LOUDON, N.H. -- Brad Leighton made a late-race rally to finish the Aubuchon Hardware 125 at New Hampshire International Speedway in the seventh position. Leightons No. 55 Irving Oil Chevrolet was overheating in the final laps of the event, but it didnt stop the master of the Magic Mile from posting a top-10 finish.

We were tight all day long, said Leighton. We pitted for tires and made an adjustment and we gave it all we had. We were running 280 degrees the last 12 laps so that isnt good. I didnt want to push it too hard because I didnt want to destroy the motor for seventh place. We had a top-10 car today, but we really had to work for it.

In practice, Leighton was posting speeds fast enough to earn him a spot among the ten quickest cars. However, later in the day, Leighton found himself 14th on the starting grid after a qualifying effort of 30.649 seconds only 3/10ths of a second off the pace of the pole-sitter.

Its a tight field. The top-six cars are less than a tenth of a second off each other. Clearly, we would have liked a starting spot a little closer to the front, but were alright. Its an impound race and you have to think of the long run. Our car is set up for the race, and thats what really matters.

Leighton proved right from the get-go he was going to be a force to reckon with. He pressured Mike Olsen for position, but was getting nowhere. On the following circuit, Leighton went under need Olsen and Eddie MacDonald to go three-wide and took over the 12th spot.

As the field went under a long green flag run, Leighton realized his car was too tight to make any progress through the field. It was no question they were going to pit when the caution came out at lap 33. They came down pit road and made adjustments before returning to the track, and re-pitted the following circuit for a fresh set of tires.

After his two pits stops, Leighton lined up 13th for the restart at lap 40. Not much racing went on before the yellow flew again and lined the field up for another restart at lap 45. When racing resumed, it appeared as if Leighton didnt get going as fast as some of the others car, but in reality, Leighton was just unaware of a new rule.

I was just keeping my position until I came across the start/finish line when in fact I really didnt need to do that. I definitely lost two or three spots not passing on the left today, said Leighton. It used to be you couldnt pass on the left until you went across the start/finish line, but I guess theyve changed that and you can now pass on the left at the point of firing for the restart. I wasnt aware they had changed the rule.

Leighton and his Irving Oil race team kept plugging, but decided they would need to pit for adjustments one last time at lap 71. The pit stop relegated Leighton to 20th in the field for the restart at lap 75. The team kept plugging, and in a 50-lap span, made up enough ground to finish the race in seventh.

I have to hand it to the guys on this team, said Leighton. They give everything 110 percent, and the effort paid off for us today with a top-10 finish.