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Getting Prepared for the 2010 Racing Season
The 2010 Racing Season is rapidly approaching and all of us at MPL Motorsports are busy preparing for our first race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. I wanted to take a minute here and update all of our fans as to what we have going on currently. We have had a very busy off-season with many changes.

All of us at MPL Motorsports have been working very hard getting our cars ready for the RoC season opener on April 17-18th. Beyond that we really do not know what my schedule is going to be due to sponsorship concerns. The US Army has left our team due to budget cuts. There is a possibility they will return at a later date but not for the 2010 racing season. My entire team would like to thank the US Army for their support and for a great 2 years while it lasted. We were able to do a lot of fun things together. At this point it is also unclear if Rochester Steel Treating will be able to commit to returning as a sponsor in 2010. Due to these circumstances we are currently unsure of our 2010 schedule. We would obviously like to race the entire RoC schedule and all of the additional races at Dunn Tire Raceway Park. We have two beautiful #25 Troyer modifieds built and ready to race but it takes a lot of money to keep them going. We will keep you posted as we work toward obtaining new sponsors for 2010.

However, we do have some good news as well. We have added another race team to our organization. My dad and I are co-owners of L2 Auto sport and driver Zach Shove. He will be a teammate to both me and my dad and race the #2 Troyer housed out of our race shop. We are able to do this because of the support from All County Construction and Champion Seal Coating. Zach and his crew are past SST champions at Spencer Speedway and are ready to tackle a full RoC schedule in 2010. It will be fun to see how well Zach will do this season. Also, Northeast Industrial Technologies has come back on board and will continue to be an associate sponsor for my #25 team in 2010. This is about the 5th year in a row they have been with us in some capacity and we thank them for the ongoing support.

If there are any sponsors interested in joining our two race teams for the 2010 season please contact us through the email and phone numbers provided on this website. We are looking for all levels of sponsorship at this point. Thanks to all of our fans for their support and we look forward to seeing you at the track in 2010.

Mike Leaty featured in The buffaLO NEWS
"Leaty wants to join dad in Victory Lane" By Larry Ott

Leaty Notches Fourth Place Finish In Druar & Jankowiak Memorial
Williamson, New York – Mike Leaty and the #25 US Army/Rochester Steel Treating Works team headed west to Dunn Tire Raceway Park this past Saturday and notched an impressive top five finish. It was a special night at the speedway as the Modifieds ran the annual Tommy Druar and Tony Jankowiak Memorial 50 lap event, held each year in memory of the two legendary drivers. The best of the best Modified drivers were on hand and the #25 Team proved once again that they are amongst the elite teams in the Modified ranks. Complete Story

Leaty has bittersweet homecoming
Mike Leaty and the #25 US Army/Rochester Steel Treating Works Team competed at their “home track” – Spencer Speedway – this past weekend in the Race of Champions Modified Tour 100 lap main event. Leaty, a former multi-time Modified champion at Spencer, began his day on a solid note but it was unfortunately ended early as the #25 Modified became a victim of circumstance. Complete story...

Leaty Has Stellar Day at Dunn Tire Raceway Park
Williamson, New York – Mike Leaty and the #25 US Army/Rochester Steel Treating Works Team traveled west to Dunn Tire Raceway Park this past Saturday for the Race of Champions Modified Tour 75 lap event. Leaty and the team used a combination of skill, teamwork, and good draws to produce a heat win, top five feature finish, and a great points day. Complete story...

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 1/3^rd 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. Complete story...

MPL Motorsports Captures Spencer RoC Win In Commanding Fashion
Williamson, NY – Mike Leaty and the #25 MPL Motorsports Team conquered Spencer Speedway on Friday, June 19^th, taking the US Army Modified to Victory Lane for the Race of Champions Modified Tour main event. Pitted against thirty-five other competitors, Leaty drove a superior race, besting some of the other top Modified drivers in the Northeast United States. Complete story...

Leaty Makes First Appearance of ’09 at DTRP
Williamson, NY – Mike Leaty and the #25 US Army / Rochester Steel Treating Modified Team made the trek westward this past weekend to Dunn Tire Raceway Park. It was the first appearance at DTRP during the 2009 season for the MPL Motorsports Team and it was an action packed day. The team was looking to shake down the car and get ready for the upcoming Race of Champions tour race at DTRP. Complete story...

MPL Motorsports Starts 2009 With A Top Ten Finish at Oswego
Williamson, New York – Mike Leaty and the US Army/ Rochester Steel Treating #25 Team started off 2009 with a strong ninth place finish at the first Race of Champions Modified Tour race of the season. The Richie Evans Memorial 75, held at Oswego Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, pitted the best of the best Modified drivers against each other, each vying for the prestigious win. Memorial Day is an extra special day that recognizes all of the troops that we have lost fighting for our freedom so this race had extra meaning to the US Army team. Complete Story

Mike Leaty Announces 2009 Schedule
Mike Leaty and the #25 MPL Motorsports Team will visit a variety of racing venues in during the 2009 racing season. The #25 US Army Team will follow the Race of Champions Dart Asphalt Modified Tour in addition to running a number of weekly shows at Dunn Tire Raceway Park. Complete Story

MPL Motorsports Ends Season On Strong Note at Dunn Tire Raceway Park US Open
Mike Leaty and the entire MPL Motorsports Team ended their season on a strong note as Leaty drove the #25 US Army and Rochester Steel Treating Works Modified to a solid fifth place finish in the Race of Champions Modified Tour 100 at Dunn Tire Raceway Park’s 20^th Annual US Open. Complete Story

Leaty Leads at the Steel Palace
MPL Motorsports finally conquered the famed Oswego Speedway this past weekend at the 58^th Annual Race of Champions. The "Steel Palace", as the track is known, has been a difficult nemesis of the #25 US Army and Rochester Steel Treating Works Modified this season, but the tides changed as Mike Leaty led the prestigious 200 lap event for the first time in his career and only lost the event after contact with another car took him out the top spot. Complete Story

MPL Motorsports Peaks At Close of Season
By Danny Johnson
Once the leaves begin to turn in Central New York, all the race teams hope to be hitting their stride. It’s the time of year where the big dollar shows dot the schedules, and teams hope to have momentum on their side.

One team that has turned their season around, and has things going in the direction they would like is the MPL Motorsports team of Mike Leaty. "I think we’re peaking at the right time," Mike said as he looks forward to this weekend’s 200 lap Race of Champions. "Early in the year, it seemed like we couldn’t do anything right. Lately, things have seemed to turn around a bit, and we’ve been running up front and in contention for wins. In this sport, it’s all about momentum, and we seem to have it on our side as we wind down the year." Complete Story

1-2 Finish For MPL Motorsports To End The Regular Season
Mike Leaty takes home the win at Spencer Speedway
MPL Motorsports had a banner night on the last night of the regular season at Spencer Speedway as the #25 and #26 US Army & Rochester Steel Treating Works crossed the finish line in the first and second positions. Mike Leaty, piloting the #25 Modified, captured his second win at Spencer Speedway this season while his father Jan drove the #26 team car to a stout second place finish. Complete Story

MPL Motorsports Posts A Top Five Finish At The RoC Parts Plus 125 At Oswego Speedway
Oswego Speedway has not always been kind to Mike Leaty and the #25 MPL Motorsports Team as the track has given the team more downs than ups. However, the tide changed this past weekend as Leaty posted an impressive fourth place finish with the US Army & Rochester Steel Treating Works Modified in the Race of Champions Modified Tour Parts Plus 125. Complete Story

