ST. PETERSBURG — Getting a big-name sponsor.
Dominating the Gridlife Rush Series in 2024 and 2025.
After not racing competitively for 12 years, Ryan Leach’s career has taken a sharp turn. The sudden passing of his father, Steve, led to a life-changing decision to return to his passion.
This week, the Seminole High graduate will race in the Mazda MX-5 Cup as part of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.
“It’s super exciting,” Leach said.
Adding to the excitement is the imminent birth of a daughter. His wife, Nicole, is due Nov. 24.
“He’s doing what he loves,” Nicole said. “He does everything. He knows how a car works and how to fix something. He has a lot of knowledge. He’s not just a driver.”
Leach is full of surprises.
In 2023, he casually told his new wife, “We need to pick up a race car.”
“Okayyyy,” Nicole responded.
She worried when he started racing in Rush FL Series events, but then she noticed something. “I didn’t realize how good he was,” she said.
Leach stopped racing competitively in 2011.
He instructed at the Mid-Ohio driving school, which offers professional driving and riding instruction to drivers and motorcyclists of wide-ranging skill levels. The school also customizes courses for inexperienced teenage drivers to learn defensive driving techniques. The role got him into the professional racers program, where the instructor also learned.
Then he took business and marketing courses at St. Petersburg College and started his auto and trailer business, now called BestPriceTrailerSales.com. All the while, he kept his eye on his goal and saved money for a comeback.
The tipping point came when his father, Steve — who had bought his son a go-kart for his birthday — was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer that spread to his brain.
“He was fine, then he got sick and passed away in six months,” Leach said. “He underwent chemo and radiation at Moffitt. That’s where I learned life is short.”
Sponsoring himself, Leach returned to racing in 2023, competing in NASA (National Auto Sports Association) events and winning the Florida Rush Championship.
In 2024, he had seven wins in eight starts. In 2025, he had 15 wins in 22 races.
“I was having fun with it, the car suited my driving style, and I had a good team behind me,” Leach said.
On Jan. 15, executives from Power Design, a national design-build, multi-trade contractor, gave him a call.
“After a little small talk, they said, ‘We want to move forward with MX-5 if that’s OK.’
“I said, ‘Uh, I think so.'”
In six days, Leach had to secure approval to race, find a team, find a car and find a suit.
“He did everything so fast,” Nicole said. “He put it all together with the connections he had.”
Despite little time to get a handle on his new car and starting 45th, Leach and the Spark Performance team worked their way to a 22nd-place finish.
Leach wasn’t satisfied, which speaks to his competitive spirit.
“I was embarrassed,” he said. “If I get in a race, I expect to go win.
“I want to be at the front of the pack.”