Perseverance Sparks Come-From-Behind Win For Leighton

Barre, VT (September 1, 2008): Brad Leighton amazed spectators Sunday afternoon when he survived two hair-raising trips off Thunder Road's turn two, three flat tires, and more than a handful of pit stops to win the 30th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200, an American-Canadian Tour Late Model Championship race. It was Leighton's first win on the modern-day ACT Tour and his first stock car win since 2004 when he won a NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Watkins Glen International road course. It was also Leighton's first win since losing his biggest fan and father-in-law, Roger "Papa" Bull.

"I really would have liked to have shared this one with Papa," said Leighton, driver of the Irving Oil/Subway/Coca-Cola #55NH Ford Fusion. "We were one lap from pulling it in and calling it a day, but the guys never gave up. Talk about overcoming a lot of stuff, these guys on my crew changed everything on this car. It was a wild race for sure, and we were in it to win it."

Leighton started the race ninth, but began jumping hurdles at lap 50 when he blew a right front tire which sent him over the turn two embankment. Leighton headed for the pits where Dale Shaw led the crew in assessing the damage. Shaw stepped in for regular crew chief Matt Gosselin, who left to take a position on a NASCAR Nationwide Series team.

"The radiator shroud took some damage, and we were running hot but not overheating," explained Leighton.

Leighton returned to the track with a new right front tire and a watchful eye on his temperatures. But at lap 120, the right front blew again, and the Irving Oil Ford Fusion went straight over the embankment in turn two for a second time.

"We knew it just wasn't coincidence that we were losing the tires," said Leighton. "The guys took a look around and discovered that the sway bar was rubbing so they ground the end of it down to prevent that from happening again."

Damage from the second ride over turn two, however, caused the left front tire to blow and Leighton had to return to the pits once again. The team changed the tire, made some adjustments, and sent him back into the race.

"Onwards we went," joked Leighton, who pitted a half-of-a-dozen times throughout the event. "We had fresh tires on so we were good to go." Leighton took the lead following a lap 172 battle with Eric Williams and Patrick LaPerle that saw the trio go three-wide. Leighton chose the high ground and it paid off.

"I just drove around them. I got up on the outside because that was the preferred line. There was definitely more grip up there," he said. Once out front, Leighton soared to the checkers unchallenged.

"We had enough challenges in the first half, I didn't need anymore!" he admitted. "I have to thank everyone at Irving Oil, Dave Parker at Subway, and my car owner Peter Duto. Everyone has worked so hard to get here and it's awesome to have it pay off like this."

Click here to read more stats on Brad.

WINS: 24 – New Hampshire, Lee (1996); Lee, Tioga (1997); Lee (1998); Lee, New Hampshire (2), Beech Ridge, Stafford, Nazareth (1999); new Hampshire, Waterford, Thunder Road (2000); Holland, New Hampshire, Stafford (2001); New Hampshire (2), Thompson (2002); New Hampshire (2003); Thompson, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen (2004).

POLES: 5 – Star (1997); Stafford, Lime Rock (1998); Lee (2000); New Hampshire (2001)