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Healey racer Leonard Janke

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Hangtown Healey

Hangtown Healey

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Leonard Janke is an old time Healey racer. He still has the 100 he raced in the 50's and 60's per a recent article in Vintage Motorsport magazine. Later he raced CanAm. He is from Pender, Neb. and got his first 100 new in England. Have there been any articles written about in in Club magazines?
Thanks,
Ken Freese
Austin Healey Racing Historian
 
I get Vintage Motorsports Magazine and don't recall seeing any article about Leonard. What issue was it in?

Thanks
 
Nice:encouragement:
 
Jan/Feb 2018 issue of Vintage Motorsport.
To me he is well known from race programs of the 50's and 60's, racing a XK120 as well as the Healey all over the Midwest. Hopefully, I can stop and see him on my way to Iowa next summer. So many old racers to interview these days before they are gone......
 
Interesting that different results seem to come up when clicking the "RacingSportsCars" link Rick included in his post versus the one I quoted even though they appear to be identical!
 
Michael Oritt said:
Interesting that different results seem to come up when clicking the "RacingSportsCars" link Rick included in his post versus the one I quoted even though they appear to be identical!
Click to expand...

Hi Michael,

Although they appear to be the same link as displayed on the forum, they are actually different. The part where there are three dots in the middle in the forum link are omitted parts of the link on Racing Sports Cars. The full links are:

Mine: https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Leonard-Janke-USA.html

Yours: https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/photo/Leonard-Janke-USA.html
 
Just goy my issue of Vintage Motorsports, great article. Leonard sounds like a real character and he surely passed on the racing bug to his son and grandson. I see a nice story in there on his exploits with the Healey 100 during the earlier years of sports car racing.

Loarnard Janke & 100 Racer.jpg
 
I talked to Leonard a few years back at a local car event or maybe he called me when I had my 100 for sale. I am from Nebraska as well, Pender is an hour or two North of the relatively Metropolis's of Lincoln and Omaha. I have not read the linked articles yet, but as I recall Leonard said he was over in England in the military and he bought the car from a fellow Yankee soldier who won it in a raffle or contest. Then he raced it in the SCCA, still has it, but a few parts were lost or pilfered over the years. Also said he went on to drive a McLaren in the Can Am series.

I have been wanting to get up to take some pics and hear some stories, but years have passed and life keeps getting in the way. Believe he had a Chevy dealership in Pender to bankroll the racing activities. Nice guy.
 
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