Szymczak and Koch split fast times in practice for Round Five of the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires

 Christian Szymczak, of Palos Verdes, California, stopped the clock with the quickest time in the first practice for Round Five of the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires, part of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston at NRG Park, while  Kenton Koch, of Glendora, California set the fastest time in practice two
 
While Szymczak will not compete in either of the two races at the Grand Prix of Houston, he showed no lack of pace in his No. 34 ALARA Racing MX-5 setting a 1:23.456 (73.332 mph). After winning last year’s Mazda MX-5 Championship last year, Szymczak is putting in some time behind the wheel of a race car in preparation for next season when he is schedule to utilize his Mazda Scholarship funds.
 
“The course started out really slick,” Szymczak said. “That may affect what we do with the car, moving forward. The curbs seem really harsh, a lot more than last year. I’ll have to talk with the engineers to see what we can do as the weekend progresses. We’ll see how the cars hold up since we’re really putting a beating on them out there.”
 
Dean, the Championship point leader, was third quick in session one with a time of 1:24.259 (72.633 mph). On the No. 16 Projections Research/PPG MX-5, Dean is trying a completely new setup that is completely different than the one used last year at this event.
 
“We’ve done a lot of work to figure out what is going to work best before coming out here,” Dean said. “After last year, even with only two sessions, we knew it was going to be bumpy. We have a completely different setup on the car. It’s a lot different than what we’re used to. I thought the car was working really well, under me.”
 
In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge class, Drake Kemper, of Toluca Lake, California, was the top driver. He stopped the clock at 1:26.091 (71.087 mph) while driving the No. 99 Royal Rugby SBMX-5.
 
“Coming into this weekend I was a little worried,” Kemper said. “I didn’t do that well in practice. We had a lot of problems with the brakes going out quickly. The first goal was just survival, at this point. I’m glad the whole session went green. I’m just feeling comfortable, right now.”
 
In his No. 12 ALARA Racing/Mazda Motorsports/BFGoodrich Tires MX-5, Koch finished the  second 30-minute practice session with a best lap of 1:22.855 (73.864 mph). That time is faster than the existing track record, but Koch feels like there is still some time to be found on course.
 
“I feel really good right now,” Koch said. “The car is incredibly solid. The ALARA guys put together a great car for this weekend. I’ve never driven a better car. Considering the changing conditions of a street course, it has been working flawlessly.
 
The points leader Dean brought the No. 16 Projections Research/PPG MX-5 back to the paddock after claiming the second position with a 1:23.398 (73.387 mph). After some mid-session adjustments, Dean is looking forward to moving forward with the race weekend.
 
“We went out with the same car with which we ended last session,” Dean said. “We were at a loss as to what to change since the car felt so good during the first practice. The car felt different this time. I’m not sure what changed, but we were still out on old tires. So, we’ll see what new rubber affects the handling.
 
Cooper, driving the No. 48 Atlanta Motorsports Group MX-5, is showing why he is a former series Champion. Cooper clawed his way to third in practice two, with a fast time of 1:23.929 (72.918 mph). Cooper ran this track in a different series last year, making the learning curve less steep. However, learning what it takes to go fast in an MX-5 Cup car has taken a little adjustment.
 
“We’re working on some stuff,” Cooper said. “The track is interesting. I raced here last year, but it’s hard to translate the experience in a different class to these Cup cars.”
 
In the Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Pro Challenge, Ben Albano, of Greenwich, Connecticut, was at the top of the class for session two. He set a fast lap of 1:25.617 (71.481 mph) in his No. 61 Project Yellow Light SBMX-5. Albano is looking to keep his momentum going heading into the rest of the weekend.
 
“Consistency is going to be key as we progress through the weekend,” Albano said. “The BFGoodrich tires and Hawk Performance brakes have held up really well. It’s just a matter of conserving the car and not pushing the car past its limit. It’s so easy to overdrive the car, especially on a circuit like this. I can’t give enough credit to the brake and tire manufacturers for their products.
 
The SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires hits the track for qualifying Saturday, at 8:30 a.m. (CDT), with Round Five starting at 12:10 p.m. (CDT). Round Six is slated to take place on Sunday, at noon (CDT).
 
Adam Sinclair