 1000 race in the DP class last year. Thats very nice to know.
 
For clarification from a past post in this thread, here's where some other Texas racers are from:

* Johnny Rutherford (Fort Worth, Texas)
* Eddie Hill (Austin, Texas)
* Jim Hall (Abeline, Texas)

This was in response to the lovely post made by Layla's Keeper showing off three more Texans.
 
I was watching parts of the NASCAR Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway. There were two things I didn't know about a certain guy from Texas...

Former Grand-Am regular Colin Braun is from Ovalo, Texas (small town near Abeline); and that he's only 19. He didn't have too much good fortune at Texas on Friday night, but it's nice to see another Texan getting out there and mixing it up with the others. Thanks for making my state (and yours) proud, Colin Braun! Keep up the good work.
 
I've been looking at a lot of YouTube stuff lately. I saw a YouTube video showcasing the 1989 Camel GT Nissan Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. A young (at the time) racer named Price Cobb from Dallas, Texas was leading the race in a Jaguar GTP race car. He was racing the #61 Castrol Jaguar GTP race car with a normally-aspirated V12 trying to hold off a 27-year old Geoff Brabham in that turbocharged #83 Nissan beast. Price Cobb ended up losing this race to the hard-charging Geoff Brabham.

Here is a little extra chatter on this deal. A few non-Texans of note in this race include Willy T. Ribbs, Costas Los, and the late Bob Wollek. There was a Light prototype powered by a #9L Buick engine that won the GT Light class. Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert won in GTL. Brock Yates and Steve Evans were the announcers of this race.

I can't really show you where on YouTube this video is because there are multiple parts to this and that I only saw the final part of it (Part 7). But Price Cobb is the Texan I wanted to note.
 
Forget what I said about Ryan Hunter-Reay being a native Texan. He's a Florida native.
 

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