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1960 Peoria IL Motorcycle TT Racing Joe Leonard - 2-Page Vintage Article
Original, vintage magazine article.Page Size:Approx 8\" x 11\" (21 cm x 28 cm)Condition: Good
Leonard Wins 45\",80\" To Market;Resweber AgainNational ChampBy Scant 4 PointsLack of rain made Peoria dustier than usual, so it was important to get into that first turn aheadof the pack. Passing was a mighty tough job.PEORIA. ILLINOIS—Between 15 and 20thousand people watched Joe Leonard winthe 45 cu. in. title and Bart Markel the80 cu. in. championship in the 14th runningof the Peoria national championship TTraces.This was the largest turnout of people inthe history of the championships. Thousandsof cars jammed the 80-acre parking lot,displaying license plates from ever)\' cornerof the country.In the 45\" event. Dick Mann (BSA) andBart Markel (H-D) rode a sparkling race,but quite a bit of the interest was in thethird place battle between Harley-Davidsonriders Joe Leonard and Carroll Resweber.The reason for this was that both men en-tered the race almost tied in point standingsfor the U.S championship title.Leonard, three-time grand national cham-pion from San Jose. Calif, was only twopoints behind Resweber at the end of the45 cu. in. race. Joe was first place man.while Resweber, Cedarburg, Wise., had tosettle for sixth. This is how the stage wasset for the fantastic Leonard-Resweber battlethat was later to steal some of the gloryfrom Market’s championship win (his first,incidentally).Leonard, getting off to a bad start, hadto battle his way through the pack to harassResweber in the 80 cu. in. race. He almostpulled ahead once on the 12th lap, butResweber defeated the challenge and wonthe points title 49-45. Resweber became thefirst rider in AMA history to win the na-tional championship three years in a row.Leonard won in 1954, 1956 and 1957. Res-weber won in 1958 and 1959 and BradAndres in 1955. If Leonard had beat Res-weber in the 80\" event, point standingswould have ended in a tie for the first timein professional motorcycle racing history.Markel, who rode the fence the entiredistance, surged ahead on the first turn andheld the lead for the rest of the race. Mannstayed right behind Markel for 14 laps, buthe never quite made good on his threat.Duane (Moon) Buchanan, the defending80 in. champion, won his heat race in the80 and finished second in the 45 cu. in.competition, but the best he could do inthe finals was fifth.(Continued on next page)—Photos by Jock MercerHolding trophy emblematic of 45\" Peoria win,Joe Leonard is surrounded by (from left) AMASecretary Lin Kuchler, tuner Monte Miller anddealer Bruce Walters.Joe Leonard slides around Bart Markel in the 45\" National as RogerReiman follows closely. Joe won easily, setting a new record time forthe event.Still the number one man, Carroll Resweber smiles as he poses formuch-decorated east coast rider who looks more like an actor than aphotographer.Leonard leads Dick Mann and Ed Kretz, Jr.,in second lap of 80\" heat.To illustrate the indomitable spirit be-hind motorcycling today, donations amount-ing to S670 were taken for Everett Brash-ear to defray expenses for injuries receivedin a race at Stockton, Kansas. He is nowal the Hadley Memorial Hospital in Hays,Kansas.Results:45 cu. in.1 . Joe Leonard, H-D2 Bort Market, H-D3. Dick Mann, BSA4. Ed Kretz, Jr., Tri.5. Duane Buchanan, H-D6. Carroll Resweber, H-D7. Don Wehrman, H-D8. Jack Simmons, BSA9. Roger Reiman, H-D(Spilled 11 th lap)80 cu. in.1 Bart Markel, H-D2 Dick Mann, BSA3. Carrol Resweber, H-D4. Joe Leonard, H-D5. Ed Kretz, Jr-, Tri.6. Duane Buchanan, H=D7. Jim Hayes, Tri.8. Larry Williamson, H-D9. Robert Bagwell, H-D
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