MPL Motorsports Has Solid Day At Dunn Tire Raceway Park
The Race of Champions Modified Tour made their semi-annual stop at Dunn Tire Raceway Park, formerly known as Lancaster Speedway, for a 100 lap main event. The third time was the charm for the event as the previous two scheduled dates were rained out. Mike Leaty and his #25 US Army & Rochester Steel Treating Works ran a smart, solid race and ended their day with a top ten finish at a traditionally tough race track on the RoC circuit. Complete Story

Hard Work Pays Off For MPL Motorsports
Leaty Earns 3^rd Place Finish at Spencer Speedway Race of Champions Modified Tour Event
The hard work that the #25 MPL Motorsports Team has displayed throughout the season finally paid off last Friday as the prestigious Race of Champions Modified Tour rolled into Spencer Speedway. Twenty six of the best local Modified racing teams were on hand for the nights competition and Mike Leaty used his knowledge of the unique track to post an impressive third place finish. Complete Story

MPL Motorsports Showcases Teamwork During Whelen Modified Race
Hopes were high going into this past weekend’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race at Spencer Speedway in Williamson, New York. Mike Leaty, driver of the #25 US Army and Rochester Steel Treating Works Modified, is a two time Spencer Speedway Modified Champion and the team planned on using their knowledge of the track, teamwork, and a fast car to get to the front of the 31 car field. However, with many of the Whelen teams making their first ever appearance at the facility, there were plenty of on-track incidents that unfortunately influenced the outcome of the race for the Leaty team. Complete Story

Mike Leaty Captures First Win of the 2008 Season
After a few weeks of bad luck, Mike Leaty and his #25 Modified finally found themselves in Victory Lane at Spencer Speedway on June 27^th. The entire US Army and Rochester Steel Treating Works Team have been hard at work to get the first win of the season and their efforts finally paid off. A couple of lucky breaks finally found their way to the #25 Modified Team and they capitalized on them, taking the checkered flag in the first of two Modified features. Complete Story

Mike has dedicated this championship to the late John Blewett III and the Blewett family.

Lancaster US Open Weekend
We concluded our season this past weekend with the running of the U.S. Open at Lancaster Raceway Park. It was a 100 lap race with the heats being run on Saturday. We welcomed a new sponsor to the mix for the last two races as well. Northeast Industrial Technologies (www.neind.com) joined Rochester Steel Treating as co-primary sponsors for the final two races of the season. Oswego could not have gone any worse the weekend before so we wanted to have a good showing this time out.

Saturday was qualifying and practice day. In the past we have run well at Lancaster despite our limited experience at the track. Practice was no exception as we were consistently one of the faster cars on the track. Our heats rolled off late into the night and the track was very slick. We did however manage a 2nd place finish and a chance at the feature re-draw on Sunday.

Sunday was raceday. The only time we would see the track would be late in the afternoon for our 100 lap feature event. The top 12 re- drew for the feature and we picked the number five slot. It was the perfect spot to sit back and save some tires in the beginning of the race. At the drop of the green flag we settled in to run fourth. This was the perfect scenario for saving tires. The first caution didn't come out until lap 41 and we had moved up to the third position at this point. A lot of the cars running behind us pitted at this first caution period. When we went back green there was a big pile up that collected most of those cars on fresh rubber. We decided this would be a good time to take on our new right rear tire. After the pit stop we were running in the 11th position. It was time to try and make a charge to the front and were able to do so. With about 25 to go we had made it back up to the 3rd position and were slowly closing in on the leaders. Unfortunately, we would not see another caution to tighten up the pack and we would have to settle for third on this day. The car was fast all weekend but we just missed our set-up slightly at the end. All in all it was a great weekend for the team and sponsors.

This race concludes our 2007 season. Leaty racing as a whole has a lot to be proud of with what we accomplished again this season. We now have a championship to celebrate and a lot of racecar rebuilding to get done before we start 2008. Check in shortly for updates regarding our plans for next season and anything other new information we might have. Thanks for your continued support.

Leaty Wins 2nd Straight Spencer Speedway Track Championship
It was the last night of racing at Spencer Speedway and it was a pressure packed evening. We entered the night with a 21 point lead over our closest competitor but this night was a double points event. This meant that we had to finish in 3rd place or better to bring home the title. Both Tim McMullen and Buck Catalano were within striking distance and were not going to make life easy.

In the heat race we did what we had to do and finished in the 2nd position. They do award points for the heats and the 2nd place finish gave us a little more room for error. Our magic number was now 4th or better. It just so happens that this is where we started the 30 lap main event. Things for the first 5 laps or so got a little edgy and we dropped back to 5th place. After a quick caution the next restart we made our move. When the green flag came out we went all the way up to 3rd and then made an inside move for 2nd a couple laps later. Tim McMullen was now the leader and he was fast. We settled into 2nd and decided that would be good enough to accomplish what we wanted for the night. We crossed the line finishing 2nd in the race but we won the big trophy for the end of the year. It was Leaty Racing and Branich Motorsports second straight Spencer Speedway track championship.

The entire Leaty racing team wants to thank all the fans that have supported us throughout the 2007 season. We also have some of the best sponsors in the sport with Pace Electronics, Rochester Steel Treating, Heluva Good Foods, Lyons National Bank, Mr. Auto/Parts Plus, Northeast Companies, and Wayne Regional Orthopaedics to thank. Not many teams have a list like that and this is a big part of why we are at where we are today.

This coming weekend we get a well deserved break to celebrate. The following weekend, September 21 and 22nd, we will be running the Race of Champions in Oswego, NY. We will be competing in both the SST and modified class. We typically run well in Oswego and we will be looking to add another big trophy or two to the mantle that weekend. Thanks everyone for visiting our site.

Top 10 finish at Classic Weekend in Oswego
It was Labor Day weekend so that could only mean one thing; Classic Weekend at the Oswego Speedway. The RoC tour had its traditional 125 lap race Saturday night and we brought our Rochester Steel Treating Troyer Modified out for the fun.

There was a slightly different qualifying procedure for this race with time trials being run instead of heat races. As long as we got into the top 12 in time trials we would not have to run a heat race. Although it was only our second attempt at time trialing, we did time in 10th fastest with an 18.146 second lap. This locked us into the starting field. When the race finally got under way we had a really fast car. We immediately moved into the top five early in the race until the caution came out on lap 44 and we pitted. Our night took a turn for the worst when a lug nut got jammed in the air gun while changing the right rear tire and we lost a lot of ground in the pits. We came in the pits 2nd and came out in last. This was a tough break but we persevered on. There was only one more caution period but we managed to make it back up to 7th at the end of 125 laps. We might have had a better car than that but it was a decent run all things considered. We will do some fine tuning and bring the same car back even faster for the Race of Champions in a few weeks.

This coming Friday night we will be gunning for our second straight Spencer Speedway Track Championship. It will not be easy as we have a couple of competitors within striking distance. The Branich Motorsports team will have the car ready like always and we will be looking for a top 3 finish to bring home another title. Come on out Friday to support our efforts if possible. A good time will be had after the races if we are able to get the job done!! Thanks for checking in.

One Race to Go at Spencer
This past Friday night at Spencer Speedway, the entire Leaty racing team put together another solid finish to maintain our point lead going into the final race of the season. We started the 30 lap main event in the 6th position and brought it home in 4th. We certainly were not the fastest car on the track but we got done what we needed to accomplish for the night. The last modified point race of the season will be Friday night, September 7th and we currently hold a 21 point advantage over 2nd place. It will be interesting to see what happens.

