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| The
Tornado Revisited by Norm Bogan |
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Nearly three years after winning the SCRA championship and
announcing his retirement from sprint cars, Lealand McSpadden took time to once
again greet his fans and receive their accolades, as he was inducted into the
Arizona Auto Racing Hall of Fame at the SCRA race at Manzanita.
With
a small group of friends, I was invited to have dinner with Lealand and his wife
Janet at the Old Miners Camp restaurant near the base of the scenic Superstition
Mountains.
It was a relaxed atmosphere and the ambience was just fine as we dined
and enjoyed light conversation, which centered on Lealand’s career in racing. Lealand
had started racing on motorcycles with the Shuman brothers, Billy and Ronnie.
He also spent some time wrenching for his hero, Jerry McClung.
When Billy got an old super-modified from McClung, Lealand was asked to
be the mechanic.
The following year, Billy moved into a sprint car ride and Lealand became
the pilot of the “super”.
When a better ride was offered to Lealand, the car was turned over to
Ronnie.
After Ronnie stepped up, the racer was sold to Wayne Bennet.
That meant that four drivers started their driving careers in the same
car and all became Arizona State Champions. Early
in his sprint car career, Lealand drove for several different owners, including
Keith Hall’s Allied Concrete car, Bill King’s Brake-O Special, Gary
Stanton’s house car and Bill Krug’s Day-Glo racer, before moving into the
northern California cars of the Bailey Brothers and Reid’s Diesel.
Lealand also spent time in the mid-west based cars of Jensen Construction
#55 out of Des Moines, Speedy Bill’s #4X from Lincoln, Nebraska and Casey
Luna’s Ford.
He has driven for a number of other owners on a limited basis in some of
the legendary cars of both wing and non-wing racing.
In the last decade of his career, seats were filled in the Danny P Ford,
the DSD #91, which won the CRA championship and the famous Morales “Tamale
Wagon”.
The final year was a storybook ending to a great career, winning ten
features and the 1995 SCRA championship in Ron Chaffin’s, Bromme wrenched #50. Lealand
has gained special recognition, through some significant victories. His
portfolio includes, a Western World championship at his home track, Manzanita
and the Dirt Cup crown at Skagit, in sprint cars, plus midget wins at the Chili
Bowl and the Belleville Nationals.
He also captured the last Copper World Sprint Car feature in 1988 and won
the Hoosier Hundred Silver Crown title. After
a great meal, our party then returned to the McSpadden residence in Tempe to
visit his loft (trophy room).
On display was memorabilia, significant to Lealand with many pictures of
the early years and his different racers.
A small number of the total trophies, won over the years, held special
meaning.
There was the 1993 CRA championship trophy, topped with a white eagle.
The most revered trophy is one in honor of James McElreath, given by USAC
for Sportsmanship.
At the time of McElreath’s death, Lealand was teammate of James for
Bill King’s Brake-O racing.
Some of the Tornado’s old driving suits have been stuffed and now are
seated in chairs around his collection.
It’s an appropriate place for McSpadden to kick back and contemplate
his memories. In
an introspective moment, Lealand’s intent was testing his own limits and those
of his racer, rather than focusing on his competitors.
That is why he made some impressive charges from the rear of the field
and also, why he would put the car on the wall with a straightaway lead.
Lealand says that upon retiring from the driver’s seat, he never
planned on returning.
It is still very difficult to go to the track, because those juices still
flow through his body. McSpadden
was respected by many of his associates. Fellow
competitors would come to him for advice on setups or driving techniques and
would get the straight scoop, not wanting to mislead them, possibly causing a
melee during a race, confident that he could still beat them with his skills.
J.C. Agajanian would call regularly to bounce ideas off him and get his
valued reaction.
Lealand says the late Jim Raper at Skagit was a true friend and they
would discuss at length, items such as track preparation and race formats.
While racing against himself, Lealand says that most of his approximately
250 victories were significant. Throughout
his racing career, Lealand worked a full time job as a machinist.
An agreement was made early on, that he would work the necessary hours to
keep the business commitments and then take off to go racing.
Often, three or four 10-12 hour shifts were completed, before leaving to
race throughout the country.
Many times, he flew home on Sunday night to be at work, early in the
week, then it was off again, racing.
I was once told that while racing all over the country, he still averaged
46 hours of work each week.
He was a man, who had his life in perspective. Lealand’s
wife of twenty-seven years, Janet, said that while she wasn’t a big race fan,
the man she loved was out there and she supported him.
Family has been very important to Lealand and most times, you’ll find
him accompanied by Janet, along with son and daughter, Jeff and Michele.
Dubbed
the “Tempe Tornado” by longtime Manzanita announcer, Windy McDonald, Lealand
has provided much excitement for fans throughout the country.
His wide-open style of driving, putting the car right on the wall has
gained many awestruck fans.
A few memorable performances can be remembered, such as Oklahoma City,
where he ran the feature without brakes and slowed the car by placing the right
rear against the wall to scrub off speed, ending his night in victory circle.
Who can forget Skagit in 1995, when after two crashes, that should have
put the car in the trailer, he won both features.
A second place finish at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway, after
qualifying on a flat tire, which put him at the rear of the feature. Throughout
his career, Lealand has been a real gentleman, always making time for the fans,
especially, the kids.
Lealand has been a positive asset to auto racing, always smiling, whether
he had just won a grueling feature or had been knocked out by a mechanical
malady.
I feel fortunate that I had an opportunity to see the “Tornado” storm
onto the racetrack and to have spent time to know him as a man.
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