Fast Laps and Furry Friends: Meet the NASA Racer Who’s Rescued 160 Dogs

Before NASA Rocky Mountain driver Hsun Chen heads out for an adrenaline-filled weekend at the track, his weekdays often begin with bowls of dog food and leashes in hand.

Chen and his wife, Julia, have fostered more than 160 dogs over the last decade as part of the Colorado-based animal welfare organization RezDawg Rescue. The nonprofit group helps stray dogs from underserved communities become adoptable, focusing on the Four Corners region of Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Some of the dogs arrive with broken bones. Others have never lived indoors. Hsun and Julia help the animals adjust — physically and emotionally — until they’re ready for a new home. The Chens decided to begin fostering strays following a trip to Thailand where they noticed a large stray population.

“We thought about adopting one of these dogs and bringing it home at a very high cost,” Hsun said. “We thought about that, and it would just save one animal. What can we do that would actually affect or benefit more animals?”

The Chens have two dogs and are fostering two more at their Longmont, Colo., home. The couple has sometimes fostered up to six dogs. A fostered dog can stay a few days or a few months, depending on how much rehabilitation they need.

“We basically teach them how to become a pet or how to ‘dog’, so to speak,” Hsun said. “Fostering is about providing that care and transition to where a stray or an animal that was not under great care to be adoptable.”

Most competitors don’t see Hsun’s softer side. For them, he’s just the guy they’re trying to beat in Time Trial or the instructor helping a student learn the track.

Hsun, 54, started competing in autocross after college, campaigning a 1982 Subaru GL hatchback. “It was horrible, an incredibly underpowered car,” Hsun said.

Far from being discouraged, Hsun learned something new with every car he bought for autocross, from a Ford Taurus SHO to a Toyota MR2. Hsun joined NASA around 2008 and started running in Time Trial. Cars are slotted into classes based on a power-to-weight ratio, and the driver’s goal is to score the fastest lap time.

“It’s a lot of the same sort of principles of trying to be fast, efficient and maintain the car at the very edge of grip,” Hsun said. “But in another way, it’s a completely different ballgame.”

After running a Mitsubishi Evo in Time Trial for two years, this past offseason, Hsun acquired a 2019 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. “I switched to a more balanced and better overall package,” he said.

Hsun put his new Time Trial car to the test, competing in the NASA-sanctioned One Lap of America cannonball run. The grueling eight-day event covers over 3,000 miles with drivers doing time trials at nine venues along the East Coast and Midwest. Competitors can’t have support crews, must use the same set of tires and drive the car to each venue.

“It’s nice to have a high-powered vehicle that still has all the creature comforts and isn’t absolutely punishing to drive on the highway,” Hsun said.

Although Hsun does autocross and endurance racing, he still prefers Time Trial. The Camaro ZL1 1LE will slot into TT1, and if history is any indication, Hsun will be among the top drivers in the class.

“He’s the most humble person you’ll ever meet, especially for someone with his skill set,” said longtime friend Doug Tabb. “He could win by several seconds and still say it was just good luck or track conditions.”

Both met while doing autocross and at one point they co-drove Tabb’s car. “It was the first of very many times that he beat me in my own car,” Tabb said with a laugh.

Hsun is a reluctant mechanic, doing everything from oil changes to replacing the brake pads, but leaves engine rebuilds to the professionals. “I do things myself, partially because I’m a control freak,” he said.

Tabb said Hsun might not like turning wrenches, but he’s a good mechanic, having previously worked in an automotive service shop. Hsun’s wife, Julia, will occasionally provide race support.

“He was the whole reason our endurance team functioned,” Tabb said.

Both drivers serve as instructors in NASA’s Rocky Mountain Region. Giving back at the track is a natural extension of Hsun’s volunteer work with rescue animals.

“I’ve benefited from instruction and coaching from other people in NASA and outside of NASA,” Hsun said. “For me, it’s very rewarding and appropriate to share some of my experience and be able to help other people enjoy their first experience on the track.”

Serving as an instructor, Hsun tries to be a positive influence for the students who have varying driving skills. Hsun is always happy to share his insights with students about his home tracks, High Plains Raceway and Pueblo Motorsports Park.

“You’re trying to help them, but not overwhelm them with too much information,” Hsun said. “Whenever we are doing coaching and I’m bringing up something that they could improve on, I try to balance that with something positive.”

Working with students and coaching them out on the track, Hsun feels it has made him a better driver. Rather than obsessing over data, Hsun focuses on chasing progress more than perfection.

“It makes me rethink the things that I do mostly by muscle memory,” Hsun said. “We’re trying to be the best we can and even with my level of experience, it’s always still a struggle for me to try to get the best out of myself.”

Whether it’s rehabilitating a stray dog or helping build a student’s confidence on the track, Hsun has a quiet demeanor that people gravitate toward.

“He knows everyone in the entire paddock and he’s everyone’s friend,” Tabb said. “He’s the most popular guy I know.”