What started as a rough weekend for Mack Leopard at Coles County Speedway ended in Victory Lane on Saturday night.
Competing in the WFO Winged Outlaw Micro Series K1 RaceGear Outlaw Wing division during the Tom Rieck Memorial, Leopard charged from eighth to secure a $5,000 payday on Saturday night.
The result on Saturday was a stark contrast to Leopard’s day on Friday, which saw the young competitor from Ohio flip in his heat race before finishing 10th in the feature.
Determined to overcome his rough day on Friday, Leopard went into Saturday focused on improvement. He started third and finished second in his heat aboard his CB Industries No. 86, which earned him a starting spot inside the top-10 for the 35-lap finale.
He methodically worked through the field, moving into the top-five by the ninth circuit. He took fourth on lap 15, was third by lap 18 and moved into second on the 20th circuit around the eighth-mile dirt oval.
Leopard then began his pursuit of race leader Cole Tinsley, who had led since the opening lap. Finally, on lap 29, Leopard made the race-winning pass and drove away to a comfortable 2.5-second victory to earn the biggest payday of his budding career.
“I learned a lot on Friday that I was able to take into Saturday’s race,” Leopard said. “A wing car has more grip and I needed to drive it straighter. Going from flipping in my heat on Friday and winning the biggest race of my career the next day feels like a big accomplishment. I knew I had to be very calculated and patient during the 35-lap feature.”
Leopard’s drive and growth continue to impress CB Industries owner Chad Boat, who was thrilled with how his young driver set aside his difficult Friday to bounce back with a win on Saturday.
“First off just super proud of Mack and the way he drove,” said Boat. “He drove smart and calculated while making his way to the front. He never gave up and to rebound from Friday like he did I am super proud of him and look forward to carrying this momentum the rest of the year.”
Mack Leopard would like to thank his parents, CB Industries, Tonya McCallister with MPM Marketing and all of his sponsors: Maximum Restaurant, Joe’s Landscaping, Champion Equipment, Duncan Oil and Miami Valley Concrete.
-MPM Marketing Release
