Isaacs Answers the Bell, Wins Big at Talladega

Talladega Superspeedway, AL – The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series thundered into the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway for 100 grueling laps in Round 34 of the 2025 season, where pit strategy, playoff pressure, and late-race chaos combined to deliver one of the most dramatic finishes of the year. The night carried special meaning, as the league paid tribute to the family of Christian Loschen, observing a silent lap in memory of his younger brother, who passed away unexpectedly. The OBRL and Virtual Grip Network extended their condolences to the Loschen family.

For Jerry Isaacs, the night began with heavy weight on his shoulders. Entering the race 22 points below the playoff cut line, Isaacs knew that only a win would be enough to keep his championship hopes alive. Daniel “The Black Cat” Hill, also on the outside looking in, started from the pole after securing the fastest qualifying lap, with Isaacs lining up alongside him on the front row. Mark Fisch, the 2025 Daytona 500 winner, rolled off seventh and looked confident at another superspeedway where drafting would be everything.

From the drop of the green flag, drivers played it cautious, staying in line and avoiding the early “Talladega heroics” that so often end in disaster. Isaacs wasted little time making his move, taking the lead from Hill around Lap 12 and settling into a steady rhythm up front. Behind them, the early green-flag run immediately caught out a few contenders. Roger Hurley and playoff hopeful Dwayne McArthur lost the draft by Lap 15, with McArthur’s night ending prematurely after his engine expired on Lap 28—a costly mistake after following too closely in the draft and overheating his motor. The blown engine earned him the night’s Hard Luck Award.

As the laps ticked away, pit strategy became the defining factor. With tire wear and fuel range both in play, teams estimated at least one full service stop would be needed to reach the finish. The window opened around Lap 37, and chaos erupted when Todd Cousins spun entering pit road under green-flag conditions. Isaacs, Andrew Kotska, and Fisch stayed clean through the melee, maintaining their advantage as the field cycled through stops.

Once pit stops sorted out, Isaacs and Kotska linked up in a flawless two-car tandem that quickly pulled away from the field. Their smooth coordination opened up a gap of more than seven seconds over the disorganized second pack, which struggled to form an efficient draft. Daniel Hill continued to battle connection issues—“blinking” in and out of view—which forced him to briefly drop from the lead group before stabilizing later in the race.

The night stayed remarkably clean until Lap 78, when the first major yellow waved after Lloyd Moore spun on the backstretch following contact from Sean Foltz. The caution proved critical, as it brought Hurley back to the lead lap after spending most of the night trapped one down.

The restart with 11 laps remaining reignited the intensity, but trouble struck again just a few laps later when Moore was involved in a second incident, clipping Greg Hammond and sending him into the wall. That set up one final restart with seven laps to go—exactly what Isaacs didn’t want to see, and precisely what the fans did.

When the green flag waved for the final time, Isaacs and Kotska held the bottom lane with precision, while Mark Fisch and Bill Martin tried to build momentum up high. Fred Wolford III led the charge on the outside after climbing from 15th on the grid, but the upper groove couldn’t generate enough speed to challenge the leaders. On the white flag lap, the top four stayed single file, and Isaacs executed a flawless final stretch, taking the checkered flag and clinching his first victory of the season.

It was a storybook moment for Isaacs, who not only earned redemption but secured his place in the Championship Four. Kotska crossed the line second, capping off a dominant one-two finish for the teammates, with Fisch rounding out the podium in third.

After climbing out of the virtual car, Isaacs was quick to credit his teammate: “That second pit stop had me sweating, but Andrew is the best pusher on iRacing—probably one of the most selfless teammates out there. I wouldn’t be in the Championship Four without him.” Kotska echoed that sentiment, confirming the plan had been to stick together no matter what. “I told Jerry I was staying on his bumper to the end,” he said. “The goal was simple—get a teammate locked into Phoenix.”

Mark Fisch praised his steady approach and pit execution, saying, “I thought about going high late, but it just wasn’t working like it usually does. Sticking with Jerry and Andrew was the right move.”

With the win, Isaacs erased his deficit and punched his ticket to the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. As the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series heads to Martinsville next week for the final race before the title decider, the playoff picture is clearer than ever—and Jerry Isaacs’ comeback story just became the one to watch.