Joe Leonard passed away on April 27, 2017 in a San Jose, California, nursing home at the age of 84. A three-time AMA Grand National champion, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991 and in 1998 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Leonard’s racing accomplishments were extremely rare, as the San Diego native won national championships on both two and four wheels.