Tyler Leary Wins Magnus Racing Products Late Model Rookie of the Year Runner Up Bonus at Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Springs, CT — For the second season in a row, Magnus Racing Products is presenting a Rookie of the Year Runner-up bonus for the Late Model NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division. Taking home a $400 bonus from Magnus in the Late Model division is Hatfield, MA native Tyler Leary, driver of the #11 Amherst Trucking Chevrolet.
Leary came to Stafford in 2016 from Monadnock Speedway along with fellow competitor Joel Monahan. The two drivers were neck and neck for much of the 2016 season but in the end, it was Monahan taking the top rookie honors while Leary had to settle for runner-up honors.
“It was pretty cool to be racing with Joel,” said Leary. “We definitely both got our names out there and we’re both pretty competitive and it’ll be fun to see what we can both do next season. This award from Magnus is pretty awesome. We fought hard and we spent a lot of money this season so this award is really great for us.”
For Leary, making the transition from the high banks of Monadnock to the relatively flat corners at Safford proved to be a tough challenge, but he and the #11 team racked up 12 top-10 finishes in the 17 races this season and Leary says that the 50-lap race in early May was a high point for the team finishing seventh after starting at the back of the pack.
“It was tough this year,” said Leary. “We wrecked the car in the first couple weeks but besides that we were pretty good in the middle of the year and we had one bad wreck at the end of the year. We ran consistently, I don’t know how many 7th place finishes we had, but it was a pretty successful year. We learned a lot about the car and I’d say maybe we weren’t as fast as we hoped to be but we’re only going to come back next season stronger. We learned a lot about the chassis setup and the tires so I think that will help us a ton. I think the 50-lapper was our best race of the season. We started in the back of the pack and we ended up finishing seventh. I’m looking forward to next season, I can’t wait.”
And as with any team, Leary has a great crew and bevy of sponsors to be thankful for as he prepares for the 2017 season.
“I have to give an extra special thanks to my Dad and Uncle Jim, and thanks to all our sponsors Amherst Trucking, Raynor Garage Doors, Tom’s Hot Dogs, Tire Cycling, NAPA of Northampton, LashCo Tree Service, PB Auto, SDL Home Improvement, Szawlowski Potato Farms, Kix 100.9, Bob Fill, and Quick Silver Wheel Repair. Also appreciate all the contingency sponsors, Dunleavy’s, Maybury, On Time Accounting, Olson Apartments, and New England Racing Fuel, We have so many great sponsors I don’t know what I’m going to do when we get to victory lane.”
For being the Rookie of the Year runner-up, Leary will receive a $400 bonus from Magnus Transmissions that will be paid out in $100 increments to Leary for the first four races that he runs during the 2017 season at Stafford Motor Speedway.
For more information, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at 860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Sources: Scott Running/Stafford Motor Speedway PR