MARK MENSCER
how to run the whole car , I don ’ t ask anyone to conform what they ’ re doing to my setup . I prefer to accommodate what the car wants rather than forcing the car to accommodate the shock package ,” elaborated Menscer .
In recent years , an increased emphasis has been put on suspension tuning and ensuring the setup is as good as it can be . Menscer doesn ’ t believe suspension is any more important now than it has been before , just that people weren ’ t necessary aware of the potential it had to offer . “ It was really just the last thing left , honestly . Everybody built cool cars and made huge power and there were a million electronic gizmos to do traction control … the market was primed for everyone
to get interested in suspension because it was the last of the black arts ,” he continued with his typical blend of intellect and humor .
Menscer credits track prep and tire tech , too , for the heightened focus on suspension , as well . Both have come so far in recent years that the playing field has leveled out quite a bit , and parity amongst the power adders has been fairly consistent . As such , many are hunting for the tiniest things to help improve their elapsed times , and managing the suspension correctly is where it ’ s at .
The biggest thing any driver can do to help improve , according to Menscer , is to simply have good data . “ You need to know what you should ( and shouldn ’ t ) be logging . I don ’ t need a sensor to tell me how tight the driver ’ s butt puckers when he shifts , but I do need to know the front- and
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
rear-ride height , the shock position , and to be able to determine the shock velocity throughout the run ,” he laughed . Of all the measurement tools , though , it ’ s the G-meter that is the most important of all . “ The only thing that is quantifiable is acceleration . Every other channel on the data logger is just to tell you why your G-meter sucked so you can hopefully fix it . If the G-meter looks good , I don ’ t care about anything else – don ’ t touch the shocks !”
Outside of data acquisition and suspension components , though , Menscer can ’ t pinpoint one specific piece of equipment that ’ s most important to getting down the track . Rather , he subscribes to the theory of gestalt – that the overall car is greater than the sum of its parts . In layman ’ s terms , the car can ’ t function as a whole without
all of the other parts working together , so nothing is more important than anything else .
In recent years , Menscer has noticed a trend where drag racing rule makers have relaxed a bit to allow drivers to put together purpose-built , back-half cars as well as full-blown tube chassis cars – and it ’ s all of the four-link suspension variety . He ’ s also noticed an uptick in the prevalence of “ snake oil ” products and gimmicks , but is quick to dismiss them . “ There are a lot of neat products that have lots of fancy air dumps and doohickeys and every single one of those is just a band aid for ‘ I don ’ t know where the fuck to put my four-link or how to tune it for what it ’ s doing ,’” he said , good-naturedly poking fun at the facts . “ At the end of the day , a properly tuned shock and spring will always yield the results you want . You can spend money buying gizmos , but if you don ’ t know what the car wants , it will never work for you – my stuff included .”
Menscer puts a tremendous amount of focus on servicing what he sells , too , and providing support services to his racers – even if they are running someone else ’ s suspension . “ I don ’ t ever want someone to feel like he can ’ t come talk to me and ask for help . My customers assume I ’ m busy , and I usually am , but I want them to know that I ’ m never too busy to help !” asserted the customer-centric “ Shock Nerd ”.
Looking ahead , Menscer anticipates more of a demand for simplified suspension setups in the future . It used to be that a set of shocks only ran about $ 1,000 , but with current technology the way it is , a high-end set can go for significantly more . He expects that trend to continue in the short term before the market experiences a backlash where racers will clamor for something more cost-effective . “ I like a simple shock , spring , and a fourlink . I can outrun the $ 36,000 shock / strut packages for a couple grand by simply getting to know a team , their style , how the car runs , and building a solution around that ,” he noted .
On the horizon for his own business , though , big plans are in the works . From its humble start in a small , commandeered warehouse space , Menscer Motorsports will soon be moving to a brand-new , custom-built , 6,000-square foot facility near Menscer ’ s home in North Carolina . He ’ ll also expand his current light manufacturing capabilities and proprietary product production to better service his customers . Menscer is especially proud of the great team he has working under him , and prides himself on providing a growth opportunities for his employees , Craig Shuffield , John Mellon and Rick Ramos , who he considers to be family .
It ’ s that strong family-focus that has also allowed Menscer to stay so grounded despite his massive success . His parents , Randal and Gay , as well as so many others such as Jamie Miller , Steve Petty , Mark Woodruff , Jacky McCarty , Billy Stocklin , Ed Briggs , Tommy Kirk , and Craig Burns from SCF Race Cars in Australia have all been instrumental in providing him with guidance , mentorship , and encouragement .
No matter where Menscer ’ s career in drag racing ultimately leads him , his philosophical approach to tuning ( be it suspension , chassis , or engines ) and intellectual drive to understand how things work will position him to be a front runner , an innovator , and a true pioneer who will continue to shape the future of suspension in the sport . - AINSLEY JACOBS DI
PHOTO : AINSLEY JACOBS
68 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 121