Mobbin Racing’s Best in the Desert Unlimited UTV Race Report
St. George, UT (10/24/2017) – Mobbin Racing’s Michael Isom again teamed up with Zach Cooper and won his second Best in the Desert Series race of the season in the Tonopah 250. Cooper and Isom previously drove to victory in the UTV World Championship.
Cooper is one of Isom’s guest co-drivers. The pair, driving in the UTV Unlimited Class, got a strong start on the course, which comprised wide-open desert and lakebeds, as well as some tighter and technical sections. Isom thoroughly enjoyed the high speeds of what was likely BITD’s fastest course of the season.
“This was a lot of fun for us to repeat our win from the UTV World Championship,” said Isom. “Zach was excited to be back in the car and we’re hoping to do some races together next year. He’s a natural. It was a fun, fast course. I loved the entire race. We battled with the Sparta car. They kept us honest and we actually assisted them in the pits.”
Isom’s Can-Am ran flawlessly in the race. With the high speeds usually comes more stress on the car. Isom said the engineering that went into the Maverick, as well as Addict Racing’s Jim Osier’s preparation gave him confidence.
“This Can-Am Maverick built by Lonestar was super fast,” said Isom. “We had no problem holding 80-85 in the fast sections. The car performed really well. It was definitely built for this type of course. That was the type of course I grew up on riding dirt bikes, so I was right at home. Jim Osier is just a master technician. As an owner and driver of the car having Jim’s hands on the car and his expertise gives me a huge confidence boost.”
Isom was also honored to have his wife, Wendy, at the race, as well as his daughter Kennedy. For Isom, racing is more than just about winning. It’s about sharing the excitement and emotion of the sport with his immediate family, as well as his racing family, which seems to grow at every round.
“It was a good feeling to have Wendy here,” said Isom. “Every time I came into the pits and when I finished I saw here face and it felt good to have the emotion of having her there. We also helped the Wells family with my daughter Kennedy and Korbin. They didn’t have anyone else pitting for them so our pit crew was there.”
Isom made some changes to his driving style after having an unfortunate crash in the last race. Backing it down a notch, Isom learned the fine art of clean racing, and it paid off with another victory.
“I backed it off a little bit, knowing that I didn’t have all the testing we needed before the race,” said Isom. “I consciously drove a speed I knew I could maintain. That is a lot of it: running a clean race.”
Cooper had a great time co-driving with Isom. Like Isom, he’s in the sport for the emotion. With the high speeds of this race, there was plenty of it.
“We were chasing people all day, eating dust and Michael did a great job behind the wheel,” said Cooper. “Getting into the race car is such a blast. Letting that primal energy roll is just amazing.”
When asked about the race Cooper shared his friendship with Michael runs deep. “This trust creates a tandem that can push each other to land on the podium, but also the podium of life. Michael and I will never settle for what is given to us and will always push each other to new levels. This race I guided Michael and was not afraid to tell him he needed to pick up the pace or compose himself, but in our day to day life, Michael advises me as my personal Wealth Strategist. Both roles require massive amounts of trust as we never settle and always have our eyes set on the podium,” said Cooper
Isom will co-drive with Russ “Pickle” Perry in the next race in December. A fellow member of Wake up Warrior and an Internet marketer, Perry will test with Isom prior to the Pahrump Nugget 250.
“We’re going to spend a full day together testing and to help him learn to change a tire and read the GPS and the mirrors,” said Isom. “It’s not safe for me to just put someone in the car with me without some training with Jim and myself.”
Isom will finish out the 2017 BITD Season during the season finale December 2 in Pahrump, NV.
Michael Isom’s 2017 Sponsors:
Mobbin Racing, Lone Star Racing, Can-Am, Addict Racing Engines, VisionX, Rugged Radios, Liqui Moly, Tensor Tires, DWTWheels ,Fox, BP Graphics, UTVUnderground, Wake Up Warrior, Vault, AIS
