SCCA: Simo Ready for Action in Houston
20 September 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Last year, Brian Simo won the BF Goodrich Tires Trans-Am race in
Houston. This year, he is looking to take another Texas-size step toward
the Trans-Am championship in his Valvoline Ford Mustang.Simo has been the dominant force in Trans-Am, with a series-high five wins -- including the last three at Detroit, Grand Rapids and Vancouver -- and seven poles in 10 events this season. He has 242 points, while chief rival Paul Gentilozzi is second with 229. There will be just two races left on the calendar after Saturday's (Sept. 25) second chase through the streets of downtown Houston.
Like fellow Valvoline driver Gil de Ferran, Simo sees the start and restarts as key moments at Houston, but also as a time of potential peril.
"The hardest thing to do is temper some of those thoughts (aggressive moves)," admitted Simo, who won last year's inaugural contest by 28 seconds over Bill Saunders. "That's how you can get yourself in hot water. This type of racing always proves to be interesting towards mid-race, as tires go away, and fuel goes away. You don't need to fight for what's going to be handed to you, but your competitive nature gets to you, and you start making charges."
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