Connor Iseli

2009 Race Season

                    2009 IKF Road Race Nationals - Junior Rotax Podium

2009 Season Wrap Up:  The highlight of Connor's season was his second place finish in the IKF Road Race Nationals at Eagle Canyon Raceway.   The top four drivers were bumper to bumper from the green flag to the completion of the 30 minute race.  Connor led frequently, but at the end he was in 2nd position, only 0.100 seconds behind the winner Jake French.    Connor also won the NTK season points championship, finished 2nd in the SWRA season points championship and finished on the podium, in 3rd place, in his only Southwest Regional Cup sprint race.   

February 21, 2009.   Connor finished 2nd in the fourth NTK Winter Shootout race.   He started the day well qualifying on the pole.  At the start of the prefinal Connor dropped back to 2nd and despite pressuring the leader for the entire race Connor wasn't quite able to make the pass for first.   Starting on the outside pole for the final, Connor got a good start and was two wide through the first turn, unfortunately he was on the slick part of the cold track and slid off into the grass.  As Connor recovered the entire field passed him and he rejoined the race in last place.   Determined to recover Connor put on one of the best drives of his career in the remaining laps - he caught and passed all but first place, while running his personal best fast lap at NTK of 38.35 seconds.   He was catching first but just ran out of laps before the checkered flag fell.   Connor ended up in second place overall in the series and took home a check for $264.  

February 7, 2009.  Connor had a tough day the third NTK Winter Shootout event.  The day started well with Connor qualifying on the outside pole, only 0.2 second off the pole, but 0.5 second in front of 3rd.  On the start of the prefinal though Connor got knocked off the track in the first turn and fell all the way to the back.  He recovered to finish 8th in the Prefinal.  Starting 8th in the Final Connor was moving up nicely in the pack and was up to 5th when once again bad luck struck.   Connor was making a pass but ran out of room when another kart moved up on him.  Connor went off the track again this time at the top of turn 2.   After restarting his kart he rejoined the race but was well back in the field, he still managed a 7th place finish.  

January 17, 2009.  Connor has been busy in 2009 with two races already under behind him.  Recovering from his appendix surgery he started off the year on January 3 by finishing second in the NTK Winter Shootout event and running the fastest lap of the field in the final.   In the second NTK Winter Shootout race on January 17 Connor took the victory.  After qualifying 2nd and finishing 2nd in the prefinal he was able to claim victory in the final with a very nice drive.