Sunday’s challenge: The track

A stiff wind blew sand across a relatively cold track for Sunday’s quarter midget racing in Tampa. The conditions proved as much a factor as the traffic as Isaak and his fellow Junior Honda racers competed in two sometimes messy, frequently aggressive events.

Isaak drew second for the heat race, beside Braden Nash on the pole. The start saw all seven drivers jostling for  position, with cars going into the dirt and into each other. Before the first lap was complete, Hunter Durocher spun in front of Isaak and beside Braden as they vied for third. The judges called charging on Isaak, though with all the bumping and bouncing going on it was tough to tell exactly what happened out there in turn 3.

Hunter broke his engine hub and didn’t finish the race. Isaak went to the back of the field. On the restart, Braden claimed a strong lead as second-place Danny Sams fishtailed, slowing the rest of the racers for the moment. After a few laps, Isaak moved up one position, passing Stetson Lail. Tyler Clem, meanwhile, reeled in Braden and passed with only a couple of laps to spare to claim the heat victory.

The main race offered a different set of events. On the first lap, Isaak held the inside line along with A.J. Freitas and Tyler in front of him. As Braden made his move on the outside, he and Isaak connected, with Isaak’s right front tire wedging in Braden’s bumper. Braden dragged Isaak’s car for half a lap until they both stopped. The judges assigned no blame and sent both cars to the back for going dead on the track.

On the restart, Tyler and A.J. sped out front, with the other five cars bunched fairly close together. After five laps, Stetson and Braden crashed between turns 1 and 2, collecting Danny, who suffered significant damage to his car. Isaak even slightly clipped Danny trying to avoid the tangle. The judges made the call that Braden caused the accident and sent him to the back. Danny got repairs and made it back on the track just in time for the restart.

Nine laps later, Isaak and Braden again played car tag, with both running through the dirt but neither stopping. Isaak got out first and put a solid claim on fifth, with Braden and Danny several car lengths behind. Up front, meanwhile, A.J. put on a great effort to challenge Tyler for the lead, falling just a little short.

It was a tough day to get the car just right. Isaak was happy to have kept his quarter midget on the track in this increasingly competitive Junior Honda group.

Isaak finds his Junior Honda groove

“I came in third!”

Such was Isaak’s triumphant cry not once but twice Saturday at Tampa’s 2009 Spook Classic quarter midget races. Less than 24 hours after crunching the front end of his car at New Smyrna,  Isaak battled his way to two feisty third-place finishes in his seven-car Junior Honda field.

In the heat race, Isaak started second row inside and settled in to the fourth spot on the start behind points leaders Danny Sams Jr., Tyler Clem and Stetson Lail. This time, he didn’t fall off the pace, holding steady with the lead pack throughout. He would have finished fourth if Tyler hadn’t plowed into Stetson toward the end of the heat, giving Isaak the third position with just a few laps to go. Isaak threatened Stetson for second but claimed third for the feature race.

Not that it really mattered.

By the time the feature rolled around, the track was so slick that the starting positions each driver won in the heat went by the wayside as every car came into the pits for adjustments or repairs after a crash during hot laps. Hunter Durocher never even made it back to the track. At one point Isaak was on the pole, only to have a bolt fly off with one to go, sending him to the wall. We carried him to the pits for a fix, but he wound up starting in the back.

That didn’t seem to matter, either.

Isaak passed Stetson for fifth in the second lap, and then Tyler for fourth in the third lap. A.J. Freitas spun ahead of Isaak in lap four, placing Isaak in third for the restart. Don’t think this is how things ended. Isaak’s left front wheel came loose on the restart, causing his car to slide off the track back toward the wall. Back to the pits for adjustments and a return to the back of the pack. The next restart saw A.J. spin again, and inexplicably the judges sent him out of the race, leaving just five cars — yes, Isaak still in the back.

Off the next restart, Tyler smacked Braden Nash and was sent to the back. The race still hadn’t reached 10 laps. Finally, the racing got going, with the lineup of Danny, Braden, Stetson, Isaak and Tyler. Isaak quickly dispatched Stetson in turn three and set his eyes on Braden. He clung to Braden’s bumper for the remainder of the race, not quite able to pass despite every effort. Afterward, Isaak acknowledged that Braden really earned that second place finish, not giving up an inch. He really wanted to get past Braden, though, because he’s got aspirations of getting to that top position.

