Gray Leadbetter Begins Championship Off-Road Pro Spec Title Defense in Antigo

2022 Championship Off-Road Pro Spec champion Gray Leadbetter will return to Ryan Beat Motorsports in the #28 Bilstein Chevrolet Colorado for the 2023 campaign, kicking off this Saturday and Sunday at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway. After becoming the series’ first female champion last season, the 18-year-old North Carolina native will look to make it two titles in a row starting with this weekend’s trip to Wisconsin, and is fresh off a successful preseason testing regiment with RBM in preparation for the new challenge.

“I’m thrilled to be back with Ryan, Chevrolet, Bilstein, and all of our great partners for another Championship Off-Road season in 2023!” said Leadbetter. “We made history in Antigo with our win here in the opener last year, and getting a win right away was a huge boost in our path towards the championship. The Pro Spec field is going to be even deeper this year, but we’re ready for the challenge, and I can’t wait to get back to racing!”

Leadbetter kicked off her 2022 title run on the right foot in Antigo, winning the first race of the season on Saturday and coming in second on Sunday. The victory, her first of four in the 12-round season, made her the first woman to win a Pro class race in series history, and gave her a points lead that she held onto for a majority of the campaign.

But while Championship Off-Road has been off since last September, Leadbetter hasn’t slowed down one bit since. From returning to the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in her 410 Sprint Car with Marc Dailey Racing to competing in the Chili Bowl, Leadbetter kept her skills sharp in race action during the winter. Most notably, Travis Pastrana invited her to return to her rallycross roots last month to sample Nitrocross’ revolutionary Group E car at an all-new track he designed at Mid-America Outdoors. After initially riding along with Pastrana during testing, she was given the opportunity to drive the Vermont SportsCar-prepared machine with Pastrana in the passenger’s seat, where he raved about her confidence and commitment behind the wheel.

Leadbetter’s return to Championship Off-Road will kick off on Friday, with practice at 3:30PM and qualifying 7:25PM, before races at 4:40PM on Saturday and 3:40PM on Sunday. Her races will stream live on FloRacing all weekend long. Tickets for the event can still be purchased here.

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 Antigo, her next race in the series will be the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run at Crandon International Raceway on June 24-25.