December 26, 2003
Old way is good, new way is safer
Edgewater man designs car for young racers
By: Joe Crews
News Journal Business Writer

Mike Loescher didn’t like what he was seeing. Youthful drivers – some as young as 5 years old – were leaning outside the roll bars of their quarter midget racecars, countering centrifugal forces as they sped around the track.

So Loescher, chief instructor and owner of The FinishLine Racing School in Edgewater, decided to take matters into his own hands. He designed a new quarter midget car he christened “The Outlaw” Chassis.

“I wanted to build a safer car,” he said after sending a handful of students through their paces at Little New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday. “It has a padded seat, rack-and-pinion steering and a (protective) cage that’s offset to the left more.”

Quarter midget cars are one-quarter-scale cars raced by drivers 5 to 16 years old, according to the Web site of the sport’s primary sanctioning body, Quarter Midgets of America. Drivers are placed in classes based on age and skill level, and competitions are held on a dirt or asphalt 1/20th-mile oval. Top speeds can reach 30 miles an hour, although younger drivers’ speeds are slower because of restrictor plates.

Loescher’s school has been operating for more than 15 years with his wife, Kristal, serving as assistant instructor, but it has been only in the last couple of years that he began teaching quarter midget drivers. That’s when he discovered young racers dangerously leaning through turns.

“The Outlaw” chassis eliminates any implied weight advantage of leaning, belting young drivers in more firmly for safety, Loescher said. “Our students use full safety gear, including a helmet and fire suit,” he said. “My guideline is ‘safety, safety, safety.’ ”

So far, three prototypes of “The Outlaw” have been produced and tested, with full production beginning next month. The new chassis’ biggest challenge will come today when it competes against 800 other cars at the Tangerine Bowl Winternationals in Apopka, Loescher said.

A fully equipped Outlaw car will cost about $7,000, Kristal Loescher said.

“That’s ‘turn-key,’ ” she said. “(Buyers) can deduct from that price if they have their own motors or shocks.”

Zack Donatti of New Smyrna Beach is one of Loescher’s star drivers. Donatti, 9, began racing about two years ago, but already has amassed an impressive record, including 17 first-place finishes this year.

Zack’s father and chief crew member, Tom Donatti, said the Donatti team decided to switch to the new chassis.

“(We switched because) Mike and Kristal will be there whenever we have a problem,” the elder Donatti said. “They’ll help make it right.”

Tim Sozio of DeBary is another student of the Loescher’s. Sozio, who just turned 8, is wrapping up his first season as a quarter midget racer, but he’s also switching to “The Outlaw” chassis. His father, P.J. Sozio, said the new car is “a lot safer.”

“It’s like a real race car, with more side protection” than typically open-sided quarter midget cars, P.J. said.

Both Zack and Tim will be among the racers expected at today’s Tangerine Bowl Winternationals. They’re following a path taken by some of NASCAR’s top drivers, who got their starts in quarter midget racing, according to the Web site for Loescher’s school.

“Famous race car drivers who got their start in quarter midgets include Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Billy Boat and Jason Leffler,” the Web site says. “And these drivers pick quarter midgets as the vehicle of choice for their kids – the son of NASCAR driver Mark Martin is a quarter midget racer.”


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