Just think. Just a month ago he nervously entered Junior Honda and finished two laps down with the same drivers.

Hello, wall

Isaak got his first real introduction to the New Smyrna quarter midget race track wall during his Junior Honda debut Friday evening.

He was riding in seventh of eight, just off a restart after eighth place C.J. Gentry spun out. That was quite an unfortunate yellow, too, because Isaak had just made a sweet move to grab fifth place but had it called back. He had been in seventh, approaching the sixth and fifth place cars of Braden Nash and Morgan Matheny. All were making their way to pass C.J., and Isaak got in there for the move. Then came the spin.

Back to the crash. Isaak got off to a quick restart and was challenging Braden for sixth. Isaak stayed low going into turn 1, Braden went high. They collided and skidded right into the wall — Isaak nose first, Braden rear in. It was neither boy’s fault, so they both were sent to the back of the race. Braden escaped relatively unscathed, Isaak had mangled his right front rods and needed repairs.

Luckily, so, too, did the wall need some fixing. So Isaak came into the pits — he wasn’t giving up any position, as he’d be starting last regardless — and Lyra got some help to replace the rods and put Isaak back on the track. It soon became evident that his car would not turn properly to the inside, as he kept drifting to the wall despite his best steering intentions, but that didn’t stop him from sticking it out.

A few laps after the restart, Braden spun in front of Isaak, giving Isaak the seventh spot back. When green came back again, Braden moved inside up the field to fifth, leaving Isaak to work on C.J. Isaak couldn’t turn in, so he ultimately passed on the outside into sixth. He couldn’t catch Braden, but he held his own even with what we later discovered to be a bent steering rod. The lead two cars of Sandor Sundem and Trever Taylor overtook Isaak in the final lap, but Isaak made it through to the end in sixth.

He was thrilled. Again, his word for the day was “awesome.” Why? “Because I passed on the outside and I got a trophy. It’s really cool.” Crashing into the wall didn’t faze him a bit. “No matter what, with a crashed car, I finished,” he said with a smile.

Lyra’s hard at work fixing the car so Isaak can race in Tampa tonight. He’s resting up. Wish him luck. (Thanks to Pam Nash for the photo.)

Isaak sticks with the pack, finishes fifth

“Really awesome.”

That’s how Isaak described his weekend of quarter midget racing. He escaped the bad luck that didn’t allow him to finish his races two weeks ago, and instead drove hard with the Junior Honda pack to a respectable fifth-place finish on the lead lap.

In his heat race, Isaak started at the back of the seven-car pack, thanks to a high pill draw. A messy start caused him an early setback, but Isaak recovered to quickly gain ground on the cars in front of him. After a few laps, sixth-place A.J. Freitas spun out as Isaak approached, looking to pass.  The cars tangled, suffering minor dings, and Isaak  took the six spot for the restart. On the green flag, Isaak pulled past fifth-place Hunter Durocher coming out of turn 2 as Hunter drove through the dirt and fell back to seventh. He never challenged the leaders but wasn’t threatened by the cars behind him, either, as Isaak held the fifth position to the end.

To kick off the feature race, Isaak held with the inside line of Tyler Clem and Danny Sams Jr. to hold off the outside pack and grab fourth. Only Stetson Lail, who started on the outside pole, made his way past Isaak to take a place in the lead group. Before the first lap was complete, Braden Nash spun out, leading to an aggressive, bump and grind lineup that had the announcer calling this Junior Honda division among the most competitive of the day. On the restart Isaak held fourth and kept pace with the leaders for about 10 laps before losing some ground — though not position. He ran by himself in between packs for several laps until Braden and A.J. got into one another, causing another single-file restart. Isaak continued his strong fourth place run after the green flag, holding Braden at bay until the final turn of the race. Braden snuck under Isaak and nudged him up the track enough to grab fourth in the home stretch, leaving Isaak to finish fifth. Tyler won the race in an exciting shootout with Danny and Stetson down to the nailbiting end.

Post-race, Isaak enjoyed compliments on his driving and said he loved the fast racing. “I liked it. It was good,” he said, as he ran off to play with friends.

DNS, DNF, A-OK

After his first soft entry into Junior Honda two weeks ago, Isaak couldn’t wait for a full field race today. Practice with some fast drivers on Saturday helped his confidence, and he was ready to go up against the some of the top dogs in his new class.

