Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Sources close to the Apple Motorsports team say that Brian Leppo is not longer the driver of the #12 owned by Bob Stewart. Hired gun Tim Shaffer of Aliquippa, PA will pilot the machine wrenched by Lee Stauffer this weekend for the Williams Grove National Open and possibly more. It appears getting back behind the wheel of a sprint car did not work out the way Brian had hoped for. He didn't look comfortable Saturday evening at the Apple Motorsports debut at Lincoln Speedway for the Dirt Classic when he failed to make the A Main.

My understanding is Brian was offered the ride for the National Open but he turned it down?

Well Leppo fans.......ONE race?  Guess he is not as good as you think?  Can't argue the point, can you?

We give a talented driver one night but the engine design an eternity.

Luna's Ford engine style that won 2 WoO titles and 3 
Kings Royals before a weight rule against the best EVER
in their prime and now DOMINATES super dirt late model
racing is no longer allowed/wanted in a WoO sprint
car.... Was Luna a miracle worker?

It was one race with a 50 car field in a car that hasnt been on track all year. Hard to expect crazy good results

When he drove the CJB 51 in the National Open and finished second, that particular car was not on the track all year either and there were more than 50 cars there that night.  Weak excuse.  He might be a nice guy, great with kids, etc., etc., but he is just an "average" driver. 

When he won the All Star race at Williams Grove driving the Zemco #1, that car hadn't raced much after Sam Hafertepe was released an he won........from the pole!  Give me a break!

CJB knew how to set the car up and so did the Zemco team. This car hasnt been on the track idk how long. Notebook is outdated. 

Shaffer has ran all year and knows how he wants the car set up. I would look for good results this weekend if the equipment is up to standards.

one night and the same kid of results as the 15 car had for weeks on end

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

You do realize that Lee Stauffer is the wrench on this 12 car right?  He's been Hodnett's crew chief for a long time up until this year and he wrenched for Adam Wilt and Stevie Smith this year some.  I can promise you that there isn't a notebook that is outdated that's in Lee's possession.  

I knew the real reason ebhind the abrupt end, but was waiting for the press release to let Brian make his peace first

Is Tim shaffer posse now or only if he wins the open?

New car, new engine, first night out. Rarely are you going to see that go well against the competition he faced saturday night

wait...you are touting the results of the 15 car?

Lincoln 1845 ft/.35 mile T1=118MPH 
Eldora 2287 ft/.43mile T3=135MPH
Port 2716 ft/.51 mile T3=TBD
Grove 2792 ft/.53 mile T3=135MPH
Selinsgrove 2847 ft/.54 mile T1=136MPH
"I didn't move to PA from El Paso in search of better 
weather." Van May

Leppo has completely retired.  I'm sorry but saturday night, the car looked tight in time trials, and loose in heats.  Whenever he finally figured he car out, he passed 3 cars, and looked good doing so.  He was offered the ride for the Natty Open and 2015 season, and turned it down to continue to be With his family.  Said he lost desire to race.  If a crew chief and car owner like these two want him to drive for them, he must be good for everyone who bad mouths such a great man and racer.  

Not sure where you saw that.  Simply stated that Stauffer worked on the car this year. 

I don't know what you where watching, But I saw him spin out, collect another car!!  Than he drove into the pits and parked the thing!!!

  I said it before and am saying it again, field filler!!  The races he won he alsway started in the top three!!!  When he won three races a year, he sand baged the handicapping system in Central pa to start up front and win!!  When he started mid pack in the A bacauce he was high point man, he never finished in the top 10!!

OK , lets belittle a driver you don't like after 1 night  with a completely new team assholes. Leppo is a good driver who has passed plenty of cars and beat some of the best competition in the world in his day. He has always been a good clean driver and certainly doesn't need to prove anything to a few internet blowhards.

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Hodnett seems to do quite well with or without Lee. Lee isn't God and quite frankly,  his track record without Greg behind the wheel hasn't been great. Tim Shaffer drove this car  for most of the season with Lee turning the wrenches, back in '98 or '99, and won exactly 0 races. 

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You are correct about no wins, but when Schaffer drove the Apple car back than, they had the most 2nd place finishes that year, but no winns.

  I was bad mouthing Brian, I just don't feel he is the driver some say he is!!   Central Pa is a very tough area to race, we all know that. But to say a drive gets a few wins a year is a super star is wrong. said driver might be a family man, a great persone to talk to, a great person for the fans, but these plus don't make him a super star behind the wheel!!

Look at Tim's drivers license, Posse to the bone !!!

Well I wouldn't say Leppo is the second coming of the King or anything but I think he is a good enough driver to deserve a good ride. I can't think of any rideless drivers currently in central PA who are more deserving of a ride. A lot of what he accomplished was on the family dollar.  Just 2 years ago I remember him running the b/u 51 car at the WG Natty and not only doing better than the primary driver, but trading slidejobs with Schatz for the lead and hounding him to the finish. He had the fastest car that night but couldn't complete the pass and I respect a guy that races cleanly, even if that means finishing runner-up in the biggest race of the year.  

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