René Auguste Maxime Léonard[1] (23 June 1889 – 15 August 1965) was a French racing driver who, along with André Lagache, won the inaugural running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923.
 René Léonard driving a Chenard et Walcker in the Grand Prix de la consommation de l'Automobile-Club de l'Ouest, 28 May 1922 | |
| Nationality |  French |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 June 1889 Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
| Died | 15 August 1965 (aged 76) Saint-Gratien, Val-d'Oise |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1923–1925 |
| Teams | Chenard et Walcker |
| Best finish | 1st (1923) |
| Class wins | 1 (1923) |
Career
Léonard and Lagache were both engineers for the Chenard et Walcker automobile company, and were chosen to drive one of the three entries in the endurance event. Their "Sport" model finished by a four lap margin over another Chenard et Walcker. They drove together the next two years, but failed to finish either time.
Driving for Chenard et Walcker, Léonard won the Coupe Georges Boillot in 1924. He drove with Lagache to win the second edition of the Spa 24 Hours in 1925, and the pair also finished third in 1926. Léonard won the 1926 Gran Premio de Turismo, a 12-hour race for touring cars held at Circuito Lasarte in Guipúzcoa, Spain.[2]
Following the 1926 season, Chenard et Walcker withdrew from competition. However, in 1932, he was seen driving one of their cars in the Lisieux hillclimb and a one-kilometre race in Strasbourg. The same year, he moved to Saint-Gratien to be near to the company's factory. For the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans, he managed a private team of Chenard-Walckers owned by Benoît Falchetto and fielded by Yves Giraud-Cabantous.[3]
Racing record
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Chenard-Walcker SA | André Lagache | Chenard-Walcker Type U3 15CV Sport | 3.0 | 128 | 1st | 1st |
| 1924 | Chenard-Walcker SA | André Lagache | Chenard-Walcker Type U 22CV Sport | 5.0 | 26 | DNF (Fire) | |
| 1925 | Chenard-Walcker SA | André Lagache | Chenard-Walcker Type U 22CV Sport | 5.0 | 90 | DNF (Engine) | |
References
External links
- René Léonard at racingsportscars.com.