This Saturday night we will be bringing our Rochester Steel Treating Works modified to Oswego Speedway for a 125 lap Race of Champions tour race. Spencer Speedway has given us the week of so we can concentrate on attending this event. The Leaty Racing team is the defending winner of this event and we have a great track record at Oswego so we are anticipating a fun weekend of racing. Thanks for checking in and wish us good luck over the next couple of weeks. It is going to be exciting.

Top 5 Finish
Friday night at Spencer Speedway was another 30 lap feature and there was only four races remaining in the season so everyone was obviously thinking points. We had a 29 point lead going into the race and started the main event in the 5th position. The modifieds ran our race just after a car oiled down the entire track which made the racing groove very slick and tough to pass. The car that started on the pole won the race and we were unable to move forward at all. Our Pace Electronics car had a total lack of grip for the entire race. We stayed in 5th and didn't go forward or back for a very uneventful 5th place finish. It was a disappointing night for us but we still have a 21 point lead with 3 weeks left in the season. 5th was our worst finish since the second week of the season when we tangled with lap cars while leading. We will be back stronger than ever this Friday night for another 30 lap event.

Increasing Our Point Lead
Racing at Spencer Speedway continued this past Friday night with the second 100 lap event of the year. It was a double point event and a race that we knew we would have a chance to do well because of our long race experience at other tracks over the past couple of years. A lot of the regular teams at the track do not venture out of Spencer Speedway very often.

Eighteen modifieds showed up for the 100 lap event. The track decided that they were going to handicap the heat race start which hurt us because of our good finishes lately. Usually at most tracks for a special event there is a draw bucket that determines the heat race starting order but not this race. They were redrawing the top 4 from each heat for the feature and we would only be able to make it to the 5th finishing position, missing by a nose at the line. This gave our Pace Electronics/Heluva Good Foods/Lyons National Bank ride the 9th starting position for the main event. In these longer races it really does not matter where you are running early on as long as you are on the lead lap. Well the first 60 laps went by with no yellow and we were not able to move up much from the beginning. Admittedly, we were not trying very hard either until the leader was closing in to lap us. Fortunately while running 8th and the next to last car on the lead lap the first and only caution period of the race came out. This is when we brought our Troyer modified onto pit road and to the attention of the Branich Motorsports team for a new right rear tire. Our pit stop experience paid off moving us from 8th to 4th without having to pass a car. The race now only had about 35 laps left. On the restart we would be held up a few laps before moving into the top 3. At this point the two leaders had checked out and we were never able to really show those two that we might have something for them. We will take the 3rd place finish and prepare our car for next week. We now have a 29 point lead with 4 races remaining in the season.

Saturday my dad, Jan Leaty, won the Jankowiak/Druar memorial at Lancaster Raceway Park, moving him within 9 points of the Lancaster points lead with 2 race remaining there. I think a season point sweep sounds possible! It should be a fun end to the year and be sure to check in to see what happens.

Another Successful Trio of Races
We had a very busy racing schedule this past weekend with all three cars ready to hit the track. Friday night we had two races at Spencer Speedway and then Saturday it was off to Oswego for a Race of Champions modified tour event.

The first race of the weekend was with the Branich Motorsports modified in a typical 30 lap event at Spencer Speedway. We started the race in the 3rd position and found ourselves running there for most of the race. The two lead cars were just a little bit better than us and it looked as if we were going to finish 3rd again this week. The race only had one caution period early on and just keeping up with the top two cars was about all our Heluva Good Foods car could handle. On the last lap of the race things went our way to say the least. As we went down the backstretch and into turn three, the leader approached a lap car. Contact was made between the two and opened up a small hole between the lap car and the top two running teams. We sliced our Troyer modifed between all of them and took home the win on the last corner of the last lap. It was a lucky break but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good for sure. It was our second win of the year at Spencer and we were able to open up our point lead slightly. It is always a lot of fun to win!

Next up for Friday night was the SST tour 75 lap event. It was the second time on the track for this year with our Rochester Steel Treating SST modified and we had some steep learning to do with the chassis setup. We started our heat in the 6th position and made it into the redraw for the feature with a solid 3rd place heat run. The redraw was held for the top 12 and we pulled the 8th starting position. The beginning of the race saw multiple restarts that got really hairy but we were able to maintain our 8th place running position. At about the halfway point of the race we had moved up into 6th and were just maintaining our position at that point. We were able to catch up to the front pack through the last portion of the race but were never able to make a pass into the top five. A decent 6th place finish was not a bad way to finish the night all things considered. The SST cars are a lot slower than than the mods and require a driver to maintain momentum a lot more than the full blown modifieds do. Between the different driving characteristics of the car and the different type of setup they require we learned a lot as a team during this event. We will be bringing the SST back out again at some point this season but we are not quite sure where that will be at this point.

After two good runs Friday night we took the Rochester Steel Treating/Mr. Auto Parts modified to Oswego Speedway on Saturday night to run a 75 lap RoC tour event. Oswego has gotten a reputation of late for not having much passing in the shorter races and this night would be no different. We drew a bad pill coming into the gate but we were able to get into the redraw for the feature with a 4th place finish in the heat race. Again the top 12 cars re-drew for the 75 lap main event and this time we got a little luckier by pulling the 4th place starting position. When the race got underway we didn't get the best of starts and dropped back to 6th initially. The first 50 laps went off without a caution and we were able to get up to 4th by that point in the race. With 25 laps to go we were not quite as strong as the leaders but we had a really good car and we knew we could bring it home in the top five. On the restart there was a couple of lap cars that really messed up the leaders and caused us to lose some ground to the front running pack. Without a caution the rest of the race we had to settle for a 5th place finish at the end. It was a good way to finish off our busy weekend by bringing another car home in one piece and with three top 6 finishes. We are always looking for that win but we will take a top 5 on the RoC tour any day.

This weekend our racing slows down with only a 30 lap Nascar weekly event at Spencer Speedway on our schedule. We will be looking to maintain our points lead with another strong run for all of our fans and sponsors.

This weekend we kick our schedule back into high gear with two races and a car show. Friday night we run Spencer Speedway in the Branich Motorsports car. Saturday we will then make the trip west down the Thruway to Lancaster with the MPL Motorsports team for a 75 lap RoC north tour event. If we survive Saturday night in one piece, we will then will head down to Springwater, NY for there annual town Gala and show off our Rochester Steel Treating racecar for the fans. We hope you can make it out to cheer us on.

Consistent Finishes This Weekend
This past weekend we once again had two races on our schedule. The first of those was once again at the Spencer Speedway for our usual 30 lap event in the Branich motorsports car. 17 modifieds showed this week to support the speedway. Due to the track's handicap system we started the feature in the 7th position after qualifying in through our heat race. When the green flag flew chaos broke loose entering the first turn with the car sparking, smoking, and getting sideways. Somehow nobody wrecked but we dropped back to 9th almost immediately. After this incident we methodically worked our Pace Electronics/Heluva Good Foods mount to the front. At about the halfway point in the race we were up to the 2nd position but we were fighting a tight handling car that would not allow us to close in on the leader. The last half of the race we spent just hanging on and we even dropped back a spot to finish in the 3rd position. It was a consistent run but not the win we are always looking for at Spencer. We are going to make some changes and bring the car back even faster this Friday night.

