---

After Failures Nearly Derailed Him, Leytham Found Winning Ways Thanks to Jackson and Denmark

By Chuck Corder

B.J. Leytham had drawn a line in the sand four years ago.

These days, Five Flags Speedway fans are used to seeing the Mobile-area driver dominate the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers division to the tune of six wins this year and back-to-back Bombers Snowball Derby crowns (2013-2014).

But in 2012, Leytham was spinning his wheels in mediocrity as a rookie on asphalt. The sport had dealt enough blows to Leytham that he and wife, Kim, were ready to leave racing behind.

“I tore the transmission up in the first three races that year, and I was done,� Leytham, 36, said.

Enter Darryl Jackson and Steve Denmark. The two had the resources to put a Bombers team together, and wanted Leytham to come aboard.

Jackson, who had previously turned wrenches for perennial late model contender Gerald Wilkerson years ago, and Denmark came out of the stands one night at Mobile International Speedway and approached Leytham with their pitch.

“I didn’t know those guys,� Leytham said. “But I knew I couldn’t afford the sport anymore.�

Fast forward to the present and thanks largely to Jackson and Denmark, Leytham sits atop the Bombers points standings coming into a big Friday night at Pensacola’s high banks.

The Modifieds of Mayhem and The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen also share the marquee, but the night will belong to the annual Demolition Derby.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and tickets are $5 for all fans. Kids 5 and under still get in free.

Once teamed up with Jackson and Denmark, Leytham found his groove.

“We started winning a lot,� Leytham said. “We’ve almost become unbeatable. I don’t say that to brag. I’m really humble about that stuff. I appreciate everything those guys do for me.�

The key, he said, is avoid complacency.

“We’re always changing something,� Leytham said. “Even if I break the track record, we’ll make some tweaks on it. If you give up on that, everybody’s gonna catch you.�

Leytham, a Zapp’s Potato Chips and Martin’s Potato Bread distributor, lives in Mobile these days. However, he grew up one street over from MIS in Irvington.

By his early 20s, young B.J. was following in the footsteps of Billy Leytham, his late father who was a hotshoe at dirt tracks along the Alabama Gulf Coast until his death nearly a decade ago.

“He was very good,� B.J. Leytham said of his dad. “He won just about anything he got in. Sheer talent. Of course, I’m a little bias but anyone you ask will tell you.�

The same can be said for Billy Leytham’s son these days.

In 2014, B.J. Leytham had a streak of 19 consecutive wins between Five Flags and MIS, all culminating with his second Snowball Derby title in as many years.

“That season was unreal,� he said. “We won 23 times out of 25 races that year.�

Leytham’s first career win at the famed half-mile asphalt oval came at the 2013 Snowball Derby.

“We had gone over to Pensacola several times, and ran fifth or sixth, but couldn’t get the win,� he remembered. “Darryl and Steve would take it over for practice, and that was the key to winning. We changed a ton of things and got it fast. We came over for the Derby and we put it on ’em that year. I was shocked and it’s one I’ll never forget.�

This year has been another memorable stretch.

Leytham is nearing his goal of eight feature wins at Pensacola, which would eclipse the mark of seven victories his teammate Geno Denmark, Steve Denmark’s son, set last year en route to the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers track title.

He has also withstood whispers of cheating from Pensacola drivers. Following his fifth win of the season last month, Leytham’s motor was claimed, a right any driver can make on a rival’s car in any division at Five Flags.

With a new motor bolted in, Leytham came back July 22 and was victorious once again.

“It was a little frustrating, but everybody hates getting their motor claimed,� he said. “But, thanks to great sponsors, like Dewey Miller, we were just as fast with the next motor. Hopefully, now everyone can quit crying about that and we can go on and finish the season without too much turmoil.�

With Jackson and Denmark working on the No. 8’s setup and constantly looking for competitive advantages to make the car faster, Leytham’s march toward his first track title at Five Flags seems to be in good hands.

But, if those early struggles on asphalt back in 2012 taught him one thing, it’s to take nothing for granted.

“A lotta luck; anything can happen,� Leytham said on what it would take to secure a track championship. “We weren’t going to even run for the championship, but Darryl has his heart set on it now.

“It just feels good to know you have people that love it just as much as you do. (Jackson) puts a lotta time into that car. That’s why it’s fast. I’m just the loose nut behind the wheel.�

Back to News