To be clear, East did not make the call to repair hurt feelings, he reached out because he was convinced Leary could win races and championships.
“He is a guy who will do what it takes to win,” East said. “And a lot of guys do not have that in them. If he is faster than the guy in front of him, he is not going to settle in and run second for a hundred laps.”
East may have been the only one who was convinced Leary would do more than hold his own on the hardtop.
“I saw him drive that car they had got from (Gene) Nolen at Memphis and I saw him qualify for the Little 500 in a car I know wasn’t very good,” East noted.
While it is always helpful to have a staunch supporter in your corner, Leary knew he had some work to do.
“One thing I told Bob going into it was that I was terrible at Indianapolis Raceway Park,” he admitted. “I had no confidence there, so we went there and tested.”
It was shaky at first.
“That track is so round, flat and slick that I have always been timid to really charge the corner,” he said. “I told Bob if I went in much harder, we are going to knock the wall down. He just kept reassuring me that we had to keep the car tight and I had to trust that it would turn. It is so helpful to have Bob at those times because he has been there for so many years.”
The practice sessions and even the chance to compete at the oval in a pavement sprint car elevated his performance. It made for a satisfying campaign.
“That was special for me to see the transition from the start of the season to the end where we just got better and better,” Leary said.
That progress alone has convinced him that he can give Kody Swanson, the perennial champion, a run for his money.
“I really look forward to butting heads with Kody,” Leary said. “He is phenomenal and it gives me a chance to learn when I go head-to-head with him and Bobby Santos. You just get better racing with good guys like that.”
With a new home, his own business (Leary Shock Technology) and a busy racing schedule, C.J. Leary has a lot on his plate. That is the way he likes it.
With his sprint car program off and running and starting a second year with Terry Klatt’s Silver Crown operation, he has reason for optimism. Could two rings be in the offing? It is certainly within his grasp.
This story appeared in the July 12, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
