35 replies to this topic

[Loren Lundberg]

I'm aware of what I would call the "saga" of Leonard Jahnke, but only long after his retirement. Perhaps Jerry E. could step in and provide some insights into this terribly interesting Nebraska Chevy dealer, as a competitor. Jerry?

[Jerry Entin]

Ike Smith and Leonard and Bonnie Janke and Don Devine.
This is from Elkhart Lake in 2008.

Loren: Leonard Janke's name is pronounced Younke. I always called him Janke.

He lives in Pender, Nebraska where he is on the local Airport board. His son Harold Janke is running the car business. Leonard does dealer trade pickups and goes to auctions and brings back vehicles.

He also has a Lola T-332 center seater CanAm car and a McLaren Mk 6 that he intends to put on a McLaren Mk12 body he has.

He and his lovely wife Bonnie Janke have a motorhome and usually go to Hemet, California in the winter with it. I will ask Leonard for some pictures of him in his racing days to show the forum members his great looking cars.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 21:01.

[S A Dunbar]

Ike Smith and Leonard and Bonnie Janke and Don Devine.
This is from Elkhart Lake in 2008.

Loren: Leonard Janke's name is pronounced Younke. I always called him Janke.

He lives in Pender, Nebraska where he is on the local Airport board. His son Harold Janke is running the car business. Leonard does dealer trade pickups and goes to auctions and brings back vehicles.

He also has a Lola T-332 center seater CanAm car and a McLaren Mk 6 that he intends to put on a McLaren Mk12 body he has.

He and his lovely wife Bonnie Janke have a motorhome and usually go to Hemet, California in the winter with it. I will ask Leonard for some picture of him in his racing days to show the forum members his great looking cars.

Leonard also raced a Camaro in the mid 70's. He and my father are great friends. Leonard and Harold once changed the motor in his McLaren in our shop durning one of his Mid West race excursions....

Scott

[mwphoto]

I have this shot taken at Road America 1980..


While finding that shot also found one of Richard Janke taken at the Des Moines Trans-Am race in 1989.
With Janke Auto Company on the rear panel, would guess there is a family connection.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke in his McLaren Mk 3 at Elkhart Lake.
This photo is from the 1968 Road America June Sprints where Leonard Janke finished third overall and third in class in his M1C (McLaren Elva Mk III)

The Lola T-332 that Mark Windecker has put his great picture up of was bought from Gordy Oftedahl of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Leonard Janke bought it with a blown motor for around $13,000.

The TransAm car is Leonard's son Harold Janke not Richard Janke. This car was a tube frame with a fiberglass Buick Somerset body on it. It was built in Witchita, Kansas and Leonard bought it at a Bankruptcy sale for $5,000. It was dark red in color. It was raced as a Buick in the TransAm by Harold Janke. Harold was born in 1960 so he was about 29 when the photo was taken.

Leonard Janke was born in 1930 and started racing in the states in 1956. His first race was in an Austin Healey 100 at Elkhart Lake in 1956. He had raced in England before this while he was stationed there.

all above information: Leonard Janke
Photo: Tom Schultz- copyright 2009 Tom Schultz

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 21:14.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke in his McLaren Mk 6 with McLaren Mk 8 body

This photo shows Leonard Janke in the 1976 Road America June Sprints in his M6B with an M8 body. He finished third overall and in class.

photo - Tom Schultz - copyright 2009 Tom Schultz.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 14:12.

[mwphoto]

The TransAm car is Leonard's son Harold Janke not Richard Janke.

Thanks for the correction!!!
I took a look at a larger image of the car and it says Driver Harold Janke over the door.
Went back and looked at the race results in OnTrack where I got my info and they list the driver as Richard Janke.

Also found a second shot from Des Moines...

Edited by mwphoto, 18 November 2009 - 21:56.

[kayemod]

Leonard Janke in his McLaren Mk 6 with McLaren Mk 8 body

Interesting, having worked on both cars at the design stage, I'm really surprised that M8 body parts can be made to fit an M6, the later car was several inches wider. Also, is this M6 one of the later Trojan built customer copies? Reason I ask is that I'm pretty sure that McLaren only ever made three M6s themselves, one of which later passed to Penske of course.

[RA Historian]

Interesting, having worked on both cars at the design stage, I'm really surprised that M8 body parts can be made to fit an M6, the later car was several inches wider. Also, is this M6 one of the later Trojan built customer copies? Reason I ask is that I'm pretty sure that McLaren only ever made three M6s themselves, one of which later passed to Penske of course.

M6B, not M6A. Info on chassis from Martin Krecji's site.
Tom

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke's McLaren Mk 6 with Coupe body installed

This car was sold to Jay Esterer and he wanted it in the CanAm body and Leonard still has the coupe body.

 

The blue car next to the Coupe is a McLaren Mk 8F which was raced by Bill Cuddy in the day. Now owned by Craig Pence. It is chassis number 09

 

Kayemod: Craig Pence will now explain how they put a Mk 8 McLaren body on the McLaren Mk 6 chassis.

