Joe leonard race car driver

Auto racing hall of fame member joe leonard, the 1968. Legends of san jose speedway tribute to joe leonard. In 1993, he won the stock car and truck divisions, while setting course records and winning the. Joe leonard is the only american racer to win national championships in both motorcycles and cars. That same year joe leonard made his debut with the mighty midgets of the bay cities racing association bcra in a race at contra costa speedway in pacheco on may 14 1955, and finished sixth in the semimain race. His best finish at indianapolis was third in 1967 and again in 1972. From 19381948, the drivers of the ray nichels prepared midgets campaigned by his father rudy nichels were ted duncan, tony bettenhausen, johnnie parsons, paul russo, mike ohalloran, and ray richards all members of the midget racing hall of. As the defending champion, in 1955 leonard won three motorcycle races and finished third in the ama grand national championship. Stp turbine cars of the indy 500 petrolicious feature. Joe leonard was born on august 04, 1932 87 years old. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the. Joe leonard, the only driver to win backtoback national championships in both the american motorcyclist association and indy cars, died on april 27 in san jose, california, at the age of 84. Joe leonard, right, gestures during a discussion with al unser, left, winner of the indy 500 race, and his brother, bobby unser, at mount pocono, pennsylvania raceway, july 2, 1971, after a meeting of drivers who will compete in saturdays inaugural 500mile race at the new track. Joe leonard profile with all the results,graphs,team mates and stats.

Joe leonard was born on the 04th of august 1932, which was a thursday. The 1968 indianapolis 500 pole winner joe leonard and legendary chief mechanic and engineer louis sonny meyer jr. In his career, he won 27 national ama races and six. Joe leonard was an american professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver. Joe leonard won national titles on motorcycles and in indy cars. Racer joe leonard braved the flames pulling the unconscious kenyon from his mangled racer. Ribbs grew up in san jose, california as one of five children in a middleclass family. Joe leonard, 1967 joe leonard, 1968 joe leonard poses with car, 1973 car 6, joe leonard, and dan gurney, 1966 joe leonard on pit road, 1969 this project is. Professional race car drivers mario andretti, joe leonard and al unser sr wearing racing jumpsuits, standing and talking in pits, pre race, indianapolis 500 joe leonard getting out of formula one. Watch the latest joe leonard videos and highlights on. Joe leonard is remembered by auto and motorcycle racing fans as one of. Ribbs was nearly killed at eight years old when an outofcontrol car at a race struck him.

The team was formed in 1969 by former usac racer parnelli jones and his business partner velko vel miletich. Ladow in 1938, at the age of 15, ray nichels, went on the road as a midget car crew chief, racing at tracks across america. Joe leonard, louis meyer to be inducted into auto racing. He won five nascar xfinity series races, an international race of champions iroc event in 1998 and shared the rolex 24 at daytonawinning cadillac dp. This is a tribute page to honor the racecar drivers that risked their lives and the racecars that paved the way in. A shooting star blazes its way across the sky in a spectacular but shortlived burst of glory, and thats an apt metaphor for the alltooshort drag racing career of leonard harris. Auto racing hall of fame member joe leonard, like the late john. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Sports car racing archives complete archive of joe leonard usa complete archive settings login rsc home drivers joe leonard archive complete archive of joe leonard. Meyer and leonard will be inducted in two ceremonies during race week of the 97th indianapolis 500 in may. Check out the latest joe leonard photos and pictures on. Bcra racer joe leonard passed away bay cities racing. I have been selling photos for many years now so you will be getting the best value for your buck.

Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Leonard won that ama title in 1954 and added two more in 56 and 57. Leonard raced for a record 32 years in the pikes peak international hillclimb, with 18 class wins. Leonard is remembered as one of only two drivers to win national championships on two and four wheels. You are buying a glossy 8x10 color photo of joe leonard in his pj coltford race car at the 1971 indianapolis 500. Driver larry dickson driving indy car 64 into pits joe leonard driving lotus indy car 60 bobby unser driving eagleoffy indy car 3 driver graham hill driving lotus indy race car 70 bobby unser. Professional race car drivers mario andretti, joe leonard. Billy vukovich, mario andretti, and parnelli jones. Joe leonard born 04 aug 1932 san diego, california.

With mario andretti, parnelli jones, joe leonard, al unser. Headshot of joe leonard, 1965 joe leonard professional portrait, 1965 portrait of joe leonard, 1965. Words and music by lorin guy guitar and vocal by lorin guy recorded at magic. Joe leonard will be turning 88 in only 123 days from today 03 april. Indianapolis legendary chief mechanic and engineer louis sonny meyer jr. Gordon, 47, was enshrined in the nascar hall of fame in january 2019. Mike spence fatal accident at indy 500 may 7, 1968. Vels parnelli jones racing, commonly referred to simply as parnelli or vpj, was a motor racing constructor and team from the united states. Driving indy cars for foyt, dan gurney, andy granatelli and parnelli jones, leonard ran indianapolis nine consecutive times from 1965 through 73.