Sunday we loaded up the MPL Motorsports car and headed to Wyoming County International Speedway in Perry, NY. It was the 2nd RoC North tour race of the year. We started the day of great by putting our Rochester Steel Treating modified in victory lane in the heat race and then re-drew the pole position for the start of the 75 lap main event. When the race got underway we had a very tight car which was planned but it caused us to drop back to 4th in the running order. The first 40 laps would run off without a caution and we improved our running position up to 3rd by this part of the race as the car began to loosen up. The yellow flag flew for the first time just past the halfway point in the race and the back half of the field pitted. We decided to maintain our good track position and stay out. This turned out to be a mistake as later on the race all those cars on fresh rubber came up through the field and passed us. With about 15 laps to go we had fallen out of the top 5 when another caution flag flew. At this point we decided just to stay on the track and get as good of a finish as we could which turned out to be 8th at the end of the day. Again it was not the finish we would have liked but the car is in one piece and ready to go to Lancaster in two weeks. We survived the busy weekend with two decent runs and we will regroup for Spencer this weekend.

Another Busy Weekend
This past weekend we again had two races on our schedule. Friday night we made the weekly stop at Spencer Speedway. We had a tough heat race where we fought a very loose handling racecar and caught some tough breaks to struggle to a 5th place finish. This relegated us to a 10th place start in the 30 lap main event. It was not a problem though as we have a very fast car and we methodically worked our way up to a 2nd place finish at the end of the race.

Saturday night we brought the Rochester Steel Treating Troyer down to the Chemung Speedrome for the second RoC race of the year. It was only our second ever trip to the drome and we unloaded fast. Practice went very well and then we took down a heat race win as well. This put us in the redraw for the feature starting lineup and lady luck gave us the 8th starting position for the 75 lap main event. Just before the race was about to get underway the sky's opened up and the race had to be postponed. A makeup date is yet to be announced. It was a heck of a weekend that is for sure. Our next race for sure is the third RoC race of the year at the Wyoming County Speedway in Perry, NY on June 17th. Hope to see everyone there. Thanks as always for checking in. -Mike Leaty

This coming weekend we will be racing two events. We will start at the traditional Friday night stop and race another 30 lap event at Spencer Speedway. Saturday we move to Oswego Speedway and debut the MPL Motorsports-Rochester Steel Treating modified in the Richie Evans Memorial 100 RoC tour event. We are the defending race winner so we have high hopes for both races.

US Open
We finally were able to wrap up our season this past weekend with the running of the US Open at Lancaster Raceway Park. We had been rained out twice already but it was a beautiful afternoon for racing. It was a good thing the weather was nice because it turned out being a long and eventful day for the entire Rochester Steel Treating team.

Qualifying for the race turned out to be the tough part. Originally we finished the heat race in the 4^th position but our Troyer modified crossed the scales too light afterwards and we were disqualified. We must not have gotten enough fuel in the car after practice because we had plenty of weight in the shop. This is a mistake that keeps coming back to haunt us and is something we are going to change. After being light we had to start last in the consolation race. They were taking the top 3 cars from it and we had made it up to the 4^th position with two laps to go. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst again when we tried to get the final transfer spot. We had a run under the 3^rd place car going into turn one but he didn’t know we were there and we made contact. It sent both of us to the rear of the field and forced us to use a provisional to get into the race. It had been a long day already and we still hadn’t started the 100 lap main event.

We started the race last on the field which was 31^st. From the get go we knew we had to use pit strategy to get us the track position we needed. When the caution flew on lap 19 we knew it was early to pit but it was a chance we had to take to try and maneuver our way to the front of the field. Once we back to green flag racing we slowly picked off cars while trying to save tires whenever possible. By the time the race hit lap 60 we had worked our way up to the 4^th position because of other cars pitting and a lot of outside passes. This is when the race would get interesting for us though because we had to hold off the cars with fresher tires for the last 40 laps. We continued to run 4^th until there was 20 laps to go and the tires took a turn for the worst. We were just holding on but still managed a 7^th place finish at the end. Not a bad run at all after the way things started in the beginning of the day. Our season is now over and we start getting the cars and engines torn apart to freshen up and get ready for next season. Once we know for sure what our plans are for 2007 I will be sure to update the site. Thanks for checking in all year long, as it has been fun and we accomplished a lot this year! You can also check out www.speedwayad.com/branichmod for more information on the Leaty Racing team.

The Race of Champions
This past weekend was the Race of Champions in Oswego. It was the traditional 200 lap event at near the end of the season. This
year we had beautiful weather for a change and the race was a fun one. For the first time ever the Race of Champions had time trials
which locked the top 12 into the race. We were relegated to a heat race after a tight car in time trials gave us a poor time. In the
heat we got the car loosened up but our day didn't get any easier. We started the heat in the 6th position but on the start the leader
missed a shift and another car went up and over the rear of our Rochester Steel Treating Troyer. It caused significant damage to the
bodywork but we continued on and finished the heat in the 3rd position. The entire team did a wonderful job putting the car back
together with a bunch of parts a pieces from other competitors and some of our spares. In the feature it was fast.

We started the race in the 22nd position based on our heat race finish. When the 40 car field took the green we were on cruise
control until lap 50. This is when we made our mandatory pit stop for two right side tires. The guys managed to get us the first car out of
the pits and then the chess match was on. We were the first car running on the track that had pitted and if we could stay that way by
the time pit stops cycled through we would be leading the race. Not much changed through the halfway mark except we were getting closer to
the front. I noticed we did develop a slight vibration in the rear of
the car but I figured it would survive until the end of the race. By
lap 140 all the leaders had pitted and we were running 3rd. There was
a long green flag run from this point until lap 195 that really took
its toll on the tires but we were still running 5th, one spot behind
my dad who was 4th. There was a five lap shootout to finish up a
great day for Leaty racing. Things were looking great on lap 199
until the caution came out and forced an overtime situation. We had a
green white checkered finish on lap 213 that was going to determine
the finish. We were running 5th still but when the green came out the
rear pinion broke and we were forced pitside. I now figured out where
the vibration was coming from the second half of the race but I wish
it would have held on for two more laps. We wound up with a very
disappointing 21st place finish, two laps down. The entire Leaty
Racing team did a fantastic job all day long but for the first time
this year we dropped out of a race. We will be back stronger than
ever this weekend at the US Open in Lancaster.

Mike Leaty Wins Spencer Speedway Track Championship
In 1986, Jan Leaty won the track championship at Spencer Speedway. On Friday, September 8^th it was the last race of the season at Spencer Speedway and it was a night for celebration. Mike Leaty had already wrapped up the track championship 20 years after his father won the title. This makes them only the third father and son tandem to win the track championship at Spencer.

We actually won the first race of the year and never gave up the points lead all season. Add to that the fact that our Branich Motorsports car completed every lap of every race this season (for a total of 507 laps) makes our first championship even more impressive. As for the nights racing, we started the Lyons National Bank car in the 3^rd position and dropped back at the start of the race. It was a hard fought event that saw a lot of hard racing but we were able to fight back for a 2^nd place finish at the end. It was our third straight 2^nd place finish which can get frustrating but the night was still a huge success. We were there to celebrate with our family, crew, and fans. MPL and Branich motorsports wants to thank everyone for all there support this season at Spencer and hopefully we can have a strong run in the seasons last two RoC races.

This weekend we run the famous Race of Champions 200 in Oswego. It is always an interesting race that requires a lot of strategy and good luck. For the first time ever we will time trial to see who starts in the top 12 positions and with a win at Oswego already this season we have high hopes. Thanks again to everyone who has congratulated us on our season to date.

LEATYS HIT PAYDIRT SEPTEMBER 1!

