Joe Leonard
Joseph Paul Leonard[1] (August 4, 1932 – April 27, 2017) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver.
He was also a member of the AMA (American Motorcycle Association District 36) Sanctioned San Jose Motorcycle club (The Dons) which includes such famed alumni as Sam Arena, Tom Sifton, Kenny Eggers and Sam Arena Jr. Leonard made his USAC National Championship debut during the 1964 season when he competed in five races for various teams.
Leonard earned a best finish of 5th at the season-ending Bobby Ball Memorial at Phoenix International Raceway driving the #65 Travelon Trailer Christensen-Offenhauser.
In 1966, Leonard continued to race for AAR on the paved ovals and road courses in the #6 Yamaha Eagle-Ford (although he did drive the #29 All American Bardahl Hailbrand-Ford at the Jimmy Bryan Memorial at Phoenix International Raceway) and drove the #7 Vita Fresh Orange Juice Meskowski-Offenhauser at the dirt tracks (along with the Atlanta 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the #11 Huffaker-Offenhauser.
After that race, Leonard began to drive for Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing in the #20 Wagner Lockheed Brake Fluid Mongoose-Ford (also sponsored by Vel's Ford Sales at the Hanford 200 at Hanford Motor Speedway and the Rex Mays 300 at Riverside International Raceway).
He first drove the #40 STP Oil Treatment Granatelli-Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 but crashed that car in practice.
As a result, drove the #60 STP Oil Treatment Lotus 56-Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 in place of the injured Jackie Stewart.
Leonard led the race for 31 laps, battling with Bobby Unser and Lloyd Ruby.
For the remainder of the season Leonard would usually qualify well, including a pole position at California 200 at Hanford Motor Speedway, but results weren't on his side as his best finish was only a 6th place at the second heat of the Telegraph Trophy 200 at Mosport Park.
He then briefly reunited with STP-Granatelli Racing in the #40 STP Oil Treartment Lotus-Offenhauser at the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Wisconsin State Fairgrounds Park and the Delaware 200 at Dover Downs International Speedway.
Leonard returned to Vel's Parnelli Jones again in 1970, working with famed chief mechanic George Bignotti.
Leonard then competed in the Rex Mays Classic at Wisconsin State Fairgrounds Park Speedway where he only led the final nine laps on his way to his first victory since 1965 at Milwaukee.
In 1972, Leonard became part of a Super Team at Vel's Parnelli Jones with Unser and Mario Andretti.
He originally drove the #1 Samsonite PJ Colt-Offenhauser at the season-opening Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway.
They lost their Samsonite sponsorship at year's end and Firestone (Vel's Parnelli Jones tire supplier since their debut in the 1967 USAC Championship Car season) was cutting back their racing funding as well, eventually pulling out completely at the end of the year.
At the season-opening heat races that made up the 1974 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway he finished in 4th place.
Since Leonard's injuries occurred before the orthopedic reconstruction methods pioneered by motorsports physician Dr. Terry Trammell, he was left severely debilitated.
Due to racing with a USAC license he was unable to score points in the NASCAR Grand National Series, going unranked (a rule that no longer exists).