It almost didn’t happen, though. Isaak couldn’t get onto the track for his heat race, as his chain kept flying off the gears. He had plenty of help getting it back on, but the gear alignment was too far off. He watched the race from the stands, receiving a “Did Not Start” and the seventh position if he would return for the feature.

Lyra received some guidance from other handlers on how to ensure the chain would stay in place during the break. Several racers joked with Isaak that they hoped his parents learned how to put on a chain. It worked out fine.

Isaak hit the track for the feature race and looked like a driver on a mission. He started in seventh, and slid under A.J. Freitas coming into Turn 1 of the first lap to take sixth. Two laps later, he turned inside on Stetson Lail at Turn 3 and snagged fifth place, where he rode steady and made some progress toward Hunter Durocher’s fourth-place car. About 10 laps in, everything changed.

Suddenly Isaak’s car started swerving slightly, though he kept it in control. A.J. passed Isaak, then came Stetson, as Danny Sams up front spun after contact with Braden Nash. After the restart, with Isaak in fifth, it became clear something was wrong. He stayed on the track for about six more laps, until the next yellow flew, and then went to the pits where the handlers found his left rear wheel hub bolts had broken, just like in his recent practice. Isaak’s race was over. He watched Tyler Clem race to victory from the pits.

Despite the mechanical setback, Isaak received many compliments for his strong showing on the track. We couldn’t have been prouder of his grit out there, and the way he handled himself even after his race was cut short. We’ll just keep plugging away at the car until we get it right, so Isaak can keep racing.

Next up: Another Tampa Junior Honda race on Oct. 18. Hope to see you there.

Isaak graduates novice class with big win

Before joining the Junior Honda division of the New Smyrna Quarter Midget Racing Association, Isaak had to officially prove to the novice judging committee that he was ready. Boy, was he ready.

He started fourth in the feature race, but snuck between the two lines of traffic on the start to go three wide in the middle and steal first place before passing Turn 2. He dueled Jamie Evans for the lead, with Braden Nash and A.J. Freitas in hot pursuit, until the first yellow flag of the race flew as Joszef Sundem spun out.

It took nearly 4 minutes to get the six boys all back in position, as the flag man seemed to have difficulty signaling each driver to his proper spot. That accomplished, the drivers took off again, with Jamie in the lead, Isaak right behind. But it was Isaak and Braden who blew Jamie to the side to battle for the top spot. Joszef and Jamie then spun out, drawing a second yellow. This time, Isaak had the lead.

At the restart, Isaak again flew out front, cutting off A.J. and Braden to hold it. Then Braden took second from A.J. and looked to challenge Isaak. The two danced around the track, trading the top spot back and forth. Isaak would dive under Braden entering Turn 3 to take the lead, and then Braden would make the same move coming out of Turn 1 to take it back. Joszef spun out yet again, along with Ty Nevins on the other side of the track. Isaak kept the lead. And that’s how it ultimately ended.

Coming toward the final green flag, with time running out, Braden jumped the gun to pass Isaak early, prompting the flag man to hold the yellow flag until racing time expired with nine of 20 laps completed. Isaak took the checkered flag for his second time at New Smyrna and, also of note, for the first time against Braden in almost a year of racing together.

“I won, and I really wanted to win here again,” an effervescent Isaak said after taking his victory lap. “Braden and I sped up on Turn 2 (of the restart) and then he passed me and then it was yellow, then it was checker. That was my favorite part. And when Braden and I were going back and forth.”

It was especially sweet after practice and Isaak’s heat race went so dismally. During practice, he didn’t seem to have much oomph in his car. We made some changes that should have helped lower his lap times, but in the heat race, he wasn’t moving with any speed. In fact, his car kept slowing as the motor refused to fire. One new spark plug later, though, we were back in business. Three cheers for a $6.50 fix instead of some of the more costly ones we’ve experienced lately.

The win made the evening exhilarating. It even made the nearly 3-1/2 hour wait for tech, followed by a 2 hour drive home, acceptable, getting home after 2 a.m. Next time we visit New Smyrna, Isaak will be racing with the competitive Junior Honda crowd. He’s ready.

Next up: Isaak’s second Tampa Junior Honda race around noon on Sunday. Hope to see you there.

Back to the track for a little practice

Having survived his first Junior Honda quarter midget race, Isaak returned to the site for a little extra practice on Sunday.

