In these troubled times of COVID 19, talking about a “Spike” is just not a good conversation piece. In motor racing here in the US, there is a “Spike” that everyone is talking about, Spike Kohlbecker.
Kohlbecker is not like a lot of young drivers I’ve met. Spike has done more race miles around the world than drivers twice his age and he’s loving every minute of it.
Like a lot of drivers he started young in Karts at four years-old, but that’s where the similarity ends. Having gained a factory drive with Margay Racing he represented them at a variety of national, regional and local races, trade shows, open houses, public appearances.
Along with that, he took both the 2016 and 2018 WKA Daytona Kartweek National championship, Yamaha Junior Class, before becoming a runner in the prestigious team USA scholarship.
Then he really made the move that few his age would dare let alone pull off with flying colours. Leaving the comfort and schooling of home he took on the world quite literally racing Formula Ford in Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain.
“Formula Ford was great,” commented Kohlbecker. “I learned a lot about passing skills and it was a big car compared to a go-kart.”
Balancing academics and auto-racing aspirations is no mean feat, but Kohlbecker again pulled it off.
Participating in international racing competitions has made it impossible for Kohlbecker to have a traditional high-school experience, as he is often on the road for weeks – sometimes months – at a time.
Seeking a way to continue his high-school education while competing abroad, Kohlbecker and his family found a viable option at Kirkwood High School through the Launch program – Missouri’s solution for course-access issues for school districts and families in need of flexible and personalized learning options. With the approval of – and in cooperation with – administrators and faculty, Kohlbecker became the first student in the state of Missouri to take the Launch online program internationally.
He then took another brave leap returning to New Zealand for the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series where the young teenager took on a vastly more experienced field.
When he landed back in New Zealand Kohlbecker remarked:
“I’m excited to take the next step in my racing career in the TRS series with Kiwi Motorsport. No doubt it will be a challenge but that’s exactly what I want.
“The tracks, the New Zealand fans, and the TRS series are all world-class and will serve as a great foundation for the next step in my career. Racing against the best is what every great driver wants to do in order to establish where you are and where you need to be. I am very grateful that my sponsors and supporters see this opportunity as a key step in my development.”
After a grueling six weeks of testing and racing against the very best in the world, Spike finished 13th overall, seventh in the New Zealand Grand Prix and a best finish of fifth place during the season.
At the start of that season, Kiwi Motorsport owner Garry Orton commented,
“Teena and I first met Spike at Teretonga Park, New Zealand where he was racing Formula F1600 in 2019 and we’ve kept a close eye on his career ever since. Coming off a very strong F1600 season in the UK, I am sure Spike is going to perform very well in TRS. This year’s lineup has attracted some of the best up and coming drivers in the world so this year will again be a very tough series. We’re thrilled that Spike will be working with renown Indy Lights engineer Tim Neff. Tim has experience at many of the TRS tracks and will be a great mentor to Spike in this next big step in his career.”
It was Spike’s ‘slicks and wings’ debut racing for Kiwi Motorsport, competing with 20 drivers representing 18 different countries. I was delighted at the end of it all to hand him the trophy for the Toyota Racing Series “Most Improved Driver” at the awards dinner.
Onwards and upwards and no pandemic slowdown as Kohlbecker trained hard during the lockdown, readying himself for another unique challenge of Formula 4 USA. This was another smart and unique turn in his career.
Having driven in TRS, the obvious move might have been F3, but the smarts are with Kohlbecker, as he reunited with Gary Orton and Kiwi Motorsport.
That allowed him to also reunite with race engineer Tim Neff and an excellent mechanic who knows a thing or two about racing, New Zealand’s former TR86 star and former TRS driver Ryan Yardley (pictured with Spike in main photo).
In the press release Gary Orton had this to say about the young American.
“Tim and Spike really connected in New Zealand and their time together in Formula 3 will certainly put them in a good position coming into the season. After Spike’s breakout run at the New Zealand Grand Prix weekend where he secured his place as the series Most Improved Driver, I have no doubt Spike will be running up front here in the States. After watching Spike?s amazing progress in TRS we sat down with him and set forth a plan to run in the US and now that plan has come together.”
Now at the halfway point of the season the plan is certainly coming together and everything clicked at Barber, Alabama, last weekend. Kohlbecker was fastest in practice and unfortunately had qualifying cancelled due to heavy rain.
Undaunted, Spike took a fourth in race one, a third in race two, finally his first win in the championship in race 3 and another excellent third in the fourth race of the weekend. It was his most outstanding round to date in the series.
More importantly for Spike, it was on home soil and in front of his ever supportive family who as you’d expect after all those years away from home were delighted for him.
“My grandma came and she was recovering from open heart surgery so it was great to have her here and win in front of her. I was super pumped. It was great for me and it was great for my team too.”
For me the Race 3 win was so more than just his first win in the series. It was a mature and proficient performance that truly showed how much his racecraft has come on under guidance of the team at Kiwi Motorsport.
He was hounded relentlessly by the series leader Hunter Yeany lap after lap, defending attack after attack, from the talented Virginia native, holding him off without making one mistake for the entire race with a winning margin of 4,000th of a second. It was truly one of the best races I’ve seen in a junior category in years and I know I wasn’t the only one impressed. Race director and former Indy star Scott Goodyear was there at Parc Ferme to shake his hand for what was great clean, but aggressive and cool-headed race.
“It’s a very different style of car, the F4, and it took me a while to get used to,” commented Kohlbecker. “You kinda jump on the power way quicker than you would in an F3. You trail the brakes in as much you carry the speed through the corner, a lot more technically. You don’t carry more minimum speed but it feels that way cos you jump off the brakes earlier. At the beginning of the season I kept trailing the brakes going into the corners and had to break that habit. So it’s definitely been a big learning curve, but it’s been a great first half of the season.”
Spike now has a month off before returning to racing at Sebring in September.
“Great racing is what I’m here for. That’s what I really strive for and of course more wins and to learn a lot more. Also important is to keep representing my sponsors, that’s another big thing as they are really important to me. They make this all happen.”
So what about another crack at the Castrol Toyota Racing Series next year again with Kiwi Motorsport back in New Zealand?
“It definitely interests me and it would be wonderful to go back there – just gotta talk to the parent. I’d love to go back there since I now have more experience. I really wanna see what I can do in that championship.”
This kid, and he is still just 17, has huge potential to go all the way and a unique resume and achievements to go with it already.
He says he wants to line up on the grid at the Indy 500 representing St Louis and I one don’t doubt it in any way.
Smart, educated, fast, aggressive and a rare thing in young drivers, humble. As well as driven and mature beyond his years, Spike exudes confidence and knows he can learn from everyone he comes into contact with in motor racing and boy is he working at it.
Look at how he sums up his own weekend at Barber last week after I asked if he was satisfied with his progress at the halfway point of the season.
“Yeah of course I’m going to keep training. I’m learning and I’m getting great racing and that’s what I want. I’m quite satisfied with this weekend especially as I have never been here before so learning the track and racing seasoned veterans has definitely been challenging, but I feel like I am doing as well as I can.”
The Mississippi River City of St Louis Missouri has produced famous names like Miles Davies, Chuck Berry and TS Eliot, and of course the Nascar dynasty of Rusty, Mike, Chrissy and Kenny Wallac , but the only Indy 500 winner was back in 1924 when St Louis driver Joe Boyer won.
So it’s time for a new racing star from St Louis, Missouri and I think that man is Spike Kohlbecker.
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