René Léonard
René Auguste Maxime Léonard (born June 23, 1889 in Pau ; † August 15, 1965 ) was a French racing driver .
Career
Like André Lagache, René Léonard worked as an engineer at Chenard & Walcker in the 1920s . The two were also active drivers and were part of the works team of the French brand in 1923 , which competed in the first Le Mans 24-hour race . Léonard and Lagache won the race after a driving time of 24 hours and 2209 kilometers on their Chenard & Walcker Sport with a lead of four laps on their teammates Raoul Bachmann and Christian Dauvergne . This made them the first overall winner in what is now the most important long-distance race in the world. Léonard also competed in Le Mans with Lagache in 1924 and 1925. Both times the race ended prematurely due to technical defects.
In 1925, Léonard won the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours with Lagache . At the end of 1925, Chenard & Walcker retired from racing and Léonard worked again as an engineer.
statistics
Le Mans results
| year | team | vehicle | Teammate | placement | Failure reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 |
 Chenard & Walcker
|
Chenard & Walcker Sport |
André Lagache
|
Overall victory | |
| 1924 |
Chenard & Walcker
|
Chenard-Walcker Type U 22CV Sport |
André Lagache
|
failure | Wagon fire |
| 1925 |
Chenard & Walcker
|
Chenard-Walcker Type U 22CV Sport |
André Lagache
|
failure | Engine failure |
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Léonard, René |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Léonard, René Auguste Maxime |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French racing driver |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 23, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pau |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 15, 1965 |