MPL MOTORSPORTS NOTCHES TOP TEN FINISH AT
WYOMING COUNTY ROC RACE
Williamson, New York ? Mike Leaty and the MPL Motorsports Modified Team traveled to Perry, New York this past weekend to participate in the Race of Champions Modified event at Wyoming County International Speedway. The 1/3rd mile ?Bullring? raceway, noted for its tight and exciting racing, provided a challenge for the invading Modified teams who not only had to rely on race strategy but also were forced to hope that Lady Luck was on their side.
Twenty-three Modifieds were entered into the event and were broken down into three qualifying heats. As with RoC procedure, the top four finishers in each heat were entered into the redraw for starting position in the main event.
The #25 US Army/Rochester Steel Treating Works Modified started sixth in second heat of the night. At the drop of the green Leaty was able to slot his car into the fourth position. He maintained his running spot throughout the ten lap event and was entered into the redraw. Leaty was one of the last drivers to redraw for position but still pulled the lucky number 7 as his main event starting position.
The main event was slated for 75 green flag laps and Leaty rolled off from the inside of the fourth row. With the start of the race the field remained bunched up together, running side by side. With some many cars on the 1/3rd mile track jostling, bumping, and banging was to be expected. The first 30 laps of the race clicked off with only one yellow flag, but lap 31 saw the nights second yellow caution flag of the night. Leaty, who had slipped back to 11th in the opening laps of the race, took the opportunity to head pitside for a right rear tire.
As the race restarted, the #25 Modified took off from the 13th re-start position and began making its way through the pack. By lap 37 Leaty had cracked the top ten running positions on the track. However an incident on the same lap collected the #25 Modified. No damage was apparent and Leaty stayed on track, restarting in the 12th position, a spot he held at the halfway point of the race.
The #25 was soon running in the 9th running spot on the track but would once again be caught up in a wreck. As another Modified crashed into the frontstretch wall, Leaty dove to the inside and drove through the infield, emerging back out onto the track in turn two. The mess was cleaned up and the restart was called for but racing didn?t last long as two other competitors crashed, once again collecting Leaty in the ruckus. Leaty emerged seemingly unscathed yet again, however on the ensuing restart, the #25?s luck would run out as a right front tire went flat, forcing the car into the frontstretch wall with only 6 laps to go. Leaty was towed off with damage to the front end of the car. Leaty garnered a ninth place finish in the race of attrition and is in second place in the overall Race of Champions Modified Tour points.
?That was a wild night at the races? said Mike Leaty. ?The first half of the race ran right off without a problem but after our pit stop chaos broke out. It seemed like we couldn?t get 2 laps in without a caution and we were right in the middle of all the accidents because we were in the back from making a pit stop. We still got a decent finish despite how bad the night finished up and I guess we can take that out of this race as a positive. We have a lot of work to do now to get this car ready for its next event but I know this team is up to the challenge?.
Next up on the #25 US Army/Rochester Steel Treating Works schedule is the Race of Champions Modified Tour 75 lap event this Saturday at Dunn Tire Raceway Park on July 18th.
Keep up to date with the MPL Motorsports Team throughout the 2009 racing season by visiting
www.mikeleaty.com.
