It turns out that the fourth time was the charm for Leavine Family Racing.
The Texas-based team posted a 30th-place finish with driver Scott Speed in Sunday’s AAA Texas 500, marking the first time in four tries the part-time team finished a race at its home track.
“In a long season, sometimes you have to look back at small victories,” Speed said. “Our run at Texas certainly was one of those victories. It means so much to Bob and Sharon Leavine to finish a race at Texas. Now we will have a little bounce in our step during the off-season.”
Speed started 31st in the B&D Electrical/TWD Ford Fusion. By finishing 30th, Speed gave Leavine Family Racing its best non-road course finish in team history. Earlier this year, he drove the team to its best overall finish, a 17th at Watkins Glen International.
“The first race we attempted when we developed a selected schedule a year ago was at Texas,” Bob Leavine said. “We’ve been back three times since, but this is the first time we’ve been able to finish. We’re a little team with big dreams. Finishing the race at Texas is both personal and gratifying.
“Now we have something to build on for next year.”
Speed already has signed to drive the No. 95 Ford again next year. The team will focus again on selected starts.
“You can bet two of them will be at Texas,” crew chief Wally Rogers said.
Though the team’s race shop is in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s backyard in Concord, N.C., the team traces its roots back to the Leavine family’s home in Tyler, Tex. Make no mistake, the team’s pulse is found deep in the heart of Texas.
“You could tell how much this race meant by the smiles on everyone’s face,” Speed said. “Now we can go back to the shop and start working on our cars for 2013. It may be hard to top the satisfaction we all felt last Sunday, but everyone’s committed to topping that next year.”
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