The versatility that Joe Leonard displayed throughout his racing career earned this California racer three AMA Grand National Championship titles and two USAC National Championship crowns. He began racing on motorcycles and won the first ever series-determined National title, the 1954 Grand National Championship. He added the '56 and '57 championships to his accomplishments, each year winning on both dirt tracks and road courses. His first title year was perhaps his greatest. He won a record eight of the season's 18 Grand National races and two of those victories came on the same day in the 45 cubic inch and 80 cubic inch Peoria Steeplechase Nationals. In 1961 Joe closed out his legendary two-wheel racing career by winning three Nationals and finishing second in the final point standings. Those final three Grand National championships provided yet another display of his versatility, participating in a road race, a mile dirt track event and in a Steeplechase race. In nine years of AMA Grand National competition, Leonard scored a record 27 wins, two of which came in the Daytona 200, motorcycling's equivalent of the Indianapolis 500. The following year he made the switch to car racing. Joe stands alone as the only American racer who has won both motorcycle and car racing National Championships.
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Sturgis Museum and Hall of Fame - Sturgis, South Dakota