Michael Shank Racing

Mike Shank first started racing professionally in 1989, and quickly made a name for himself, earning notice as the SCCA-Ohio Valley Region Novice Driver of the Year. He didn’t lose any momentum as he moved up the ladder, taking the 1996 Toyota Atlantic C2 Championship before moving up to race in the Indy Racing League.

As he gained winning experience in the car, he put that knowledge to work as his team expanded to run other drivers and Shank eventually retired as a driver to focus on running and growing his team.

Competing in the Champ Car Toyota Atlantic Championship, Michael Shank Racing flourished with drivers like Kenny Wilden, Sam Hornish Jr., and Johnny Rutherford finding success with the team. Wilden scored runner-up in the 1999 Toyota Atlantic Championship, and Shank won "Team Owner of the Year" twice in four years before deciding to move his team into a new direction and the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2004.

Shank, who himself had one start as a driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, oversaw his teams adroit adaptation to the rigors of endurance racing, as the team led the first race they entered and finished on the podium in the second.

With multiple podium trophies on the mantle in the Columbus, Ohio, shop, Shank is focused on taking his team to the next level, with a full-time stable of two cars, and with a talented stable of drivers piloting cars prepared by a loyal and professional crew, he is likely to continue to grow the legacy of the team.

30-plus national victories in Formula Ford, Formula Continental, Sports 2000 and Formula Atlantic competition

1999 - KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship Car Owner of the Year
1999 - United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC), Can-Am Division. Co-drove a Intersport Racing Lola T98/10 in Rolex 24 at Daytona with Jon Fields, Sam Hornish Jr., and Ryan Jones. Qualified eighth and finished 42nd following mechanical problems
1997 - Indy Racing League (IRL), qualified 25th and finished 13th in the Las Vegas 500 with Neinhouse Motorsports
1996 - Champion, C2 Division, Player’s/Toyota Atlantic Championship
1989 - SCCA-Ohio Valley Region Novice Driver of the Year

Team owner Mike Shank says he simply couldn’t have done it without his wife Marybeth, who not only helped to support Mike when he was still driving, but also keeps everything running smoothly on a day-to-day basis for the growing team. She is also a full partner with Mike in the operation, and shares both the risks and rewards that come with running a top-line professional race team.

Wise, who worked as Crew Chief at Truesports in IndyCar competition also took wins in Toyota Atlantics with drivers Kenny Wilden and Martin Basso, and has converted his knowledge quickly as the team made the move into Rolex racing. Never satisfied no matter how fast the car is, Wise is a driving force in the Michael Shank Racing effort in his current role as Technical Director for the team.

When he’s not working on making race cars go faster, Wise still keeps speed as part of his activities, as he enjoys boating and is a big motorcycle enthusiast.

Jeff graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, and put it to use right away working for a Trans-Am team. From there, he moved to Newman-Haas in the Champ Car ranks in 2001, taking a championship with Da Matta in 2002 and Bourdais in 2004. Jeff then moved to Rahal-Letterman racing, where he worked with Danica Patrick in her rookie IRL season, taking Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors.

Jeff joined MSR in 2006, and when he isn’t pouring over data, enjoys playing drums, a little bit of guitar, and has an eye for art. You’ll find Jeff on the war wagon during the races, keeping track of all the incoming data and a close eye on fuel strategy.

Darin Pigg, crew chief for the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Dallara, is one of Mike Shank’s most loyal employees, having originally started with the team in 1992, sweeping the floor of the teams old shop before getting the chance to work on the cars himself. Once he did, he was quickly tabbed to take over the crew chief position in 1997, heading up the Toyota Atlantic Championship effort for Johnny Rutherford III, and took his first win in the position in 1999 as crew chief for Sam Hornish Jr.

Pigg has also worked in the Champ Car ranks, having worked for the Forsythe organization before rejoining MSR in 2002.

The switch to Rolex racing has given Pigg the chance to do something he never could in Atlantics-leap over the wall during the pit stops, where he changes the left front tire and is responsible for the windscreen and checking the radiators during every stop.

A veteran of the 1990’s CART era, "BG" joined MSR in 1999, to work with their rapidly-expanding Toyota Atlantic program. He crewed for rookie-of-the-year Sam Hornish Jr. and later worked with drivers TJ Bell, Rodolfo Lavin, and Ryan Dalziel, before taking on the role of team Logistics Coordinator. Brian currently oversees team purchasing and inventory for both the Daytona and Indy programs.

Goggin's career in pro sports isn't limited to racing. He spent three years in baseball's Cincinnati Reds front office as a merchandise buyer, designer, and in player/team licensing. In his spare time, which he really doesn’t have... he currently manages sponsorship, NFL and MLB player licensing, and charity events for college and pro athletes and their charities. He collects pinball machines, enjoys playing hockey, and he's currently restoring a 2003 Dallara Indycar "for his own personal enjoyment."

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