Kade Leeper Racing

The Leeper racing crew is excited to have finished the weekend with not just one, but two wins with one being a clean sweep.

The issues have finally subsided and the car ran great this weekend!!

Thank you to the fans at both Greenbush and Bemidji for the unwavering amount of support and applause! Thank you to Heather Morey Motorsports and more for capturing the awesome moment!

An additional thank you to Pete’s Place South and Sugar Shack for the increased purse for the pure stock class at Bemidji Speedway this past Sunday. We also had the cutest lil trophy girl who was overjoyed to present Kade the additional check, and specifically requested to take a picture with the banner. Jenny Ann Smith Skyler Smith

All of this wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of my amazing sponsors!!

Darrell's Auto Glass Inc
Paul Bunyan Communications
Off Grid Armory
Todd’s Electric
Ross Lewis Sign Co
Nei Bottling Bemidji
Razor Edge Salon
Wes' Plumbing & Heating
Pete’s Place South/Sugar Shack
AMI Logistics
T & B Auto Sales
Auto Value
Bobs Towing/Wittner Auto Body

Oh how time flies!!!

Weekend racing update!

The car was prepped and ready to try our luck at Grand Rapids, though early on the track announced they were canceling due to the poor air quality.

The original plan for Saturday was to attend our normally scheduled Greenbush Race Park, though we had unexpected mechanical issues. Because of our recent unlucky experiences, Buck and Kade did a thorough check of the car before loading it into the trailer. They discovered some engine issues. Because of this, we knew quickly that we weren’t going to be able to make it to Greenbush. Instead the day was spent swapping motors and tuning the carburetor. By the end of the day, the car was ready for Bemidji.

Bemidji was Meet the Drivers Night! Aria drew a 9 putting Kade on outside pole for the heat. On the start he was pushed high up the track, making him lose a few spots. After some laps Kade was back up where he started. Kade ran out of laps and finished 3rd.
For the feature he was redrawn for the 5th starting spot. The track was a one lane freight train, making it difficult to pass. He managed to gain a few positions, beginning a battle for second, though after some contact Kade finished 4th.

It was great seeing and meeting the fans! We were also able to gift some new race merch to some cute babies!! Without you fans this wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to Nei Bottling Bemidji for the products to give away to our fan base!

Results
Heat: 2nd -> 3rd (-1)
Feature: 5th -> 4th (+1)

Overdue racing update!

Saturday for the 4th, the crew drove to Greenbush. Kade drew a 28 putting him in the 3rd starting position for the heat race. Track was quite slippery, making passing difficult. A couple of cautions were thrown:
⁃ a driver went off track
⁃ Kade was spun around
⁃ another driver was pushed and lost control, causing them to drive into the side of Kade.
Luckily everyone was okay! Kade finished where he started. The redraw put Kade on outside pole. Some tweaks were made during intermission and the car was ready to rock again.

For the feature, the car was handling great and was leading the entire race. Though during the few remaining laps, Kade was heavily pushed around. On the final lap, the car was pushed and there was some handling issues, and finished 2nd.

Sunday we were back at Bemidji for the Fullerton 500. Aria drew Kade a 21, starting him 2nd in the heat. Track was a bit dry but the car still handled well and finished 1st. The redraw had Kade starting 8th, with some work to do.

The first few starts of the feature were full of unnecessary pushing and shoving. Once there was a good restart, Kade was able to jump up to 5th. But before long, the car ahead of him spun out, and Kade got tangled into a mess. With the caution flag thrown, the call was made on Kade. This put Kade to the very back of the pack. Within the next few turns Kade shot back up to 5th. On the last lap, he was able to claim one more spot, finishing 4th.

After the car was back at the shop, we realized there were issues with the bolts on the motor mount frame! This would explain the handling issues that we’ve been fighting.

