Sam Strano is a long-time competitor who hails from the Central Pennsylvania Region SCCA. This year he competed in a 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT on Hoosier tires. Sam has had a long association with the owner of this championship winning car, Michael Snyder.
RR: Is this your first attendance at Nationals?
SS: No. This year was my 13th trip to Nationals.
RR: Is this your first national championship?
SS: No, this was my 5th National Championship. I had previously won E-Street Prepared in 2002, 2004, and 2006. I won F-Stock in 2007 driving the same Shelby GT that I drove this year.
RR: What was your favorite memory of the competition?
SS: This year? That would be me coming from 3rd place to win on Day-2 against a very fast Day-1 leader Jason Burns. Overall, just the laughing and good times I have when hanging out with all my closest friends doing what we like to do…
RR: What do you think was your key to success?
SS: The want to learn how to drive and learn how to win, which is different than being able to just drive quickly.
RR: Who has most influenced you?
SS: I don’t know that I have a good answer for that question. I learned an awful lot from Jim McKamey one day back in 1997…
RR: Who inspires you?
SS: I’m sorry to say I don’t have a good answer for that in a strictly autocross sense. My parents both encouraged me to start autocrossing, and supported my love for it even when I was pretty bad. Before my Mom passed away, the last time she went anywhere other than to my house or my sister’s house was to a local event to watch. I’m just sorry she never got to go to Nationals. I need to get my Dad to come.
RR: Do you have any special pre-race routine, or any superstitions you follow?
SS: Not that I’d like to admit. I run the course in my head (and you can see me driving it if you were to watch me in grid or after a walk). But I also do it as fast as I can, seem to make things go slower for me when actually on course.
RR: Do you have any driving aids or tools you use to help you?
SS: Not really. We often run a video camera and a data-logger, but that’s more for my co-driver(s) to be able to compare their driving to mine.
RR: What do you think you do differently than your competition?
SS: I don’t know for sure, if I had to guess it’s just play my own game and drive my own car.
RR: Have you attended any driving school?
SS: Evolution Performance Driving School. In fact I’ve been teaching for them for the past 11 or 12 years, even back when it was called McKamey Autocross School.
RR: Describe your driving style.
SS: I attack transitions and am quite aggressive there. I also make a point of not getting into longer corners too deep—that’s nothing but bad. And on the throttle as much as I can, as early as I can when the corner starts to open up.
RR: What was your first –and favorite autocross car?
SS: My first autocross car was a ratty old 1983 Datsun (yeah, not a Nissan) 280ZX. I don’t know if I have a favorite, as I really enjoy both the Shelby GT and my 2001 Camaro. But I have a most hated: 1993 Mazda RX-7tt I ran in Super Stock back in 2000.
RR: If you could change one Solo rule – either for your specific class or in general — what would it be?
SS: 10 years ago I’d have had a book. These days, I really can’t say.
RR: Who would you like to thank for your success?
SS: Again, that’d have to be my parents above all. But also Mike Snyder who has allowed me to drive, setup, and often have possession of cars for long periods of time. 3 of my 5 National Championships have come in cars he owned.
Photos courtesy of http://www.teamwtf.org
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