Taylor Triumphs at Gateway as Patience Meets Pace in ISRA Round 3

MADISON, IL — After two rounds defined by speed without reward, Matt Taylor finally cashed in Wednesday night at World Wide Technology Raceway. In Round 3 of the ISRA Sim Gaming Expo Open Wheel Series, Taylor converted pole position into a commanding victory, leading 96 of 150 laps in the Dallara IR18s and securing his first win of the Season 3 campaign.

Taylor entered Gateway with a stat line that told a frustrating story. He had led more laps than anyone through the opening two rounds, yet sat mired ninth in the standings due to untimely cautions and strategic misfortune. From the drop of the green, it was clear this race would be different. Starting alongside Garry Lovern on the front row, Taylor immediately established control, while Lovern faded early, tumbling through the order as Matt Wagner and Richie Hearn settled in as Taylor’s closest pursuers.

Gateway’s 1.25-mile oval once again lived up to its reputation as a thinking driver’s track. Tire wear, fuel strategy, and clean exits off the corners mattered as much as outright speed. Defending champion Kyle Klendworth provided the early charge of the night, slicing his way from 12th into the top seven as the opening run stretched on.

The first caution at lap 46 reshaped the race. Brian Greenlee spun in front of Chris Ragan, interrupting a fuel window many teams hoped to extend past lap 50. From there, strategy took center stage. On the restart, Taylor briefly relinquished the lead to Wagner, choosing to ride in the draft and save fuel rather than fight unnecessarily. As Taylor lurked patiently, the middle of the pack erupted into a multi-lap chess match between Chris Stofer, Logan Spath, and Richie Hearn, each trading positions while trying to protect their tires for the long haul.

The second pit cycle around lap 100 created the most significant shuffle. Logan Spath executed a clean stop and leapfrogged both Wagner and Taylor, aided by Wagner having to avoid a spinning Chris Ragan on pit entry. Before the field could fully settle, a second caution at lap 111, triggered by another spin from Gary Lovern, erased the gaps and set the stage for a sprint to the finish.

Taylor wasted no time on the restart, muscling back past Spath to retake the lead. A final caution involving Mason Mitchum, who went airborne after contact with DJ Clark, threatened to add one more twist. Instead, it only delayed the inevitable. Taylor controlled the restart, absorbed late pressure from Spath and Craig Forsythe, and drove away to a long-overdue victory.

Spath capped off his strongest run of the season with a second-place finish, acknowledging post-race that Taylor simply had the field covered. Forsythe completed the podium in third, a result that vaulted him into the championship points lead over Klendworth. Wagner and Hearn rounded out the top five, while Klendworth recovered to sixth after pit road issues derailed his night.

Further back, Hugo Galaz continued one of the season’s strangest trends by finishing ninth for the third consecutive race. Mike Rigney completed the top ten after a late stop for fresh tires failed to produce the expected late-race charge.

With Round 3 complete, the series now enters an off-week before heading to Road America, the aptly named “National Park of Speed.” Forsythe leaves Gateway as the points leader but has already indicated he expects to miss the next round, opening the door for both Klendworth and Taylor to capitalize. After Gateway, Taylor has firmly reinserted himself into that conversation.