Season in Review: Austin Mack
K-Hill Motorsports’ Austin Mack stormed onto the F1600 scene in 2015, charging through the field at Palm Beach International Raceway in February before taking his inaugural win in a competitive Watkins Glen race in May. Mack was in the fight consistently throughout the season in his Mygale/Honda, and now he sits down to answer some of our questions.
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What was the highlight of your year?
Austin: The highlight of the season for me was obviously the Watkins Glen weekend. We had great pace and the car was running good, and everything just went right for us, so we came away with our only win of the season.
How would you sum up the 2015 F1600 season for yourself?
I would summarize my year as unlucky, but a very good learning experience, without a doubt. We just couldn't catch a break during the second half of the season, and it showed in our results. But fortunately we were able to salvage a top five points finish, which was good for us as a rookie campaign.
What was your favorite pass of the year?
I can’t say I really had a favorite pass, they were all my favorite.
What are the selling points of an F1600 car?
To me, the selling points of the F1600 series are that the racing is incredible, the prices are affordable and it serves as, in my opinion, the best first rung on the ladder for young drivers looking to make a name for themselves.
What are you doing this off-season?
This offseason is going to, for the most part, be about finding sponsorship for next year, but I’m sure I’ll fit some relaxing and video games in there to. I’m currently attending Mt. Hope highschool as a senior.
What do you eat for breakfast on a race weekend?
I usually skip breakfast on a race weekend for the most part. I’ve been told that is a bad thing, but I never like to eat before I get in the car. The gforces that I experience in the car can lead to stomach discomfort if I just ate, in my experience. It’s especially bad if there is a morning race. Just try warming up your tires good with a full stomach!
What are your plans for 2016?
I don’t want to say too much before it happens, but I will say that I loved every minute of my time in F1600 and I wouldn’t mind taking another green flag behind the wheel of the #44.