The first ten minutes did not go according to plan.
Brady was barely into his opening stint when he found the wall. Just like that, Hornet Nation Racing was already in damage control mode at the LVGP 500, the premier Lehigh Valley Grand Prix endurance race held every year on Daytona 500 weekend.
It was going to be that kind of day. The only question was what the team would do about it.
The Hole We Dug
After Brady’s early contact, kart issues forced a kart change that cost us even more time and track position. We fell all the way to 11th out of 13 teams in the pro division.
Eleven of thirteen. In a field where everyone belongs.
At that point, a lot of teams fold. They start racing for pride instead of position, taking risks they shouldn’t, making mistakes that cost them even more ground. That’s not what happened here.
The Climb
What followed over the next several hundred laps was exactly what Hornet Nation Racing is built on.
Clean driving. Zero penalties. Fast, efficient kart changes that didn’t give back a single position unnecessarily. Brady, Colin, and Max executed when it mattered.
The moment that stands out most happened in the middle stages of the race. Brady strapped in and went to work, moving the team from 7th all the way up to 4th during his stint. In an endurance race, a three-position swing in the middle stages isn’t luck. That’s driving. That’s focus under pressure when the race is still very much alive but far from decided.
Max put an exclamation point on the day by posting the fastest lap of the race at 26.777 seconds.
The Result
Hornet Nation Racing finished 3rd overall and 3rd in the pro division out of 13 teams at the LVGP 500.
From 11th to the podium.
I am incredibly proud of Brady, Colin, and Max. This team had every reason to pack it in after the opening chaos and they didn’t. They raced smart, stayed out of trouble, and kept picking off positions one at a time until we were standing on the podium.
That’s the kind of team Hornet Nation Racing is.
Thank You to Our Partners
None of this happens without the people who believe in this team. A huge thank you to our partners who make it possible for us to compete:
The Wealth Education Company, LLC | Mint Digital Marketing | P1 Web Development | Hidden Valley Treasures | Fusion Workplaces of Allentown | Dreamcatcher Career Coaching, LLC | ATYL Media
We appreciate every single one of you.
What’s Next
Brady opens his outdoor racing season in April. After a day like this one, the momentum heading into that season couldn’t be stronger.
The LVGP 500 reminded us what this team is capable of when things go sideways, and they keep pushing anyway. We’ll be back in November for the 2026 Turkey Bowl at LVGP.
