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Leighton Maintains Position Among Elite

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bill Leighton Jr. scored a top-10 position in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national top 500 for the third consecutive year in 2011.

Leighton, 29, of Omaha, Neb., focused his racing efforts at one track in 2011, and posted a career high single-season win total of 22 wins and 22 top-fives in 22 starts. He also won his second dirt Late Model division championship at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb. His 2011 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national ranking of sixth follows rankings of fourth and eighth in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

“We really prepared to run for the points at one track,” Leighton said. “We had better results in 2011 in wins and top-fives.

“When we placed fourth in national points in 2009, I was thinking we had a good shot at the national championship. We had a little bad luck, but we learned what we needed to do to contend. That season has been our blueprint.”

Leighton, an owner-driver, has been on the fast track to success since joining the dirt Late Model ranks in 2004. He’s won six NASCAR track championships divided evenly between I-80 Speedway, a .400-mile clay oval and Junction Motor Speedway, a .375-mile clay oval in McCool Junction, Neb.

Leighton raced go karts into his teens, inspired to race by his dad Bill Sr., who enjoyed a long successful dirt Late Model career. His dad, now 52, eased out of the driver’s seat when Leighton began racing Late Models. The two raced together on track only about 10 times and as for their competitive results, Leighton Jr. says it was about even.

“Dad’s always been my crew chief,” Leighton said. “He raced for 25 or 30 years and can put a whole car together. He maintains the car and the engine and I rely on his expertise.”

Leighton Sr. is also crew chief for his son in another Late Model owned by Mark Wright for touring series competition.

After attending his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series awards banquet as a crew member in 2005, Leighton Jr. knew he wanted to win his own invitation to the event the following season.

“I came back from that banquet and told my guys we were going to make it there the following year because it was really sweet. It exceeded my expectations. It’s amazing what NASCAR does for small town America racers. The guys from (2010 Nebraska state champion) Craig Preble’s crew said the same thing. NASCAR gives us something to shoot for.”

In addition to his dad and Wright, crew members include Wayne Leighton, Chad Hubbard and John Kempkes.

Leighton’s sponsors include Swain Construction, Xcel Roofing, Commercial Feeding Contractors, Taylor Quick Pik, Wright Farms and Electrical Systems, Inc.

Leighton, an electrician and his wife Lisa have two sons, Grayson, 5 and Brogan, two months.