Match Made in the Pits – Molly Struss and Jimmy Leiby Look Forward to a Busy 2022 Season

Molly Struss was born into a racing with a father who is car owner of the #99 driven by Craig Whitmoyer.  It really came as no big surprise when she meant her current boyfriend and now crew member Jimmy Leiby in a pit thrash helping Crate racer Dakota Kohler get back out on track after a tangle at Grandview Speedway.

Jimmy Leiby was also practically born at the racetrack with a dad and two brothers who also race.  To say that Molly & Jimmy were a match made in the pits is about right and the rest is history since both are now crew members for one another when the other is driving.  Two of a kind and a perfect match for sure.

Molly left racing behind in 2014 due to a busy Saturday sports schedule playing basketball and softball.  But in 2019 she found her way back to the track and that is where she has stayed.

In 2014 Molly left racing due to a busy Saturday sports schedule but like most of us found her way back to racing in 2019.  Molly recalled “I went back to Grandview one night in 2019 with my dad and my brother.  Little did I know that my dad’s car and driver Craig Whitmoyer were involved in the pre-race meet and greet out at the front entrance of the track that night.  Well, I fell back in love with racing that night and ended up quitting all my sports to be able to come back to the races every week with my dad and his race team.”

It wasn’t long before the next phase in the “racing bug” progression set in on Molly and she graduated from crew member to driver too.  Molly reflected “I’ve always been a player and one day I mentioned to my dad that I would like to try racing a slingshot someday, but I really didn’t think it would actually happen.  Next think I know Dad and Craig talked and I’m in one of Craig’s slingshots at Linda’s on Halloween weekend for my first race.”

Molly continued “My first season was the Covid season of 2020, so I only got to race a limited schedule of about 8 races but learned a lot from Anthony Raisner, Craig Whitmoyer and my dad.”

“In 2021 I was able to run about 15 races and went to Shell hammer’s, Action Track, Snydersville, Linda’s and Bridgeport among other tracks.  In October at Linda’s big end of the season weekend we put my boyfriend Jimmy in the car on Saturday and he was able to make a lot of changes to the car that seemed to help me make some significant improvements.  Jimmy suggested we go to the last race of the northeast season which was the Gobbler at Accord.  Boy I was happy we went to the Gobbler because the whole season came together for us in our final race of 2021.  We struggled with our set-up in both hot laps and the heats.  In the feature we found the set-up and I was able to drive from 8^th to 3^rd and took the lead when 1^st and 2^nd tangled and took themselves out.  I was in the lead with only one lap to go but on the final restart my chain popped off and ended my night with a disappointing DNF.  Nonetheless we ended our 2021 season on a high note.  I am very excited to see what 2022 will bring after all the progress we made this season.”

Molly plans on racing weekly at Action Track and continue to travel to new tracks.  Molly commented “I’m really excited that we will be racing weekly at Action track this year.  Our schedule is going to be busy between my Wednesday night racing at Action track; Jimmy racing on Saturday’s and TOTH at Grandview and Craig racing my dad’s modified at Bridgeport on Saturdays.  I can’t wait to see what the 2022 season brings.” 

Jimmy Leiby finished a career best 4^th in sportsmen points and 6^th in 602 crate season points at Grandview Speedway.  Jimmy also ran his first career modified events at a Thunder on the Hill race and the Freedom 76er.

Jimmy recalled “Driving a mod for the first time in 2021 gave me a total new perspective on just how much faster modified racing is then crate racing.  The modified is so fast it’s hard to do your tear offs.  I ran my first modified heat from start to finish in last place and was still out of breath at the finish of the race.  My first 10 lap modified heat and consolation changed how I use my head and foot to keep the car underneath me in the corners when I returned to the crate racing.  The modified experience seemed to slow things down make it easier to see moves on the track when I returned to crate racing.  I definitely feel I am a better crate driver from just 40 laps of modified drive time last season.”

Jimmy continued “Our 2021 season had it pluses and minuses and we gained a lot of speed with a new shock package with help from Timmy Buckwalter.  We finished 4^th in sportsman points and 6^th in 602 Crate points at Grandview in 2021.  For the first time in my career, I ended up on my lid at Grandview, so hopefully I got that out of my system for a long time.”

“Our goal is to win the 2022 Grandview Sportsman Points Championship and we really could have a shot at it if we get some racing luck this year.  We have a great group of sponsors that make all this possible year after year for both our sportsman 9L and new modified # 10 team:

Custom Woodworking and Design

Wholesale Auto Supply

Rich’s Go-Fer Service

Eastlake Party Rentals

Wiz Fab

Stasak Auctioneers

D & L Mobile Maintenance

Diehl Paving

Battlepoint Aquaculture NY

NJ Trailer Supply

Special Thanks to Glenn Wenzel

I would also like to welcome our two new sponsors this year Hope Mortgage Team and

Tony Struss Motorsports.”

“I’m going to run modified this year at the Money Maker, Thunder on the Hill shows, and Freedom 76er.  We still plan to travel this year with our 3^rd annual trip to Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, DE at the end of the season.  Our goal for our new modified entry is to quickly progress through the modified learning curve and hopefully qualify at all the events we enter knowing full well that at Grandview we will be up against the best of the best.”

A lot of things happen on race day both on and off the track.  In May last season Dakota Kohler was in the middle of one of them forgettable nights as he pulled into the pits with a real torn up race car and a last chance race only moments away.  Like usual, racers will be racers, and drivers and crews from various teams descended into the 59K pit to keep his points chase alive and get him back on track for the last chance race.  Amidst all that confusion and chaos Jimmy met Molly and the match made in the pits came to be. 

Who knows what the 2022 race season will bring on race day this year; but one thing’s for sure these two will be at a lot of races together and looking for matching career best seasons in 2022.

Both Molly and Jimmy will be at Grandview’s season opening practice on Saturday March 26^th with racing at noon and free grandstand admission.