Biography of Stephen Leicht
Stephen Leicht is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has over 150 feature event wins in quarter midgets and go-karts, and was the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 66 Toyota Supra for MBM Motorsports.
Early racing career
When he was seven years old, he began racing quarter midgets and began advancing into go-karts. At the age of 11, Leicht was participating in the Go Kart Nationals, when he collided with the flag stand and was sent flying from his racecar. He suffered a burst spleen as a result of the accident, and was kept out of racing for six months.
At the age of 12, he began racing stock cars and got his GED to focus full-time on racing, and was named Motorsports Magazines Rising Star of the Year in 2000. At the age of 15, he ran his first full year in the American Racing Association and was named Rookie of the Year.
NASCAR and ARCA career
In 2005, he moved to Wisconsin to work with veteran American Speed Association crew chief Howie Lettow.[1] Leicht collected five wins en route to winning the national championship in the American Speed Association Late Model series for WalTom Racing.[1] He won both races that he attempted in the American StockCar League. He finished first or second in thirteen of sixteen events that entered between the two series. He started eighth in his Busch series debut at Memphis Motorsports Park, and finished thirteenth. He ran another race at Phoenix, starting seventeenth and finishing nineteenth.
In 2006, Leicht ran ARCA Re/Max Series events for Yates Racing and WalTom Racing. Stephen Leicht earned his first career ARCA series win in his second career start at Nashville Superspeedway in April. Stephen Leicht also made four Busch series starts in 2006, posting two top-ten qualifying efforts. On July 23, he made his first Nextel Cup Series start in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway for Yates Racing, qualifying 36th and finishing 33rd, one lap behind.
In 2007, Leicht ran the full NASCAR Busch Series schedule. He won his first race at Kentucky Speedway and finished 7th in the final drivers’ points ranking. At the end of the season, Robert Yates Racing released Leicht from his contract because of sponsorship and finance issues. 2008 saw Leicht land a part-time stint in Richard Childress’ No. 21 Nationwide car, sharing driving duties with Bobby Labonte. Leicht ran 4 races with a best finish of 7th at Phoenix International Raceway. However, after Talladega, a lack of sponsorship sidelined Leicht until Texas in the fall, where he finished 18th.
On January 22, 2018, it was announced that Leicht is tabbed as a full-time driver for a newly formed team JP Motorsports. Leicht finished 15th after avoiding multiple crashes at Daytona. Stephen Leicht was replaced by Jennifer Jo Cobb at Talladega since she brought sponsorship.
On May 22, 2018, it was announced that Leicht and JP Motorsports parted ways and was replaced by Brandon Hightower. On July 28, Stephen Leicht returned to No. 93 for RSS Racing at Iowa Speedway start and parked it. The following week, Leicht drove the No. 74 for Mike Harmon Racing at Watkins Glen International, where he didn’t qualify for the race.
In February 2019, it was announced that Leicht will drive the No. 01 full-time for JD Motorsports. After one season with JD, Leicht moved over to Carl Long’s MBM Motorsports No. 13 car for 2020.
Personal life
After finding himself out of a ride after winning Cup Series Rookie of the year in 2012, Leicht worked for a time at a car dealership in Cornelius, North Carolina for a short period of time. During downswings in his racing career, Leicht suffered from clinical depression and eventually went to counseling to treat it.
Overview
- Full Name: Stephen Leicht
- Date of Birth: January 9, 1987
- Age: 33 years
- Birth Place: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
- Current team: Toyota Xfinity Series racing manufacturer team
- Car no., team: No. 66 (MBM Motorsports)
- First win: 2007 Meijer 300 (Kentucky)
- 2019 position: 18th
- 2012 position: 98th
- Achievements 2005 American Speed Association Late Model Champion
- Awards 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year
- Net Worth: N/A
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Reference Net worth of Stephen Leicht