Extends six-race podium streak to start title defense with special breast cancer awareness paint
2022 Championship Off-Road Pro Spec champion Gray Leadbetter’s 2023 campaign started strongly with four podiums in her first four races, and the results got even better over the weekend at ERX Motor Park. Taking a new breast cancer awareness paint scheme into the ERX Off-Road National with her #28 Bilstein Chevrolet Colorado for Ryan Beat Motorsports, Leadbetter matched her 2022 results at the Minnesota track with a win in the first race and a runner-up finish in the second.
After posting the fastest practice time and qualifying third on Thursday, Leadbetter took off from third place in Friday’s Round 5 of the season. She’d quickly jump to second after an early rollover for the polesitter, and there would be a carbon copy of the incident for the leader just a few short laps later. Now running first, Leadbetter ran unchallenged for the rest of the race, posting the fastest lap of the session and pulling out a nearly four-second lead when the checkered flag flew.
Saturday’s race saw Leadbetter carry the speed forward as she worked her way up from the second row on the grid to second place. She’d put the pressure on for the win as the laps wound down, coming within a second of sweeping the weekend. However, she’d still sweep the fastest laps of the weekend, turning an event-fastest 56.605 as she went for the checkered flag in the closing laps.
“It’s awesome to be back on top of the box here at ERX!” said Leadbetter. “We were feeling good coming into the race with our results so far, and our brand new breast cancer awareness paint scheme only got us more excited to run. It was so cool to have everything come together here for us with the win, two podiums, and two fastest laps. We’re gelling as a team at just the right time to make some moves in the championship, and I can’t wait to go for it again at Dirt City!”
Leadbetter remains a perfect six-for-six on podium finishes in the 2023 season, and she has 11 in a row overall dating back to last year’s action at Dirt City Motorplex. That consistency and ability to avoid the wrecks that have thus far plagued other racers has her second in the championship, just three points out of the lead.
Gray Leadbetter’s 2023 Championship Off-Road program with Ryan Beat Motorsports is supported by Chevrolet, Bilstein, Pennzoil, Toyo Tires, Tremor Wheels, Steel-It, Sunoco Race Fuel, RIGID, Magnaflow, Mechanix Wear, FK Rod Ends, Hyperco, Brembo Brakes, Ehren, Fortin Racing, Fiberwerx, Automatic Transmission Design, Power Steering Solution, Geiser Performance, Antigravity Batteries, Hawk Performance, DS Customs, and Calico Coatings. Following ERX, her next race in the series will be the Dirt City Motorplex Off-Road National in Lena, Wisconsin on July 29-30.