Joe Leonard, former Indy 500 driver,USAC champion and AMA motorcycle champion, had a heart attack over the weekend.

http://www.flattrack.com/index.php?o...=87530&catid=3

I doubt that there are very many IOWers who can say they watched Joe Leonard race..........
I recall one time he pissed off the bikers at Springfield when he publicly said that the bike crowd at the fair races were an embarrassment to the motorcycle community in general.

Well, here's one IOWer who saw him race! He was driving one of those infernal turbines at Indy in '68. Man, I hated those things!
But now I see them in the museum and realize just how beautiful they were and feel a little ashamed.

Hope Joe is OK. He was a tough competitor.

In my very first Indy 500 Joe was close to giving the Coyotes a 1-2 finish. And then there was the suitcase special. Joe has to be among the very best that never won the Indy 500.

And here's two! Remember the Samsonite suitcase car too. Get well Joe!
David.

And here's three. I saw Joe win his two USAC titles. Nice guy and good driver.

Prayers to Joe and his family.

Hey Ovalmeister, that was the VPJ Samsonite Special that he ran with the car number painted on a suitcase?

I always thought Joe was underated.

I saw Joe race several times. One year he started on the front row at Indy.Anybody remember what year that was?

1968 iirc.

I saw him race many times. I'll never forget the 1968 Indy 500 when the turbine flamed out while he seemed on his way to certain victory. They had even called for his wife to come to victory lane when the car failed.