LEATY STRONG AT NAZARETH
Williamson, NY – It would seem fitting Jan Leaty and the Branich Motorsports NASCAR Modified team would do well in the Service Electric 100, held May 23, 2004, at Nazareth (PA) Speedway. The race was the last NASCAR sanctioned event to be held at the historic 1 mile oval.

In 1991, Leaty won the first ever NASCAR modified race at Nazareth. More recently, the results weren’t so favorable. In 2002, the team went home after qualifying was rained out and there were no provisional spots left for the feature. Last year, Leaty charged from his 17th starting position to the 7th spot with one lap to go. On the last turn of the last lap, his car was hit from behind, sending him into the wall between turns 3 and 4, demolishing the right side of car. Despite this, he brought his damaged and smoking mount across the finish line on the lead lap in 18th place.

To make matters worse, the team’s Pace Electronics/Heluva Good Foods sponsored Pontiac was severely damaged in a multicar melee in the opening stages of the 2004 Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway one month ago.

“We were about due,” said team co-owner Fred Kaempffe. “And I think the track owed us one…” The team lived up to predictions, with a strong qualifying effort, and an even stronger race effort. “The car was very good right off the trailer and very drivable,” said Leaty. “During most of practice we worked on race set-up, making only small changes here and there.”

Forty-four cars were on hand for time trials. Leaty navigated the unique 5 turn oval in 27.428 seconds (131.253 mph), placing him 12th on the starting grid of 40 cars.

Race day was hot and humid, and the race was plagued by multiple cautions. “Our car was very good on short runs and in traffic,” said Leaty. He used this to his advantage on restarts, moving to the outside of turns one and two to move (and ultimately stay) in the top ten early in the race, and to move as high as fifth in the later stages. A green white checker finish prolonged the race from the scheduled 100 to 104 laps, and when it was all over, Leaty came home 6th.

The next stop for the Branich modified team will be the NASCAR Featherlite tour race at Lake Erie Speedway in mid-June. For more information about the Leaty, the Branich Modified effort, and their sponsors, visit www.speedwayad.com/BranichMod.

Branich Motorsports
P.O. Box 897
Williamson, NY 14589
Call: 315-589-4444
E-Mail: FKae4@aol.com