Tom Leonard's Ford Special 

For the 1962 season the SF Region of the SCCA restored "Novice Races" to Northern California race weekends.  Among the unusual entries was Tom Leonard's flathead Ford powered Special.     (Photos by Allen Kuhn)
 
 

The bearded Leonard on the grid at Del Mar in 1963.  This car was one of the last flathead powered Specials to compete in California.  Historic racer Dave Seely identifies the fiberglass body as a "Kellison J4 Roadster body".
  
A throwback to a much earlier era of racing, Leonard's Special dwarfs Frank Monise's Lotus 23 in the foreground.  Behind Leonard is Tom Handelson's Corvette powered MGA
 
From historic racer Dave Seely:    (4-20-06)

"The Leonard car has an early Kellison J4 roadster body. I substantiated 
this with Jim Kellison before he died by email and telephone. Also, the 
car ran a Ford V-8 early on, but by this time was running the y-block 
according to a friend of Tom Leonard's. I am hoping to get more 
information on the history of this car. 

Please feel free to put my contact information on your website for any lurkers that might have some info on this car.  We have pieces to the puzzle but not much else."
 
Next:   Dave MacDonald and Joe Freitas

Back to:   Bob Edmison's Lister-Chevy -- 1962

Back to:   Early 1960s Racing -- Homepage