Results:
7/4 Greenbush
Heat: 3rd -> 3rd (+0)
Feature: 2nd -> 2nd (+0)

7/5 Bemidji
Heat: 2nd -> 1st (+1)
Feature: 8th -> 4th (+4)

We’ll be back at it on Saturday in Greenbush! None of this would be possible without all of my sponsors:

🟦Darrell's Auto Glass Inc
🟥Paul Bunyan Communications
⬜️Off Grid Armory
🟦Todd’s Electric
🟥Ross Lewis Sign Co
⬜️Nei Bottling Bemidji
🟦Razor Edge Salon
🟥Wes' Plumbing & Heating
⬜️Pete’s Place South/Sugar Shack
🟦AMI Logistics
🟥T & B Auto Sales
⬜️Auto Value
🟦Bobs Towing/Wittner Auto Body

There are plenty of highs when it comes to racing, but there are always lows. This weekend was full of lows.

Saturday, the Leeper crew headed north to Greenbush Race Park. With high hopes of getting to the track, Kade drew #5, putting him on the inside pole for the heat. The car was handling well at the start, but something felt slightly off. Shaking it off, Kade kept driving his line and figured maybe it was track conditions or stagger. For the feature, the car was still not running at its full potential. Kade again started on the pole and managed to hold this position for a few laps, but then the realization hit- the transmission was slipping. There was also some bumper car action. So, the car was loaded, and the transmission was swapped out after returning to the shop.

Sunday at Bemidji Speedway was the test of the “new” transmission. Kade drew #44, putting him in the middle of the crowd. In the heat race, the car felt much better, giving us a little bit of hope! There was a battle for 1st. Kade made his move, broke free, and leaped to the front. He had a great lead, though the caution flag was thrown. The previous lap wasn’t considered complete, putting Kade back in the second row starting spot. Running out of laps, Kade finished 2nd. For the feature, track conditions were not optimal. Though it was watered, the track did not keep the moisture and turned dry very quickly. There were also some deep ruts in the corners. Because of the track drying out, dust was getting kicked up like crazy, making it very hard for Kade to see where he was going. Finishing 9th, the car was again loaded up, and discussion ensued of what could be improved or what may have gone wrong. Back at the shop, Buck and Kade quickly realized there was an issue with the front end- the sway bar linkage broke.

Frustrating to say the least that Leeper Racing can’t seem to catch a break with mechanical issues. Let’s pray for a mechanical issue-free weekend of racing later this week.

Results:

Greenbush
Heat: 1st -> 2nd (-1)
Feature: 1st -> 4th (-3)

Bemidji
Heat: 3rd -> 2nd (+1)
Feature: 8th -> 9th (-1)

Saturday, since there was no racing in Greenbush, we went to Hibbing Speedway! It was Kade’s first time back in 5+ years. He had a good start and drew a 27, which put Kade on the outside pole. Things were looking good, but he couldn’t find a good line. Kade was also pushed into slime and lost traction. He finished 4th, so we still made the redraw. The feature started on the inside pole and had a great, clean battle with Jake Smith. The car had some power issues and started blowing black smoke. Kade managed to finish the race, securing 2nd, and his car died while getting on the scales. The next day, when figuring out the cause of the black smoke, the carburetor was shot.

Parts were able to be swapped out before Bemidji Speedway’s race and drew a 91, putting Kade in the back for the heat. He weaved, made some passes, and finished 4th, making the redraw. For the feature, Kade started 4th. Several cautions were thrown, and at one point, Kade was spun out, landing him straight on a tractor tire. Track officials were able to pull it out without any damage. Kade finished 3rd, and we have some tire prep to do!

Thanks to Lisa Jean Designs for the great pic!

Results:
Hibbing
Heat: 2nd -> 4th (-2)
Feature: 1st -> 2nd (-1)

Bemidji
Heat: 8th -> 4th (+4)
Feature: 4th -> 3rd (+1)

Big Thank You to my sponsors:

Darrell's Auto Glass Inc
Paul Bunyan Communications
Off Grid Armory
Todd’s Electric
Ross Lewis Sign Co
Nei Bottling Bemidji
Razor Edge Salon
Wes' Plumbing & Heating
Pete’s Place South/Sugar Shack
AMI Logistics
T & B Auto Sales
Auto Value
Bobs Towing/Wittner Auto Body

Weekend Racing Results:

This weekend’s results started off on a high, then quickly took a turn, leaving us questioning our luck.