Further information on this record can be found at its source. Joe raced in the usac championship indy car series in the 19641974 seasons, with 98 career starts, including the 19651973 indianapolis 500. Mike spence fatal accident at indy 500 may 7, 1968 all indy 500 legends. The indycar champion of 1971 and 1972, leonard was a remarkably consistent driver. Joe leonard american motorcycle racer and racecar driver. Joe, 1932indianapolis motor speedway speedway, ind.

In his career, he won 27 national ama races and six indycar races. Joseph howard leonard was an american major league baseball player, born in chicago, illinois on november 15, 1894. As a result, kenyon suffered burns over 40 percent. Joe leonard is a retired american motorcycle racer and racecar driver. Driver larry dickson driving indy car 64 into pits joe. Indy cars, in 1962, leonard went on to a successful driving career. In 1971, leonard became a fulltime driver at vels parnelli jones.

The racer channels robin miller starts off his indycar tough guy series with indy 500 legends a. In total, he won 27 national ama races and six indycar races. The only american racer to have won on both two wheels and four, joe leonard will. Joe leonard won national titles on motorcycles and in indy cars, became a. Leonard vahsholtz is the owner of vahsholtz racing, with his wife, barb. Leonard set a then track record and won the pole at the 1968 indianapolis 500 driving a turbine car for vels parnelli jones racing. Joe leonard is the only american racer to win national. He raced indy cars under the usac banner from 196474.

Jimmy clark became the first driver to win the indy 500 in a rearengine machine. He retired from racing in 1975, due to a careerending injury. The car was soon abandoned and parnelli jones acquired a lotus 56 for leonard to drive instead. One of the few indianapolis 500 drivers to win titles on two and four wheels, joes career ended earlier than planned due to a crash in 1974. He had a lock on a 500 victory in 1968 before his polewinning stp turbine flamed out with only 10 laps remaining. Apaul aares jerry adamscarl adamsvaughn agersken ahrensroy aitchsonlarry albedijohn albrechtsongil alcalsben alexandermel alexandermark aldersonjim algergene allardchuck allenfred allenfloyd alvisdave alonzomike amayabill amick d 7151995george amick. With the granatellis input, that car used a fergusonbased fourwheeldrive system to put the prodigious power of the turbine to the tarmac as effectively as possible. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. Leonard and meyer will be inducted in two ceremonies during race week of the 97th indianapolis 500 in may.

Foyt called him pelican joe because he said leonard. Joe leonard nationality american born august 4, 1932 hometown san diego, california died april 27, 2017 place of death san jose, california racing highlights. Joe leonard usa complete archive racing sports cars. His stepfather, john bickford, was elected to the west coast stock car hall of fame in 2016. Ap indianapolis race car driver mike mosley was killed when his van went out of control on a remote desert road and burned after rolling down an embankment, authorities said sunday. They cannot be modified or updated on their own and do not cover entire driver. Avondale twotime indy car series champion and threetime american motorcyclist association champion joe leonard died thursday. These statistics are based only on the results available in the rsc archive database. May 3, 2017 joe leonard, the only driver to win backtoback national championships in both the american motorcyclist association and indy cars, died on april 27 in san jose, california, at the age of 84. He finished in the top ten 60 times, and is a multiple. Joe leonard, is a retired american motorcycle racer and racecar driver born on 4 august 1932 83 years ago in san diego. The only racer in the world to have won multiple national championships in both automobile and motorcycle racing back to back. Jeff gordon, the retired fourtime nascar champion, was born in.

Auto racing hall of fame member joe leonard, like the late john surtees, was not only an openwheel car ace, but started his career as a great motorcyclist, winning 27 american motorcycle. Nssn archives photo san diego joe leonard, one of racings greatest champions, died thursday. The versatile joe leonard has died at the age of 84. George morris was chief crew for vel miletich and parnelli jones new team in 1968, when he built a copy of the teams 1967 mongoose for driver joe leonard to race in 1968. Johnny rutherford 14th, parnelli jones 16th, bobby unser 18th. View latest articles, news and information about what happened to joe leonard, american motorcycle racer and racecar driver, that died on sunday april 30th 2017at age 84. Parnelli was initially solely concerned with usac racing, where success came quickly. Sadly died in 2017, but had a tough few last years of his life, with family. Leonard drove in four more championship races for legendary car owners george walther, joe hunt and ernie ruiz, while on the stock car trail he scored six top ten finishes with four top ten finishes and was named the usac stock car divisions rookie of the year. It shows both drivers in victory lane after officials had to check on who actually won the pocono 500. Joe raced in the usac championship indy car series in the 19641974 seasons. Is indy race car driver joe leonard still alive answers.