A Serious Race School is Only as Good as the Instructor that's Teaching it!

FinishLine Racing School Chief Instructor: Mike Loescher

"If you don't want to hear the truth about your driving capability, you might not want to attend the FinishLine Racing School." states John Bickford, (Jeff Gordon's step-dad and coach throughout his early racing career) "Mike Loescher, Chief instructor of the FinishLine Racing School is brutally honest"

Mike is a former NASCAR modified driver from upstate New York. He started racing at the age of 16, and continued to race professionally for 15 years before moving to Florida. Mike has had an impressive racing career. He has been credited with seven track championships and over 130 victories to his name.


Mike raced and won against some famous names; Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Maynard Troyer, Ron Bouchard, Geoff Bodine, Bobby Allison, Harry Gant.... the list goes on and on.


Mike raced on the "All Star League", to qualify to be on the league you had to be a Track Champion or second in points - so you weren't racing against any "slouches", you were racing against the best in the business. The "All Star" League raced on both dirt and asphalt, and you used the same race car! Now that was back in the good ole days.


Mike raced 7 features in 6 nights, all summer long. On Tuesday night he raced an All Star race; Wednesday night he raced at Ottawa Speedway, Canada; Thursday night another All Star race; Friday night outside of Rochester, NY; Saturday Night outside of Binghamton, NY; Sunday afternoon Fulton Speedway, NY; and Sunday night Utica Rome Speedway, NY. As you can see by his hectic schedule, racing is all Mike Loescher has ever done.


Mike has a unique ability to watch a race car and determine if it's the driver making a mistake or the race car. Not only is Mike a champion caliber race car driver, he is also a chassis expert. And that's why The FinishLine Racing School works so well. Without a combination of chassis and driving knowledge - how can a driving coach help you? They can't - that's why Mike is the best.


Each day Mike walks the track with the students. This serves two purposes - #1 they look for debris that could cut a tire #2 Mike points out different elevation changes in the asphalt that will seem to make the car respond differently. Without this knowledge a driver could miscalculate and have the crew make a chassis change which the race car really didn't need. To race and win you have to understand everything - the race car, the race track, and your own driving style.


As Chief Instructor of the school, Mike Loescher brings more than 30 years of success and championship racing to The FinishLine Racing School.


All that we ask of students that are attending The FinishLine Racing School, please come with an "open mind" so that you can trust and believe in Mike's method of teaching - sometimes it's hard to understand where we are heading - but believe us - by the third day a light bulb will go off - It Works!!

* The curriculum at The FinishLine Racing School is one on one. Each day the student on the race track will only be racing against the clock. You have to learn to race the race track before you can race the other drivers. And that will come in time......

FinishLine Racing School Assistant Instructor: BJ McLeod

BJ started his racing career at the age of three, by age 8 he was THE one to beat in Florida Karting (even the older classes.)

BJ has won over 180 events in Karts and Late Model Stock Car competitions.

BJ was the 1996 National WKA Champion, 8 time WKA Florida State Champion, WKA South Carolina State Champion and has been Track Champion at eight different tracks in WKA.

BJ attended FinishLine Racing School in March 1997.

Just one month shy of his 14th birthday, BJ became the youngest driver ever to qualify for a major sanctioned race. He finished 18th in the ASA race at Kinley, NC out of a field of 32 cars.

In 1998, at age 14, BJ won the track Late Model Championships at both Orlando Speedworld and New Smyrna Speedway.

BJ has over 50 Super Late Model victories and numerous Championships and has logged many miles at New Smyrna Speedway, making him a perfect fit for FLRS as an assistant instructor.   read more  

FinishLine Racing School Assistant Instructor: Kristal Loescher

Kristal has been involved in racing for many years. She started out as the crew chief on Mike's "all girl pit crew." At that time woman where not even allowed in the pits, but knowing she had a job to do.. rules did not stop her. Kristal was escorted into the Pits by The New Jersey State Troopers who watched over her while she worked on the race car. After realizing that she was not a publicity stunt, they left! That was 32 years ago!

Up until November of 1987, Kristal had never raced in actual modified competition. As the FinishLine Racing School's first student, Kristal's first year was an impressive one. Of the 73 races she entered, she had 6 feature wins, 52 top five finishes, 13 heat race wins and was second in the modified point championship. The rapid success in her racing career was a direct result of Mikes coaching. Kristal was the first female on Team Valvoline and the first female National Spokesperson for Champion Spark Plugs. In September of 1992 she was diagnosed with brain tumors, as a result of the radical surgery she lost all her motor skills. Kristal had to learn to walk, talk and write all over again. Within 6 months she was back in a race car. In 1994 Kristal was given the Women of Enterprise Achiever Award alongside five businesswomen who were honored for surmounting big obstacles to achieve success. Sponsored by Avon Products Inc. in association with the Small Business Administration, the Women of Enterprise awards were begun in 1987.The award ceremony was presented at the Waldorf Austoria in New York City.

In 1999 Kristal also switched hats and did 3 years of marketing at Lanier National Speedway( Atlanta, Ga.), generating sales of over $150,000.00 each year. As you can see she saw sponsorship from both behind the wheel and behind the desk.
Kristal along with Husband Mike has spearheaded The Finishline Racing School for the last 20 years. The Finishline Racing School has built their reputation the hard way; they earned it, one student at a time. The Finishline is well respected in the “Cup” talent scouts arena as they realize we see some new and up and coming talent. The Finishline is the real deal, no fuzzy dice here!

* Each School comes with a Chief Mechanic, a radio person to assist the students with their earpieces and rotation - and a flag person.



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