- Joe Leonard
Joe Leonard (born
August 4 ,1932 ,San Diego, California ), is a retired Americanmotorcycle racer andracecar driver.Leonard won the first AMA Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 1956 and 1957. His record totals 27 wins, including the 1957 and 1958
Daytona 200 . He retired from motorcycle racing at the completion of the 1961 season and turned his attention to auto racing.Leonard raced in the USAC
Championship Car series in the 1964-1974 seasons, with 98 career starts, including the 1965-1973Indianapolis 500 , sitting on the pole in 1968 in the Granatelli turbine car. He finished in the top ten 60 times, including 6 wins: 3 times at Milwaukee (1965, 1970, 1972), and once each atOntario Motor Speedway (1971), Brooklyn (1972), and Pocono (1972). His victories propelled him to the 1971 and 1972 USAC Championship Car Season Championship.Joe Leonard is the "Only Racer in the World" to have won multiple National Championships in both automobile and motorcycle racing back to back. Surpassing the great John Surtees. In 1991, he was inducted into the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in the "Motorcycles" category. In 1998 he was inducted into the AMAMotorcycle Hall of Fame .He is a member of 10 Halls of Fame. Today Mr.Leonard is enjoying retirement and being a Granfather.Indy 500 results
References
* [http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=28 Motorcycle Hall of Fame]
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