Williamson, NY – Logistics was the major problem of the weekend, as both Branich Motorsports’ NASCAR modifieds were in action at the same time at different tracks September 1.    The team apparently had the solution, as both Jan and Mike Leaty hit paydirt in their respective races.
               Half of the team traveled east from the Branich shop in Williamson to run the final race of the Race of Champions (ROC) North Tour at Oswego Speedway. Some said Jan put on a clinic as he claimed the victory in the Parts Plus/Davis Brothers 125.
              Luck of the draw placed Jan deep in the field for his heat. The bad news was he finished 6th and only the top 5 qualified for the feature event. The good news was he qualified through the consolation event.
              Patience was the name of the game early in the 125 lap feature, as he methodically advanced from his 21st starting position into the top ten by the halfway point. During caution laps a short time later, the team decided to pit, and Jan returned to the track in 15th position. New tires made the difference, as he had the fastest car going away. He steadily worked the #6 to the front, taking the lead on lap 102.   He was never seriously challenged from there on out to the checkered flag. Jan commented, “people make the difference. We have a great core crew and then the help on race day from my brother Steve is huge. He is such a good strategist... he knows how to read the flow of a race.”
             Jan also was the recipient of the Hoosier Hard Charger Award in recognition of his scamper to the front from the 21st starting position. Jan entered the race in second position in the ROC North Tour points and with the win nearly made up the 13 point deficit, missing the championship by a only one point.
            With Jan’s win, Oswego Speedway history was made. Mike won the ROC North Tour opening event earlier in the year. Jan and Mike became the only father-son combination to win feature events in the same season at the “Steel Palace.”
            About an hour to the west in Williamson, the other half of team supported Mike’s pursuit of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series Championship at Spencer Speedway.
            From the 4th starting position in the heat race, Mike moved forward to finish second. The track handicapping system put him 4th on the starting grid for the 30 lap feature event. Within 2 laps of the green flag he had moved to the second position. He and track regular Buck Catalano did battle for the remainder of the race. “I got beside him a couple of times,” said Mike, “but I didn’t have quite enough to get by him.” Mike came home second in his #25 Troyer, but with the strong finish, clinched his first track championship with one race still remaining at Spencer. It was exactly 20 years ago this season that his dad Jan also captured the track championship, also in a modified with #25 on its side.
          Mike will be back in action Friday, September 8th at Spencer, and both Jan and Mike will run the 56th Annual Sunoco Race of Champions 200 lap event at Oswego on September 16th.
          The Branich racing effort is supported by Pace Electronics and Heluva Good Foods (both in Sodus, NY), Lyons (NY) National Bank, Wayne Regional Orthopaedics (Williamson, NY), Mr. Auto/Parts Plus (Ontario, NY), Davie Kaplan Chapman and Braverman (Rochester, NY) and Big Dog 103.5 FM (Newark, NY).
          For more about the Branich Motorsports team, including schedule and finishes, and the team sponsors, visit the team website at www.speedwayad.com/BranichMod.

Leaty Closing in on Spencer Championship
This past Friday night was a big one for the entire Branich Motorsports/Mike Leaty team. We started the night with a 38 point lead and needed another strong run to solidify our spot at the top. The Lyons National Bank/Wayne Regional Ortho team struggled tremendously in the heat race and we were forced to start the feature race in the 12^th position. This made finishing the race even more important. When the green flag flew our car was on a rail and we were on the move. When the caution flew on the second lap we were already in the 6^th position! This time on the re-start the two leaders would get together and cause a chain reaction accident which was a good and bad situation for our team. The good thing was we were now running 4^th. The bad news was we had some front end damage that bound the sway bar up and made the car very tight entering the corners. However when the green came back out, we took the outside groove and into 2^nd by only the 3^rd lap. This is as far as we would get but it is all we really needed on the night as we now hold a huge 52 point lead with only two races left. This weekend we will not be able to compete at Oswego Speedway for the final RoC North race due to the points race at Spencer Speedway the same night. It is disappointing because we are in the top 5 in the RoC north points as well but maybe someday the promoters will figure out how to work together.

Saturday we took my dads team car to Lancaster Raceway Park to run. In the heat race a very scary accident happened in the second turn when the car of Karl Hehr hit the pit gate and actually got stuck underneath it. Karl has some very serious injuries and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his entire racing family. The rest of the nights action was cancelled due to the accident.

Another Spin and Another Top 5
We went into the races Friday night at Spencer Speedway with a 28 point lead in the championship standings. Our goal for the night was to maintain that lead with but go after our third win of the season as well.

We started the Wayne Regional Ortho/Lyons National Bank car in the 5^th position for the feature and quickly made our way to the front of the pack. By about lap 5 we had made it up to 2^nd and began to work over the leader, who just happened to be the second place point man Patsy Catalano. For ten laps I worked the outside with Bill Hebing waiting in third to pounce on any mistake. Finally on lap 15 we had worked our way into the lead by a nose going down the backstretch. Going into turn 3 Patsy got into the turn too hot and slide into our left rear corner and caused us to spin. For the second week in a row we were now last halfway through the race. We pitted to fix some cosmetic damage and went back out. Again we came from the back of the pack to salvage a 5^th place finish.

It was disappointing not to win the race but we did pick up 10 more points due to other peoples trouble and now hold a 38 point lead with three races remaining. We had planned to go to Lancaster Saturday night but that wound up getting rained out. This upcoming weekend is another 30 lap race at Spencer Speedway Friday night. We had planned to race Saturday at Lancaster and Sunday at Wyoming County but due to the RoC re-scheduling a race at Mahoning Valley as a combination event, we will not be going to either and now focus our attention solely on winning the Spencer Championship.

Leaty Maintains Spencer Point Lead
Friday night was another 30 lap race at Spencer Speedway. We brought the Lyons National Bank/Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car. It was fast right out of the trailer with a very convincing heat race win. This allowed the Branich Motorsports car to start 5^th for the 30 lap feature.

The start of the race was very competitive with the first few rows side by side. Once things settled down a little bit we made our way up to the 3^rd position by about lap ten. Unfortunately for us this was as high as we would get as contact from behind sent us spinning around in turn one. No damage was done to the car but we were now running last. The next twenty laps were just about trying to get a consistent point finish which we were able to accomplish by bringing the car home right where we started; the 5^th finishing position. It was not the run we were looking for but still lets us maintain our points lead with 4 races remaining in the season.

This weekend we are again running Spencer on Friday night and if everything goes as planned we will make a surprise appearance at Lancaster Raceway Park on Saturday night with the MPL Motorsports car. This would be the second RoC bonus race of the three we need to attend.

Decent Weekend for Leaty Racing
It was yet another busy weekend for us with the second 100 lap race at Spencer Speedway Friday night and then the 5^th race of the RoC north tour Saturday at Oswego Speedway. We were coming off of wins at both tracks recently and had very high hopes going into both races.

We drew for our heat race starting position at Spencer and the luck of the draw did not go our way this time. I started last in the second heat and it proved to be a big hill to climb. On the second lap we touched wheels with another competitor which sent the Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Lyons National Bank car in air and off of the racing surface. The crew did a good job of fixing up the car but we were unable to finish the heat. This forced us to start the feature in the 16^th position. Due to the length of the race we knew that patience was going to have to prevail to make it to the end. Once the green dropped we started making moves and dodging wrecks. Most of the regulars at Spencer only run 30 lap races and it showed as there were numerous wrecks in the beginning of the race. We were just riding around saving our car and tires for the end. On lap 32 we decided to pit with the leaders and grab a new right rear tire. It was early in the race to due so but the race was running long due to the amount of cautions and we were getting close to the 11:30 track curfew. We decided to take the tire and save it for the end. We worked our way into the top five by lap 75 when the caution flew again. At this point the track said we had to run a green white checker finish because they couldn’t go over the curfew. We were disappointed with this decision because we had saved our tires waiting for everyone else to pit and now the race was almost over. Once the green flew I quickly moved into third and got to the outside of second place but couldn’t complete the pass on the last lap. We wound up with a decent third place finish and a great night for the overall points race. The Branich Motorsports team now has a 32 point lead with five races remaining.

