Leonard Collects First Top-15 Finish Of Season In
Salem
Leonard Collects First Top-15 Finish
Of Season In Salem
Salem, Indiana - - ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Johnny Leonard believes his luck
is starting to turn around after his Florida Motorsports Group (FMG) team
notched a 14th place finish in Sunday’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 from Salem
Speedway.
After starting the third event of the season from 23rd, Leonard remained
patience while dicing around with his other competitors trying to slice his way
towards the lead pack. A stout field of competition had the Cape Coral, Florida
native on his toes as he spent several of the opening green flag laps racing
side-by-side.
While Leonard had a good car, Frank Kimmel and Chad Blount had strolled out
into another time zone and put several of the mid-packs cars a lap down
including Leonard. Despite losing the marker, Leonard remained on top of his game
communicating with crew chief Ted Kennedy and partner Rick Woodard about the
handling of his No. 13 Boca Bay Builders Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Just after halfway, the team opted to make a pit stop changing two Hoosier
tires, adding racing fuel and a slight chassis adjustment to make his machine
handle better.
Through the second half of the race, Leonard remained competitive. While not
as fast as the lap leaders Leonard positioned himself into a learning curve.
Sunday marked only his second race at Salem Speedway and his first short track
event in nearly two years. Battles on the racetrack kept the former late
model driver active, but he also was trying different lines that may aid him in
the fall event from Salem.
Running inside the top-twenty with thirty laps remaining contact between the
No. 1 Ford Taurus of Andy Belmont and Leonard sent the two spinning down the
backstretch collecting the No. 20 of Ken Weaver. Luckily, Leonard did an
incredible job and kept his automobile off the wall, grabbed a gear and returned to
the racetrack. Under the caution, the Florida Motorsports Group team led by
NASCAR veteran Kennedy surveyed the damage, deciding to bring Johnny on pit
road to pull the fenders away from the racecar.
Back to green-flag racing, Leonard kept out of trouble in the closing laps,
raced hard and collected a 14th place finish.
“We’re very happy with this finish,�?? said the driver following the race. “
Our 2005 season got off to a rocky start at Daytona and Nashville, but this
weekend is a confidence booster to everyone. We knew we needed to come in here,
finish the race and get a top-15 finish and we did.�??
Leonard added, “I don’t have a lot of experience on the short tracks, but
Sunday allowed me to get a lot of seat time, learn Salem a little more and have
a respectable finish. We’re coming to test here this summer. I had a great
time this weekend, but I want to come back in September and be a threat for the
win.�??
In addition to collecting their first positive finish of the ’05 season,
Leonard made a considerable jump in the RE/MAX Series point standings. “It’s all
about the points,�?? mentioned Leonard. “While we wanted to have a good run,
we desperately needed the points to get our season steered in the right
direction. Luckily it happened.�??
FMG partner Rick Woodard echoed his driver’s statements. “We’re pleased
with this run,�?? said Woodard. “Johnny did a good job today. Ted made the right
calls from the toolbox, the team worked well together and we have a solid
finish under out belts. We hope that our momentum will continue heading to
Kentucky Speedway in a couple weeks.�??
Kentucky Speedway is the next venue for the ARCA RE/MAX Series on Saturday,
May 14th. Before the team’s head to the track for event number four on the
season, ARCA has scheduled an open test for teams on Monday, May 2nd. Florida
Motorsports Group will attend the session.
“Kentucky is one of my favorite tracks. We’re taking a new car to the test
and the race. Now that we have a top-15 finish in the books, a top-ten finish
is next and I would love to conquer that at Kentucky.�??
###
DATE: March 27th, 2005
CONTACT: Chris Knight, Florida Motorsports Group
PHONE: 239-872-5191
E-MAIL: knight849@aol.com