Michael Isom Overcomes Adversity to Win Vegas to Reno
Mobbin Racing’s BITD UTV Unlimited Race Report
St. George, UT (8/22/2018) – Mobbin Racing’s Michael Isom overcame several seemingly insurmountable hurdles and won the Vegas to Reno Best in the Desert race. Driving a Can-Am Maverick X3 with co-driver James Konces, Isom was competing in the UTV Unlimited class.
Isom got a great jump at the start and moved into the lead quickly. A buried rock cut down a rear tire, and then a hard crash at mile 55 caused his car to lose front-wheel drive. He restarted at the back of the field and drove the rest of the 500-plus-mile race in rear-wheel drive. Despite the issues, Isom passed the rest of the field and won the race.
“We definitely dug deep,” said Isom. “It took James talking to me to get my head back in the race and get by all those guys. Our perseverance paid off. It’s an incredible feeling not only to finish that race, but to win our class.”
Isom prefers the longer races, like Vegas to Reno and likes the meticulous planning and preparation required to be competitive. He ran the entire race himself and never once left the driver’s seat.
“It is an adventure and I love it,” exclaimed Isom. “It takes a ton of planning, an experienced pit crew, and a ton of work behind the scenes. I love these races because I’m a planner and planning really pays off. I never got out of the driver seat and we had a great time. Our pit crew was on point and I can’t thank them enough. Can-Am has been super supportive of our efforts.”
Lighting is a key factor in the Vegas to Reno race as much of it is run after dark. Isom appreciated his Vision X lights during the race.
“Vision X has been a great partner and they were definitely critical for us,” said Isom. “We only needed to run one light bar off the bumper and it worked extremely well. We’re going to install some new lights for the Laughlin race.”
The victory puts Isom just a few points out of the lead in the championship chase. He’s focusing on the last two races so he can bridge that gap and hopefully come away with a championship.
“We’re in tight contention in the points race right now,” said Isom. “We’ll be going for the overall lead at these next two races.”
The next BITD race is being held in Laughlin, NV. The event is going to be the first UTV race held at night at the circuit. Isom is ready to make history.
“We’re super excited about the Laughlin night race,” said Isom. “We already have the car torn apart getting it prepped for the event. We’ve had success there in the past and we hope to be in front there.”
Look for Isom and Konces as the Mobbin Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 lights up the night during the Laughlin Desert Classic on Thursday, October 11th.
Michael Isom’s 2018 Sponsors:
Mobbin Racing, Can-Am, Lone Star Racing, Can-Am, Vision X, Rugged Radios, Liqui Moly, BF Goodrich, Raceline Wheels ,Fox, Union Graphics, UTV Underground, Hostyle, Factory UTV, MagLock, Wake Up Warrior, Vault, AIS