Local News
Leitzinger's racing legend on display at track
Damara Hutchins | Highlands Today
Published: March 17, 2012
His car is the same model as the one Paul Newman used to race. In fact, Bob and Paul raced against each other several times, but he does not recall who came out ahead in those matches. "This is the car that made Datsun," he said. "You can't have a good race car made out of a poor street car."Published: March 17, 2012
Bob started out as a Datsun dealer before he got into the world of racing back in 1964, but he took a few years off at the end of the 1960s through 1971 before he fully committed himself to racing in 1972. It would be the 1980s before he began racing on Sebring's notoriously bumpy track. "My other car is a Lotus, but it is real finicky and not good on this rough track. It's light weight."
Car racing is his passion, without a doubt. In fact, he said, "Racing is all I've ever seriously been involved in. My family has also been in racing one way or another."
He flipped through a photo album and pointed to several pictures from around 1973 of his son helping him work on cars. "My son is a world-class driver now. He used to race for Bentley."
His son, Butch Leitzinger, has also driven in the Le Mans series for Dyson Racing and Panoz. This year, he's behind the wheel of a Formula Le Mans car called an Oreca. His car number is 52 and his team is PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports sponsored by Aviation American Gin/Quest Software. Butch will be competing in the 12 hour endurance race on Saturday.
Leitzinger now spends part of the year in State College, Pa., and the rest of the year in West Palm Beach. He says that he doesn't race for the prize money because there isn't really much money in it. He just races for the pleasure of racing, nothing more.
When asked if he gets recognition from fans, he said "That's all I did yesterday was talk to people. My jaw still hurts from all that talking I did."
When Thursday's late afternoon practice time arrived, Bob's number 95 blue, red and white car could be spotted speeding around the track with all the others. By Saturday's big event, the vintage car race will be over, but Bob will probably enjoy being a spectator, watching his son zoom by.