Saturday at Oswego was a struggle for some reason. We had the same Rochester Steel Treating car that won the race the last time at the speedway but fought an ill handling car all day long. We brought the car home second in the heat to get in the re draw for the feature. We pulled the number 10 out of the hat and started the 75 lap feature there. At the start, we settled into the ninth position and rode out the beginning of the race. The car was way too tight and it was really killing the exit speed out of turns. We started to drop back as the right front tire heated up. On lap 35 the caution flag flew and we were struggling in the 12^th position. We made the decision to come in and free up the car and put on a new right rear tire. This helped the car a little bit but cost us all of our track position. Oswego has been very difficult to pass on this year and we could only manage a 13^th place finish at the end. It was not the finish we were looking for but the car was not wrecked and we will get it better for the next race. Unfortunately, we will not be able to attend the next race at Oswego because it is a Friday night and we have a race at Spencer the same night. We are sitting 5^th in RoC north points after this race but we will drop for sure because of not attending the next event. It is sad for us that two tracks 45 minutes apart are running the same cars on the same night but I guess that is the way things work today. This week we have Spencer Speedway on Friday night and then a well deserved weekend off.

Leaty Gets Back on Track With Another Win
July 14^th at Spencer Speedway saw the field of modifieds dwindle significantly from 23 the week before to 13 this week. The racing action was still great however as we started the Branich Motorsports car in the 7^th position. Once the race got underway and the field got single filed out we started making our way to the front. The Lyons National Bank/Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car was up to third by the halfway point. On the next restart we went under the second place car on lap 16 and then went by the leader on the outside on lap 17 to take command of the race. There were no more cautions over the last 13 laps and we went on to win our second race of the year at Spencer by over a half straightaway. It was another great effort by the entire team.

After the win at Spencer we decided to take the Rochester Steel Treating/MPL Motorsports #25 to Perry, NY on Sunday and run in the 40 lap Modified Mania race at Wyoming County Speedway. We wound up winning the heat and starting the feature in the 2^nd position. The handling on the car for the feature was not quite right and we wound up with a 4^th place finish. It was a decent day because the car was in one piece but we certainly didn’t run as good as we had hoped. It was a good learning experience for the whole team. This weekend we will be running Spencer Speedway on Friday night and then take a well deserved weekend off. It has been a while since we have had that!

Less Then Perfect Weekend for MPL
So far this year we have had a lot of racing luck go our way.
This weekend however was a different story as not much went our way
and we struggled through another busy weekend with a pair of finishes
we were disappointed in.
For the first time this year we brought the Rochester Steel
Treating/MPL Motorsports car to Spencer Speedway for the first 100 lap
race of the year. In practice and the heat we fought a terrible
vibration that we could not figure out the cause. Thankfully, just
before the feature we tried a new driveshaft that turned out to cure
the problem. We started the feature in the 13th position and just
rode around and picked off positions slowly for the first 56 laps. We
had worked our way up to 5th and decided to pit for a new right rear
tire. We had big plans of coming back up through the pack and making
a strong run for the win but it wasn't to be. The tire we put on
never came up to size and made for a very ill handling racecar. We
wound up bringing the car home in one piece but in the 6th position.
After the race we found the stagger to be an inch too small in the
rear. Not much we could have done about that problem but we will get
a better run in next time for sure. We continue to lead the points at
Spencer.
Next we made the haul Sunday to the Chemung Speedrome for the
first time. We had the Rochester Steel Treating car in second place
in points going into the race. We made our best guess at a chassis
set-up and were not too far off right from the get go for the 75 lap
main event. I started the feature in the 16th position and had made
my way up into the top 10 until a spin early on put us to the rear.
Things were looking up though as the race progressed. During a
restart with four laps to go, we had made it all the way back up from
the rear of the pack to 8th. Once again though bad racing luck hit us
as on the re-start a car get under us and pushed us up out of the
racing groove and back to a 13th place finish. Again a big
disappointment as it was our worst finish of the year. On the bright
side though, the car is in one piece after a very busy weekend. We
are also still sitting 3rd in RoC North points with two races
remaining. This weekend we get a bit of a break with only a race at
Spencer on Friday night to worry about. Hopefully we will turn around
our luck with a strong run.

Another Successful Weekend
   We had very busy racing weekend from 6/30-7/2. We started off
racing Spencer Speedway Friday night for their fourth race of the
season. We started the Branich Motorsports car in the 10th position
and were able to work our way up to 4th at the finish. It was a
frustrating race that didn't see very many breaks go our way while we
fought a loose racecar during the entire race. We still came away
with a fourth place finish and maintained the points lead but it was
not the type of run we were looking for. Fourth is our worst finish
of the year and we will be looking to improve the chassis set-up over
the next couple of weeks.
   Saturday we loaded up the Rochester Steel Treating/MPL Motorsports
car and went to Lancaster Raceway Park for the third leg of the RoC
North Tour. It was only my second ever time visiting Lancaster so I
was more worried about logging all the laps and gaining experience
than anything else. We started the race in the 13th position and
basically just maintained that position when we pitted on lap 21 for a
new right rear tire. We thought this was a little early in the 75 lap
race to pit but we knew we could gain some track position and thought
that would be very important later on. The next part of the race was
all about tire preservation and wait for the other guys to pit. Once
things cycled through we found ourselves running about tenth with 25
laps to go and it was time to start making some moves. One by one we
were picking off cars and by the white flag our Troyer was running
fourth. Coming out of the second turn the two leaders got together
and spun, we moved to the bottom and took the lead going down the
backstretch only to see the yellow come out and move us back to second
place. Unfortunately, under yellow a lap car accidently ran us into
the wall while cleaning off his tires and knocked the front end all
out of alignment and left us with no chance to compete for the win. I
held on and got a great third place finish. It was disappointing not
to win but for the big picture a third was great. This also moves us
up to second in RoC North points and right in the hunt in that
championship as well.
    Sunday we went from Lancaster to Springwater, NY for the town's
annual Fourth of July Gala. We had the car on display and met a lot
of nice racefans. Thanks to everyone who stopped by. Hope to see you
all at the track sometime in the future. This upcoming weekend will
be very busy again as I take my MPL Motorsports car to Spencer on
Friday night for the first 100 lap race of the year and then to
Chemung on Sunday for the next RoC race. Chemung will be interesting
because we have never been to that track before. It should be fun.

Leaty Maintains Point Lead at Spencer
It was another beautiful Friday night in Williamson, NY. We went
into the night as the points leader but knew that because of our
strong start to the year we would have to start way back in the field
again this week. 21 cars showed up in the modified class making it
one of the biggest fields of weekly modifieds anywhere. We started
our heat in the 6th position needing to get to the 4th spot to get
qualified for the feature. Right at the drop of the green flag
something broke in the front end that cut out the power steering and
caused for a terrible vibration in the steering wheel. Luckily two
cars in front of me crashed and I was able to nurse the car home to a
3rd place finish and get qualified. This is where the fun began
though as it turns out the steering rack basically fell apart and we
had to replace major components in it to get the car ready for the
main. There was major concern that we would not have enough time to
get all the work completed. The crew did a wonderful job of working
together, thanks in large part to my father Jan, and got the car ready
to race in time.
We started the Wayne Regional Ortho/Lyons National Bank car in the
12th position and quickly made our way to the front. By lap 3 we were
already into the 7th position when the caution regrouped the field.
The inside lane didn't go right off the bat but once on the outside we
were on the move again and up to 4th by halfway. At this point it was
a four car breakaway with the two Catalano's, Chuck Hossfeld, and us
pulling away from the pack. With about ten laps to go Patsy and
Hossfeld made contact sending both to the rear of the pack and our Mr
Auto/Parts Plus car into 2nd with ten laps to make a move.
Unfortunately, we were not strong enough to go by but we still
increased our point lead and had another top 3 run. We have now run
three races at Spencer with 3rd place as our worst finish of the
year. This weekend we run Spencer Speedway on Friday night with the
Branich Motorsports entry and then Lancaster on Saturday night in my
own MPL Motorsports/Rochester Steel Treating car. That will be the
third RoC North race of the year and we hope to keep our momentum
going strong.

