Mike Leary grew with racing in his blood, as his dad was the owner of a racing team that competed on a small Illinois track. After moving to Colorado, Mike was a spectator at Englewood Speedway until he got behind the wheel of a Sportsman car in 1979. He competed at Colorado Springs International Speedway until it closed, and transitioned to a dirt Late Model to run at Colorado National Speedway, where he was the 1984 Rookie of the Year. When Colorado National was paved, he went back to racing on asphalt, competing in the CNS weekly racing program and touring with the NASCAR Southwest and Midwest Tours. After more than two decades behind the wheel of a race car, Mike made a move to provide racing support services when he opened Leary Racing Products in 1999. What began as a place to buy racing products for paved oval track competition quickly expanded to meet the needs of competitors in open wheel dirt and pavement track divisions, Road Racing, Hill Climb, and just about any other area where speed is the goal.With his years of hands-on racing experience providing an expert’s perspective, Mike has not only provided racing goods, but also served as technical advisor and crew chief for numerous championship winning teams on local and national levels of competition.
From a number of perspectives, Mike Leary and Leary Racing Products have been a center of the Colorado motorsports community, with high quality racing products, as well as the expert racing advice and information so many have come to rely uponavailable year round. Mike’s expertise in one of the most crucial aspects of race car handling, shock absorber technology, is unmatched and has been instrumental in the success of racing teams throughout the region and across the country. Mike has stated that adding “The Shock Shop” to Leary Racing Products, where he has worked with drivers claiming over 1000 Championships, is a career accomplishments in which he takes much pride.
Leary Racing Products has also been at the forefront of support for the racing community through sponsorships and financial contributions to motorsports causes across the disciplines. His contributions to racing divisions for the “up and coming” young stars, such as Bandoleros and Legend cars, have beensubstantial.When asked how he would like to be remembered, Mike said he would like to be known as a driver people could race without the fear of being crashed, and as a business owner who was knowledgeable, helpful, and did not have his clients spend their money foolishly. For his career achievements, Mike Leary is now inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame as a 2021 recipient of the Jerry Van Dyke Award for outstanding Individual contributions to Colorado Motorsports.
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