We travelled to Greenbush again this weekend feeling excited to see how the car would drive with the new distributor. Kade drew a 10 for the heat, putting him on the pole. Once on the track, we watched the car come alive! The car drove and handled the best it has all season, reflecting with Kade’s front stretch lead. We all had a sigh of relief that our luck was starting to turn.
For the feature, the track conditions changed drastically. The track was farmed and watered, creating undesirable conditions. Tires were slipping and the momentum we had in the heat race was no longer there. Kade still managed to gain a position and we packed up to get home for the next day of racing.

Sunday, at Bemidji Speedway is where our luck seemed to completely vanish. Before the racing started, it was announced that Kade won the Roth RV Car show award for the Pure Stocks! Kade and the car were presented and recognized during intermission.
Kade drew a 96, putting him in the back for the heat race. When on the track, the cars packed for a few laps, but conditions were still not optimal. Cars were struggling and tires were slipping. After a few laps, Kade was able to adapt but ran out of time, not making the transfer.
For the feature, he started 9th. Track conditions worsened, so Kade had his work cut out for him. On the original start, several cars slid off of the track (everyone was okay!). After the restart, Kade started weaving and made some passes! He made it to a wide open front stretch and BAM. The right front tire went flying. A caution flag was thrown right away, deterring any more harm. Once he was towed back to our pit area, we looked for what went wrong. Kade’s right front wheel hub broke, snapping his rotor into pieces. We had the parts we needed on hand, so Kade and Buck were able to fix what was needed to get the car back into the trailer.

Definitely not the weekend we were hoping for, but glad that Kade is safe! We’ll be back racing this weekend!

Results:

Greenbush
Heat: 1st -> 1st (+0)
Feature: 3rd -> 2nd (+1)

Bemidji
Heat: 6th -> 5th (+1)
Feature: 9th -> DNF

Apologies for the delayed update!!

Last Weekend Racing Results:

Leeper Racing made the trek to Greenbush on Saturday (5/30) for their season opener. The track was very wet and covered the car in thick clay. As a whole, there was not a lot of passing in either race. Heat and feature results weren’t what we were hoping for, so it was back to the drawing board to see what could be improved for Sunday.

Sunday (5/31) at Bemidji Speedway was a day that we needed! When we arrived at the track, we continued to work on the car and quickly realized that the car’s distributor was shot. Luckily, Gary Nelsen was our saving grace and helped us install one that he had on hand. During the heat race, the car finally came alive! Kade had no position change, but there was now light at the end of the tunnel! The feature was the first race we saw the car we know and love. Kade started in third and finished 2nd. A few more laps, and there may have been a different result 😉 We’re excited for the next race day to see what the car is now capable of!

Results:

Saturday- Greenbush
Heat: 5th -> 4th (+1)
Feature: 4th -> 4th

Sunday- Bemidji
Heat: 3rd -> 3rd
Feature: 3rd -> 2nd (+1)

Wouldn’t be possible without my amazing sponsors:

Darrell's Auto Glass Inc
Paul Bunyan Communications
Off Grid Armory
Todd’s Electric
Ross Lewis Sign Co
Nei Bottling Bemidji
Razor Edge Salon
Wes' Plumbing & Heating
Pete’s Place South/Sugar Shack
T & B Auto Sales
Auto Value
Bobs Towing/Wittner Auto Body

Second night of chicken shack nationals are in the books. We came in thinking all issues were taken care of, though, in the heat race the car lacked power. Car was also pushed and spun around. We lost a few spots due to this.

We did as much body work as we could and also made some changes to the engine before the feature.

Starting 4th, we had high hopes! Car was driving and feeling great, coming in hot for 1st. But when trying a passing move, Kade hit some dry loose dirt and lost control of the car. He was able to recover it, but several cars went by in the process. Running out of laps, Kade finished 8th.

We’ll be back at it this coming weekend.

Final results:
Heat: 1st -> 3rd (-2)
Feature: 4th -> 8th (-4)

Big Thank You to my sponsors:

Darrell's Auto Glass Inc
Paul Bunyan Communications
Off Grid Armory
Todd’s Electric
Ross Lewis Sign Co
Nei Bottling Bemidji
Razor Edge Salon
Wes' Plumbing & Heating
Pete’s Place South/Sugar Shack
AMI Logistics
T & B Auto Sales
Auto Value
Bobs Towing/Wittner Auto Body