Leaty Continues Solid Start to 2006 Season
This past weekend we had a doubleheader with Spencer Speedway on
Friday night and then the second RoC North tour race at Wyoming County
International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Friday night went very well. We started the feature in 14th due to
the handicap and winning the week before. Right from the green flag we
moved the Lyons National Bank/Wayne Regional Ortho car to the front.
By lap 23 we were up to fourth and still moving forward when a caution
grouped up the pack. On the restart we were able to get to the
outside and pass for the third position but that was as far forward as
we would get. Time ran out with a strong third place run. We also
continue to lead the points at Spencer.

Sunday we unloaded the Rochester Steel treating car and started the
heat race on the front row right next to my father on fathers day!
Who writes these scripts anyway? Of course dad won the heat and we
finished second and were in the redraw for the feature. We pulled the
7th starting position after the redraw and settled in for the 75 lap
main event. Once we got going we settled in running 6th and at one
point got as high as fourth. The track actually started to tear up
and made this race one of survival from my point of view. Guys with
new tires came through the pack and relegated us to a 7th place finish
at the end of the day. Not exactly what we were looking for but good
enough to give us 3rd in the points at this point in the season. We
are off to a good start and we look to keep it going this weekend.
Thanks to all the guys for all of there hard work.

2 Races, 2 Different Cars, 2 Wins
After winning The Richie Evans Memorial in Oswego last weekend we were pumped up to debut the #25 Branich Motorsports Troyer at Spencer Speedway Friday night. After two straight weeks of rain it was the season opener. We started off strong by winning the heat race and starting on the outside pole for the feature. It was the same starting position we won from at Oswego and knew we had a good chance at it.

At the drop of the green, we powered into the lead and would lead the first lap. The yellow flags kept coming in the beginning of the race which made for numerous important re-starts. At times during the race we opened up half straightaway leads on the rest of the field. The Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Lyons National Bank car was up to every challenge and lead all 30 laps on its way to victory lane. It was the perfect way to start the season and the Mike Leaty/Branich Motorsports combination.

I wanted to take a second and thank my crew: Jan Leaty, Jerry Lancaster, Nick O'Neil, Harry Donovan, Don Abel, Jack Wasson, Pops Leaty, and Eric Morgan. Also car owner, Fred Kaempffe, who is also a valuable crew member as well. Everyone on the team put in a lot time over the winter and made these racecars my dad and I are driving fast and reliable. All the hard work is paying off now. Also without the sponsors on both teams (Rochester Steel Treating, Wayne Regional Orthopaedics, Lyons National Bank, and Parts/Plus Mr. Auto Parts) the cars would still be sitting in the shop. It has been a great way to start the season and hopefully now we can find the consistency we need to win a championship or two.

The Leatys Shine in the Richie Evans Memorial 100

From the Oswego Speedway website: The Race of Champions Parts Plus Richie Evans Memorial 100 was won by second generation and first time Oswego Speedway winner, Mike Leaty. Leaty led a strong contingent of drivers down to the finish. Matt Hirschmann was second. A charging Eric Beers came home in third. Bobby Holmes was fourth and the winner’s father, Jan Leaty, came across the line in fifth. The surprise of the night came from second time RoC competitor Ryan Peece who ran in third place for more than the first 75 laps of the 100 lap feature. The win for Leaty was a popular one for the youngster.

“I am a proud papa today. Mike did a Heluva Good job racing last night !!,” said Jan the next day on raceny.com. “The kid works hard at his racing, but also owns his own car and pays his own bills. Maintains a nice home for his wife and kids works hard at his job. That is a lot for a 25 year old... I remember! Thanks to all the guys that helped and special thanks to Branich Motorsports for all they do for Mike and I.”

Mike will be in action for Branich this coming Friday, piloting the Wayne Regional Ortho/Lyons National Bank sponsored #25 Troyer in the season opener at Spencer Speedway. For more information about Jan and Mike Leaty and the team sponsors, visit the team website at www.speedwayad.com/Branichmod

Mike Leaty to Have A Busy 2006 Racing Season
MPL Motorsports is proud to announce that they will be running a brand new Troyer modified on the entire Sunoco Race of Champions north tour in 2006. Once again Rochester Steel Treating Works (RSTW) of Rochester, NY will be the teams primary sponsor. Last year RSTW was the team’s sponsor of its efforts at Spencer Speedway on a weekly basis. Together they won 2 feature races and finished the season third in Nascar Modified points. This season Wittenberg University, located in Springfield Ohio, will join the team as an associate sponsor on the car. "I am really looking forward to running my own team on the full RoC North tour this season" said Mike Leaty. "We have dabbled with the tour a lot in the past, but this season everything has just come together perfect. We have great support from our primary sponsor Rochester Steel Treating, a new Troyer being built, and a very dedicated crew that will allow me to have a well prepared car at every race." A tentative schedule has been released and can be found on the team’s website, www.MikeLeaty.com.

In addition to his duties in his own MPL Motorsports car, Mike Leaty will be piloting a car out of the Branich Motorsports stable for another full season at Spencer Speedway. This will be a team car to his father, Jan Leaty, who still plans on running select races this season. The team has picked up sponsorship from Lyons National Bank and Wayne Regional Orthopaedics to run for the 2006 Spencer Speedway modified track championship. To obtain more information on Branich Motorsports, please visit the team’s website, www.speedwayad.com/branichmod.

Leaty Closes Spencer Season 3rd in Points
This past Friday night was the final night of racing at Spencer Speedway for the year. For the second consecutive year we went into the night in third place in the standings with a very slight chance for winning the championship. We needed both of the guys ahead of us to have very bad finishes and it was not likely.

The night started off good with a second place finish in the heat race. This allowed our Rochester Steel Treating/Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car to start the feature in the 6th position.

At the drop of the green flag we made a lot of ground on the outside and moved up to third by the second lap. At this point in the race I was behind Buck Catalano and his son Patsy Catalano. I knew that Buck was going to pull over and let his son go by so I was there to fill the hole on the outside when he did. Buck did not make life as easy for me as he did his son and it took a few hard laps to get by him. Complete Story

Just a Little Luck...
Friday night was the next to last race of the year at Spencer Speedway. We were still third in points after last weeks transmission failure, but we were 28 points out of the lead. We were just looking to go out and get a solid finish and see what happened to the other points guys. We finished the heat race in 2nd which allowed the Rochester Steel Treating/Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car to start 6th in the feature event. At the drop of the green the car was really good and we got a great run on the outside of the track. By the second lap we were running in third and still going strong. The first two cars were battling hard for the lead so I decided to hang back, save my tires and let them go at it. On about lap 12 the green was still out but my car was getting really tight. I was not sure why but I knew it wasn’t good. The first yellow flew on lap 14. We restarted third but I was nervous about how my car would handle once we got going again. When the green came out it was obvious that we had a right rear tire going flat. I rode it out until the next yellow and then headed pit side. The crew told me the right rear had a huge gash in it from running something over on the track. We put a different tire on and headed back out to gain as many positions as possible. I managed to get back to 9th before the end of the race. This race is just a good example of how our luck has been the second half of the season. We have one more week left at Spencer where we will try to solidify our third place point standings and then move on to the bigger races for the end of the season. Hopefully our luck will be better in them.
-Mike Leaty

