AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member Joe Leonard passed away on Thursday, April 27, in San Jose, Calif. He was 84.
“The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to Joe Leonard’s family and friends,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “He was one among those rare competitors who excelled in multiple disciplines.”
Mr. Leonard raced motorcycles and cars during his career. He won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1954, 1956 and 1957. In 1955, he finished third.
In all, Mr. Leonard amassed 27 national wins split between the disciplines of TT, miles, half-miles and road racing. Leonard won the Daytona 200 twice, the Laconia Classic three times and the Peoria TT seven times.
After switching to auto racing, Mr. Leonard won the USAC Championship Car Series in 1971 and 1972.
Mr. Leonard was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991 and into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mr. Leonard’s AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame bio can be found here.
