Isaacs tops Q2 but Andersen holds overnight TQ at NYGP
Having taken the second round of 1:12 Modified qualifying at the Montech NYGP, Sam Isaacs repeated the feat in the Speedzone Modified Touring Car class but again the Awesomatix driver came up short in better his team-mate Kemp Anderson’s Q1 time. Improving his car from Q1, when he posted the second fastest time, the reigning US National Champion would come very close the America duos best times separated by 0.017 of a second. Again it would be first time visitor to the 360v2 track Lucas Urbain who would complete the Top 3 but the factory Awesomatix driver was slower than his Q1 effort. With the race marking the debut of Xray’s new X4’26 in the US it was Drew Ellis who lead their challenge for the round as he took his example to P4 ahead of team-mate Ratheisky.
Summing the round, Isaacs said, ‘I think the car was a little better. I made a few changes with the flex of the car and it was definitely a little bit better. I just missed TQ by a hundredth, I gave it all I had and that’s what it came down to’. Asked where he could find the speed for tomorrow to better his team-mate, qualifying at the NYGP based off a driver’s fastest time of the four rounds of qualifying, Isaacs said, ‘the car was falling off a little towards the end of the run so I need to try see if I can find some pace and consistency towards the end. The car starts off pretty good but falls off too much.’ Pleased with his own driving in Q2, a small mistake costing him in the opening round, he said, ‘I think my driving was pretty good that time, it was a consistent run, it was just down to the car fading off. I think for Q3 w’ll try run in a new set of tyres and see if that helps.’
Anderson said, ‘I was expecting the grip to come up some based on the 1:12 run but I had less overall grip that time and it was just a little pushy. Sam was faster than me and catching up and I knew I was going any faster so I just let him go and see if he could chase TQ.’ On his car, he said, ‘I made one tiny set-up change, just a little stiffer spring, but it didn’t seem to make a huge difference in handling.’ On his plan of attack for Day 2 of qualifying the 23-year-old said, ‘I’m trying some different sets of tyres that are a little newer and we’ll see if they’re a little better.’
‘Same, same,’ that was Urbain’s thoughts on Q2. He continued, ‘I made some radical changes actually and I am both confused and slightly pi$$ed that the car is doing exactly the same and I am getting my ass handed to me by these two (Isaacs and Anderson) big time, I can’t even challenge’. With two more rounds to make an impression on his US carpet racing debut the Frenchman said, ‘Probably a big reset overnight and try to figure something out. Thankfully we have practice in the morning so we’ll try some more stuff.’ He added, ‘Even when they pulled away I tried to drive different lines and figure out if I can find some speed here and there but it doesn’t really cut it. I need to figure this black carpet out somehow by tomorrow. Thankfully it’s FTD so it’s never over but soon it is going to be too late.’ Asked if his struggles were what he expect coming into the race he said, ‘It exactly what I expected. It is not nice to be struggling but I expected it but it is taking a long time to figure it out.’
‘It went alright, I am trying to stay on the same lap as those guys’ was Ellis reaction to his P4 run. He continued, ‘I think me and Lucas are battling. I had to give way to both Kemp and Sam it was just enough and it was second to last lap. The car is working really good for me. This is the first run with the new car, the ’26, so still kind of feeling it out but I think it went well, I went faster and I stayed clean. Sam and Kemp have a really fast pace and it just out there now trying ti stay in front of them and not have to give up that spot and I think I lose maybe 6 or 7/10ths, I don’t want to hold them up at all but I need a little more pace at the beginning of it and then I can stay there. I think me and Lucas are really close.’ Asked his initial impression of the new the American said, ‘the new car is really good. I had driven a prototype version and this car is production with some changes so this is the first time out with the production car and it seems to be a little bit more usable traction, little bit more corner speed for our conditions and what we are running over here. The car is a lot lighter so we can really move the weight around but the handling to me feels a little bit more precise and a little bit more usable traction.’ Running the X4’26 in both Modified and Super Stock classes and with Jan Ratheisky the only other driver here running the car, Ellis said, ‘Jan has a slightly different driving style than I have so we are kind of seeing some things. He is preferring the CFF upper arm, I’m preferring the V Link, actually camber links and stuff you adjust. My car is a little better than his in Mod, his car is a little better than mine in Stock. We are learning a few things but we both definitely have a a different concept of where we are at. Jan likes to drive the car really hard and be on it, where I was ruined by the foam touring car days and I need a lot of steering and less input and not lock to lock. We really started with the ’25 base set-up and it really carried over well but we are finding those small things, shim here and shim there. With the different shock package we are running a lighter oil than we did with the ’25 so we’re figuring things out slowly but surely and I think by the time Champs comes around we should be more prepared. This is fastest I have been in Mod with these guys in a long time.’
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