Drag Illustrated Issue 139, December 2018 | Page 94

30 UNDER 30 · 2018
DEVIN ISENHOWER
■ AFTER CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS in the Jr. Drag-
ster ranks, Devin Isenhower’s main goal early in
his Super Comp and Super Gas career was to
earn the respect of his fellow competitors, many
among the best in the sportsman ranks. Following
another banner season, that should now be the
least of concerns for the 21-year-old Indianapo-
lis-area native.
After winning a
Division 3 champi-
onship a year ago, Is-
enhower continues to
top himself, winning
the U.S. Nationals
in Indy in Super Gas
this year and finish-
ing off his 2018 with
a Super Gas national
championship. It also
earned Isenhower a
spot on Drag Illus-
trated’s 30 Under
30 list for 2018, cap-
ping off a year he won’t
soon forget.
“When I found out
I won the champion-
ship, I was in shock,”
Isenhower says. “It just
took a lot of hard work
and dedication, making the changes mid-season
in order to make the cars better, even if it’s a risk.”
It was a risk that paid off in a major way. Is-
enhower and his father changed the carburetors
on both cars mid-season, knowing full well it
could lead to potential disaster. But just the op-
posite happened, as Isenhower enjoyed a strong
finish to 2018, including winning Super Gas at
the Big Go against a field that featured eight
world champions among the 119 competitors.
Isenhower, though, was dynamite on the tree
while thoroughly enjoying the father-son aspect
of his racing journey.
Isenhower, who is in the fourth year of a five-
year mechanical engineering and motorsports
engineering program at IUPUI, started racing
in Jr. Dragster at nine years old, moving out of
the class when he turned 18. He jumped right
into Super Comp and Super Gas, as his father
moved from behind the wheel to tuning duties.
Along the way, Isenhower has made a name
for himself in a short time and doesn’t plan on
slowing down.
“Dad decided he would rather be the crew
chief, watch me race and give me the best cars
possible. I think he gets more pleasure watch-
ing me race than driving,” Isenhower believes.
“It adds pressure to me because I want to
perform well for the sake of our success and
make him happy, but there’s nothing like seeing
his reaction after a good run. He’s head over
heels in this.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best and didn’t
want to settle for anything less than that. Coming
out of (Jr. Dragster) and hopping in a big car
is so much different, but I wanted to win and
wanted to prove myself and earn the respect of
everyone.” – J O S H H AC H DI
AT DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
NICOLE LIBERTY
in hand with my dad on the design work and
implementation. Right now, I’m actually re-
building a 1916 Hudson transmission, making
it synchronized.”
Although she’s in no rush, Liberty is clear about
the fact that she will take on the family business
when the time is right.
“I really enjoy working side by side with my
dad,” Liberty says. “I did a co-op at Ford, just to
experience another job in the engineering field.
I love it so much more here at the shop. It’s a
whole different dynamic. I love being hands-on
with the customers.”
Liberty enjoys being behind the wheel as much
as underneath the hood and is excited about tak-
ing both to the next level with an upcoming ven-
ture into Pro Outlaw 632.
“We don’t service anything out,” Liberty
points out. “We build our own engines, and
obviously the transmissions. I love being hands-
on with all aspects. I would really love to win
a PDRA event next year. I definitely think it’s
possible.” – L I SA CO L L I DI
E R DI DI
■ WITH A LONG, accomplished lineage in racing,
Nicole Liberty, 24, had a clear path laid out for
her, should she choose it. Even as a young girl, for
Liberty, there was no other choice than to follow
in her father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Her
grandfather started Liberty’s Gears; her father
took over the business in 2000, and Nicole is
now the third-generation engineer to work in
the family business.
Liberty jumped at the chance to run a Jr.
Dragster when she turned 13, while at the same
time learning all she could on the mechani-
cal side, spending afternoons and summers
at the shop.
“My high school was a half-mile down the
road, so I would run or walk to the shop for
track practice and work a few hours after school
and through summers,” Liberty recalls. “When
I graduated high school, I worked part time
at the shop while also getting my Mechanical
Engineering degree at U of M. I graduated in
2016 and have been full time at the shop ever
since. I run our CAD system and work hand
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
94 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 139