Kenny Tran, driver of the Quaker State Turbo Magazine Hot Rod Honda Civic, has been one of the leading drivers in the Hot Rod category since NHRA joined the sport compact scene in 2001. Tran has captured three "Wally" trophies, including one at his home track, Texas Motorplex, last August. The manager of Jotech Racing has been involved in the sport compact arena for nearly a decade now. In this Q&A session, Tran talks about his introduction into the sport compact market, the difficulty of opening a tuner shop in Texas, the growth of the industry and how he feels about the import vs. domestic rivalry.

Q: How did you get involved in the sport compact scene?
TRAN: I first got involved when my brother-in-law introduced me to it. He used to work at a shop in San Diego (Pann Auto) and he came to Texas and we drove around and looked at all the Super Shops and all the shops they had in Dallas and there were no import shops in Dallas at the time. So, that's where the idea popped up. We decided to go ahead and open a shop in Dallas and that's how it all started back in 1994.

Q: How was the reaction in the Dallas market when you first opened Jotech?
TRAN: It was a lot of hard work. Everyone here in Texas, especially in Dallas, is accustomed to four-wheelers and trucks and Suburbans, so it took a long time. We used to go out to street legal nights at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas and you would see 300 Mustangs and Camaros, all domestic. A friend and myself drove the only Honda and Acura that were there at the time. We were severely out-numbered, but that's how it started. It took a long time to build up the clientele and to get the consumer educated with all the parts that are available for these import cars.

Q: That was nearly a decade ago. What changes have you seen since then?
TRAN: Now the consumer comes in and tells us what's available instead of us telling them. They see all the parts on the internet and they tell us what they want. That's how it's changed.

Q: Were you surprised at the rapid growth of the sport compact market?
TRAN: Yeah, definitely. I'm very surprised at how fast the industry has grown as a whole. The market picked up a lot faster than what I imagined. I used my business as an indicator as to where the sport compact market is headed and also for my sponsors and racing program. Now, you see a lot more people coming in to get their cars modified with turbochargers and built engines, instead of just the basic bolt-ons. Also, there are a bunch of crews out there that build their own race cars and they bring it to us to tune and I'm seeing more and more of it. So, definitely I don't think it has peaked. I don't see it slowing down at all.

Q: When did you get involved racing?
TRAN: I first got involved in racing back in 1996. The first sport compact race was held in Houston, I believe it was called The Import Shootout. I wasn't racing myself, but we sponsored a vehicle. Tom Lee was the first guy we sponsored and he raced an Acura Integra with nitrous on it. When he got hurt in an accident, I started driving the Integra in 1997. I picked up where Tom left off. He was very competitive. He had the fastest Integra in Dallas. He was looking up to guys like Tony Fuchs and JoJo (Callos) out in California and he wanted to go out of state and compete, unfortunately the accident happened and he couldn't do it, so, I kind of picked up from there and it took off.

Q: Did you ever imagine it growing into multiple series' with races all across the country?
TRAN: You really don't think about that when you're doing it. Back then it was all fun and games. All you wanted to do is go racing. You don't care about the money, you don't care about the fame, you just want a fast car and that's all you think about. So, I don't think I ever thought about it being a national scene with TV coverage. I just wanted to have the fastest car of the day.

Q: You signed a multi-year agreement with Quaker State last offseason. How has that changed your program?
TRAN: The change has been drastic. I would have to say that Quaker State has been instrumental with our success and our performance because it allows us to do R&D. We have better capabilities to collect more data than ever before. It has really improved our overall engine package with more power and durability. Quaker State has been very supportive and they are key in our success.

Q: How tough is it competing in the Hot Rod category this season?
TRAN: It's very difficult. Now a lot of manufacturers have stepped in and their racing program is refined because they used the past few years as testing years and they have everything dialed in right now.

Q: Are you surprised with all the manufacturer involvement?
TRAN: As of last year, no. As you see the sport grow, it really took off in 1999, when you see it take off that fast it doesn't become a surprise to you because you can feel it and you can hear it coming, other racers talk about sponsors coming in. So, it doesn't surprise me at all when you see the growth.

Q: What has Bob Norwood added to your program?
TRAN: I would have to say experience. That's what he's brought to this game. He has a lot of experience in racing and tuning and it takes that one aspect away from me. I don't have to worry about tuning the car when I'm at the races anymore. Even here at the shop, he takes care of all tuning aspects and that's nice. He does all the engineering, all the drafting, everything on the car right now is a result of Bob Norwood and my crew chief Tony Palo. We're using a new turbo and intercooler from Precision and we have upgraded to a redesigned Full Race Motorsports manifold.

Q: What are you goals for the 2003 season?
TRAN: Our goal for this year is to be consistent, that's the first goal. I see how difficult it is to come out with a win with the domestic dominance right now. First thing, we're going to have to sort out all of our driveline problems. The engine package that we have right now is solid. I feel the only thing holding us back is our driveline. We're going out there with a 200-horsepower transmission and we're putting it in a 1,000-horsepower car, so it's kind of working backwards as I see it.

Q: What are your thoughts on the import/domestic rivalry?
TRAN: It's a great thing. It keeps you pumped and keeps me on my toes. Now our goals are a lot harder because I know they're not going to rest or stop, so, it puts us in a situation where we're going to have to do something special to beat them.

Q: What are your long-term goals? Do you plan on staying in the Hot Rod class or would you like to move up to one of the Pro categories?
TRAN: Right now I'm not looking at moving out of the class, I want to be in the Hot Rod class. However, if Quaker State wants me to be in the Pro (FWD or RWD) classes then I'll be racing in Pro. It's really up to them, wherever they want me to be, I'm just the driver.