Leitzinger counts Mosport as one of favorites

Butch Leitzinger’s affinity for Mosport International Raceway can be traced back to his father Bob’s days at Mosport as a racer in IMSA, now the sanctioning body of the American Le Mans Series. Bob Leitzinger won the 1989 IMSA GTU championship and was third in 1991 and 1992, finishing just behind his son.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t like Mosport," said Butch, who will team with Andy Wallace in Dyson Racing’s No. 16 Porsche RS Spyder this weekend in the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. “It’s such a throwback to how they used to build the tracks."

Leitzinger is a two-time overall winner at Mosport in the American Le Mans Series, having won with James Weaver for Dyson Racing in 2004 and 2005 in an AER-powered Lola. He also won IMSA World Sports Car races in 1996 and 1998 and was second in 1997.

The 2005 win stands out for Leitzinger, who took a 3.625-second win over JJ Lehto and Marco Werner in an Audi R8. After coming back from Weaver’s tangle with an Audi early on, Leitzinger nursed a 40-second lead when he pitted with 35 minutes left for fuel only. The team gambled that its Michelins would last two stints, which of course they did. Only a year earlier, Leitzinger and James Weaver were winners there after Lehto’s tire gave out after trying to double-stint.

“It was a great race from a team standpoint," Leitzinger said. “We did have some trouble at times keeping the tires under the car. The way the race worked out, we needed to try it to have any chance of winning. But it was the right call and great strategy."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Mobil 1 presents Grand Prix of Mosport from Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The race will start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26 and will be broadcast live on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA’s Live Timing and Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com. ALMS PR