The Ups and Downs of a Race Weekend
Last Friday was another 30 lap race at Spencer Speedway. We went into the night only about 20 points out of the lead with only 3 weeks left in the season. We were hoping for a good top 3 finish to keep us up in the points race. In the heat race I came home with a strong third place finish but it was not without its share of problems. There was a spin in front of me that I slowed down for but the car behind me didn’t. That car went up and over the left rear and caused extensive sheet metal and spoiler damage. My crew did a tremendous job fixing that damage and we started the feature in the 8th position. When the green flag flew we were immediately on the move on the outside. Unfortunately it was short lived because coming out of turn two on about lap 6 while running 5th the transmission broke and we were done for the night. We finished the race in the 15th position. It was a huge hit in the points and probably took us out of contention for the championship with two weeks left.

Sunday my crew and I made the trip to Tioga Motorsports Park to help work on my father's Branich Motorsports modified in the last ever race at Tioga. It was a great way to finish up the weekend as he took home the win in the 200 lap event. It was great to see him finally turn his season around with such a special win and made our weekend a whole lot better. -Mike Leaty

Busy Weekend with Great Finishes for MPL Motorsports
We had a busy weekend planned with a 30 lap race at Spencer Speedway on Friday night and a 75 lap RoC North race at Oswego Speedway on Saturday night. Complete Story

Another Top 3 for Leaty at Spencer
We had high hopes going into the 30 lap feature at Spencer Speedway this Friday after having such a strong car in the 100 lapper the week before. The heat race was a struggle, we started third in the 10 car heat and dropped to a sixth place finish. We were not too worried about it because we knew the tires on the car were not up to snuff but didn’t think they would keep us out of a qualifying spot. Complete Story

100 Thrilling Laps for Leaty
This past Friday was the first 100 lap event in quite some time at Spencer Speedway. The cars were parked on pit road in front of the fans so that they could see all the action. We started third in the heat race and quickly grabbed second at the drop of the green flag. The top four would be redraw positions so I knew I didn't need to get any more spots and only concentrated on not using my tires the rest of the heat. We got the Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Rochester Steel Treating car qualified in a redraw position for the feature with that 2nd place heat race effort. Complete Story

Top 5 Finish for Leaty, 100-Lapper Up Next
Friday night was the last 30 lap event at Spencer Speedway before the 100 lapper this Friday night. We started the Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Rochester Steel Treating Troyer in the 6th position which is a good starting spot for us. At the drop of the green flag, the outside pole sitter didn't get a great start and that hurt us a little bit. All of the passing in the race happened in the first ten laps as I was able to quickly move from about 8th to 4th with a very loose car.

We have been struggling as of late with the chassis set-up. We have been trying a few different things to try and correct that and I think we are getting better, but we still have a little ways to go. All I could do is hold on to 4th until the end of the race. It was a top 5 finish, which is good for points but not exactly the performance my team is looking for especially starting so close to the front. I guess it is a good sign that we are not happy with 4th and expect a lot more......

When things don't go your way....
It was Mr. Auto Parts night at Spencer Speedway Friday night which meant I wanted really bad to run good for one of my best sponsors. Unfortunately things would just never go our way no matter how hard we tried. Complete Story

RoC Race Report from Wyoming County Speedway
This past weekend we were supposed to race Friday night at Spencer Speedway and Sunday afternoon at Wyoming County Speedway. Our schedule got quite a bit easier when Friday night was rained out. We got the car all switched over and ready for WCIS Sunday. Complete Story

Leaty Takes Runner-Up Spot at Spencer; Moves Into Point Lead
It was a very hot night a Spencer Speedway Friday night and the last thing my entire Wayne Regional Ortho/Rochester Steel Treating Works team wanted to do was fixed a wreck hot racecar. Unfortunately in the heat a bone-head move by a veteran driver put us in the frontstretch wall. It ruined the front of the car and my entire team went to work. It is frustrating when something like this happens but cooler heads usually prevail. Complete Story

Another Top 5 for Leaty and Team
After last week, my entire Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Rochester Steel Treating team needed a good run. Luckily we got one Friday night at Spencer Speedway. We started off with a solid fourth place finish in the heat which allowed us to start the feature in the 12th position. Complete Story

Tough Weekend for Leatys
It is amazing to me how fast things change in racing. We had two races this past weekend with the first one being Spencer Speedway on Friday Night. It was week number two at Spencer Speedway and it was only a week ago that I was the winner and we had a lot of confidence going into the night that the Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car could get a good finish again. Complete Story

WEEK #1, WIN #1
Throughout my racing career I had never finished a opening night! That is why we took a very cautious approach going into opening night at Spencer Speedway. This all changed in a big way when we brought the Wayne Regional Orthopaedics/Rochester Steel Treating car home in victory lane. Complete Story

Spencer Test and Tune
The first race of the season at Lake Erie Speedway was rained out and has been re-scheduled for July 23rd. This past Friday night was the test and tune session at Spencer Speedway and was also the debut our Rochester Steel Treating/Wayne Regional Orthopaedics car. We had the brand new motor in and everything ran well. Really the ultimate goal was to shake the car down and make sure mechanically everything was sound. My loyal crew has worked every Saturday since Thanksgiving getting the car ready and it showed. Everything worked perfectly and I feel as though the set-up was very close as well.

The all new powerplant that was assembled in house showed promising results as well. This Friday night is the first race at Spencer and the goal is to bring the car home in one piece with a good top five finish. Thanks for checking in and we will have updates every week from now until racing season ends so keep checking in. -Mike Leaty

Preparation Continues for 2005
As the weather continues to get worse and worse here in Western NY, all of us at Leaty Racing have been extremely busy getting cars ready to go for next season. It is my pleasure to announce that Rochester Steel Treating Works and Wayne Regional Orthopaedics will again be my primary sponsors for a run at the championship at Spencer Speedway next season. I must admit that I am very lucky to be associated with those two great sponsors and friends, and can't wait to start the year off with them.

In addition to that, I am going to be running my car in about half of the RoC Tour races. That schedule has not been released as of now, but there is a possibility of running the other half in a Branich Motorsports entry as a team car to my father Jan. We are currently working on sponsorship for that effort. I also hope to put together a deal to run the 2nd season of the SST Sportsman Series if at all possible but at the moment that is a long way away from happening.

My very loyal crew of Nick O'Neil, Jerry Lancaster, Jan Leaty, and Steve Leaty have been working hard over the winter here to get my MPL Motorsports car completely rebuilt, all the spares gone through, and have a couple of motors fresh and ready to go for next season. It has been a lot of work, but we are on top of it.

Negotiations are ongoing with some potential associate sponsors to help ease the financial burden and I think those are looking positive. My associate sponsors that are returning for sure for next season are Parts Plus/Mr. Auto Parts and Finger Lakes Hand Surgery. I have to also thank my product sponsors: Troyer Race Cars, Wilwood, Pennzoil, Sunoco Racefuels, Vans Collision, PED Racing Products, Pro Shocks, Leaf Racewear, and Wix Filters for all the help they have provided this off-season.

I can't wait for this year to begin, I think we will be a force to reckon with everywhere we go. I will post a 2005 schedule for sure as soon as I know it. Thanks for checking in. -Mike Leaty

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