Thankfully, the rain held off and Isaak got in a solid 90 minutes of blue plate driving. He continued to work on his lines in hopes of shaving some more time off his laps, and made some progress in that regard. He felt comfortable enough toward the end of the session to try some no-plate driving, too.

At first, Isaak was uncomfortable with the feel and kept letting off the gas as he rounded the turns. After about two dozen laps he started to find his groove and stick the turns. Just as things were getting going, though, Isaak drove the left rear tire off his car. Sheared all three bolts clean off. Luckily, he spun out and the wobbly tire stayed in place. He got a push into the pits, where the crew went to work.

Alex Chevillot then took the track for a blue plate practice, and he was quick. After he put in about 30 minutes, Alex let Isaak return for a joint practice. The boys aggressively raced each other for about 100 laps, pushing one another to the brink of exhaustion. If they didn’t have school in the morning, both Alex and Isaak gladly would have stuck around for more. Fun day. Next race in a week. See you there.

Isaak makes his Junior Honda debut

Ten months after he took to the track for his first rookie quarter midget race, Isaak finally took the plunge into the next competitive level. And while he wasn’t quite up to the speed of his more seasoned opponents, he certainly held his own and proved that with more time and experience, he’ll be vying for the top spots in the Junior Honda field.

With his pink ribbon flying behind the car, signifying his first time in the class, Isaak started his two races on this no points fun night from the back of the pack. In the 15-lap qualifying heat, he kept within striking distance of the other three drivers from his fourth-place position. With about five laps to go, A.J. Freitas made a sweet looking pass to steal the lead from Danny Sams, but spun out in the process. That put Isaak in third for the restart. Isaak held off A.J. to finish third.

The feature race was a 50 lapper, a tough order to fill on Isaak’s first time running in the faster pack — particularly with an ill crew chief. But Isaak, though nervous, stuck it out. He  had a great start, nabbing the third position from Braden Nash and duelling with Braden for the slot over the next few laps. Isaak couldn’t maintain his lines well enough to keep Braden at bay, though. His laps were notably slower than the other racers, and over the course of the event each one of them passed Isaak — Danny twice.

Though disappointed with his fourth-place finish, Isaak expressed enthusiasm with his racing overall. “It was awesome,” he said. “No matter what, it was great.”

And that it was. Other young drivers making the move to Junior Honda have seen black flags, major crashes and other troubles. But not Isaak. He ran incident-free. Thank goodness. And he received loads of encouragement from other handlers and drivers who said he looked great. We shall see how things progress.

Next Tampa race: October 4, 1 p.m. See you there.

Getting comfortable at New Smyrna

On the ride to New Smyrna on Sunday, Isaak admitted to being a bit nervous.

He hadn’t driven that track with his faster blue plate yet — not to mention with the faster drivers who also run the blue plate there. Yet he knew he had to give it a try.

At first, Isaak’s runs were less than smooth. He had trouble finding his line, and he tended to oversteer his quarter midget, causing him to spin out quite a bit. Lap times, well, let’s just say they would not have made him competitive in Junior Honda.

But as the evening progressed, so, too, did Isaak’s driving. His breakthrough moment came at 9:45 p.m., during a round that he almost didn’t stick around for. Out on the track with Stetson Lail, Isaak began to find his groove as he followed Stetson’s smooth line. Suddenly, Isaak sparked. His lap times dropped by half a second, and he drove like he meant it. Not as fast as Stetson, mind you, but still great for his first effort on blue plate at New Smyrna — and way better than just three hours earlier.

Isaak drove himself to the brink, in fact. He practically fell asleep in his car after coming into the pits. But he stayed awake long enough to tell us how excited he was to finally start to “get it” as he approaches his first Junior Honda races.

Ready for Junior Honda

Those few extra weeks racing as a rookie sure have made a difference in Isaak’s outlook.

He’s now feeling confident enough to tell Ray, the Tampa rookie racing director, that he’s ready to move up to the Junior Honda division for the Sept. 19 races.

Sunday’s two-hour practice with A.J. Freitas certainly helped seal his confidence. Isaak was able to keep pace with A.J., who’s got two Junior Honda features under his belt, challenging for position and lap time. Both boys ran laps consistently below 10 seconds on a track that Ray deemed slow.

We plan to get a few more blue plate practices under our belts before making the transition. Then cross your fingers for Isaak, because he’ll be moving on up.