Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Joe Leonard has been selected to serve as Grand Marshall for the June 8-10 “Vintage Laconia” event in New Hampshire.

Leonard won the AMA Grand National Championship in 1954, 1956 and 1957; the USAC Championships several times; the Daytona 200 twice on the beach course and also raced for nine years in Champ (Indy) car racing, including a pole position at Indianapolis in 1968.

More, from a USCRA press release:

As Grand Marshal for Vintage Laconia, Joe will return to the original “Laconia” road course in Gilford, N.H. that ran from 1938 to 1963 and preside over the historic Vintage event. The US Classic Racing Association in conjunction with the Gunstock Recreational Area reopened the original Laconia one-mile paved road course in 1998 to run the Belknap Classic motorcycle road races at the start of the world famous Laconia race week.

On Sunday, June 9, thousands of spectators will be treated to the sights and unmuffled sounds of those old race machines racing the original Laconia track in the hands of today’s fastest American and Canadian Vintage racers. As part of the Sunday race program, the Reunion Riders Race is a truly historic event for the men that raced Laconia during its active AMA National years, 1938 to 1963. Legends like Ben Campanale, Dick Klamfoth, Ed Fisher, Jody Nicholas, Ed Kretz Jr., Sid Swan, Whitey Anderson, Frank Antonelli, Nate Sheldon and scores of other racers that raced the original track return to either ride the Reunion Riders Race or reminisce on the past.

The Vintage Laconia event will also include a Reunion Riders BBQ Saturday night, June 9, and rounds of the FIM/NAMU North American Vintage Observed Trials Championship, on June 8, and FIM/NAMU North American Vintage Road Race Championship, on June 10.

For more information, call John Strempfer, Public Relations, USCRA, at (603) 321-5233, or e-mail [email protected].