"I now own the McLaren Mk 6 Leonard Janke had with the Mk8 body. He bought the car from Keith Germaine. Keith Germaine bought the chassis from Jay Hills. He got the body from
Lothar Motschenbacher and modified the tub so the body would fit. He added new sides to widen the tub and removed the rear pontoons to lengthen it."

Craig has made this car into a McLaren coupe.

photo- Craig Pence collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 23:48.

[kayemod]

He got the body from Lothar Motschenbacher and modified the tub so the body would fit. He added new sides to widen the tub and removed the rear pontoons to lengthen it."

Thanks Jerry, that explains everything, I suspected they might have cut & shut the body, which would surely have been rather easier.

[Loren Lundberg]

Ike Smith and Leonard and Bonnie Janke and Don Devine.
This is from Elkhart Lake in 2008.

Loren: Leonard Janke's name is pronounced Younke. I always called him Janke.

He lives in Pender, Nebraska where he is on the local Airport board. His son Harold Janke is running the car business. Leonard does dealer trade pickups and goes to auctions and brings back vehicles.

He also has a Lola T-332 center seater CanAm car and a McLaren Mk 6 that he intends to put on a McLaren Mk12 body he has.

He and his lovely wife Bonnie Janke have a motorhome and usually go to Hemet, California in the winter with it. I will ask Leonard for some picture of him in his racing days to show the forum members his great looking cars.

2 or 3 years ago, I heard about Jahnke and decided to take a detour en route to MN in the summer. I got to Pender (pop. 1131) NE and found Jahnke Auto without much trouble. A cluster of buildings taking up a city block.
Went inside and there was no one around. Standard 1 or 2 car showroom, and I walked over to the required "good citizen" wall hangings; you know the one that shows membership in all of the local organizations, the sales tax license, etc.
And then I saw it - a 5X7 wall placque labelled Can-AM with "Leonard Jahnke" and "4th Place" engraved on it for some 1969(?) race in Texas. My first thought was "Well, you're NOT going to see that very often in a dealership 'good citizen' wall.".
Before too long, Leonard's son came in and we talked a bit before he said "Want to see the cars?". Sure.
We drove about 5 blocks to what appeared to be a house that had been added onto and converted to a garage, with nothing to indicate what was inside. As we walked up the driveway, there was a busted up mag wheel, 17" or 18" wide.
I told Jahnke that while I was sure that everyone in the area knew what was there, but the passers-by would definitely be intrigued by the wheel. He thought about that and said "Good point, I'll move it.".
The place inside was wonderful - I'm going to have to find the pictures, because the memory isn't good enough. It started with the MG that Leonard had raced in England in the 50s when he was a USAF pilot. Still with stickers & inspection markings from its last race.
Then a '67 Z-28 Camaro, also in its race markings, etc., etc.
The McLaren and a Lola were there with bodies removed, stuffed with aluminum Chev big blocks. Spares everwhere; engines on stands body part spares in the rafters, etc.
I Thanked him for letting me see it and asked "During a race, how many times did your dad have to explain where Pender was?".
He laughed and said "Only a hundred or so."

[Jerry Entin]

Dick Guldstrand and Leonard Janke and Jerry Entin

This was from a breakfast meeting held in Burbank at the Coral Cafe, it is known as Bubbahs Breakfast club. Dave Scully is the chairperson for this monthly event and it is a lot of fun to meet everyone and have an enjoyable time there.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 February 2018 - 02:03.

[Jerry Entin]

1954 at Goodwood Leonard is in car #98
Car #97 is Alan Foster and his car was a Morris with a Riley overhead engine installed, car #87 is K.W. Moore in a Renault.
Leonard Janke is in the #98 Morris Minor, his car was an export version. Note Leonard's car is left hand drive. They were allowed to buy these export cars as long as they took them back to the states or sold them to another service man.

New they cost around $1,200. Leonard bought this one used off a fellow service man for $800 he used it to race in Rally type races . The above race was his first track type racing experience.

Leonard was stationed in England starting in November of 1951. He was at the RAF base known as Lakenheath, which is near Cambridge. Leonard also raced his Morris Minor at Silverstone.

Leonard had a friend named Don Moore work on the Morris out of the Cambridge area.

photo Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 20:07.

[Doug Nye]

Well &^%$$@!!! me! Thanks Jerry...

DCN

[Jerry Entin]

Bonnie and Leonard Janke in 1958
Leonard has just finished 2nd in class at a race held at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin in 1958
This was an SCCA National for classes BP, CP, DP, and EP. The length was 120 miles. Leonard Janke finished 22nd overall, second in class.


photo Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke
all research Tom Schultz

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 13:52.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke and Sy Weisinger at Castle Rock Colorado in 1960.

 

Car they are standing by is a Ferrai Monza/Chevy powered. Monza 0554M

Number 12 is Loyal Katskee's Tipo 61. In 1959 he raced it in black but for 1960 it was repainted white.
Donnie Skogmo ran it from 1961 on. This photo was taken at CDR, at the June 26, 1960 USAC race.

Sy Weisinger was in the commercial laundry business in Omaha, Nebraska and bought this Ferrari from his friend Loyal Katskee. He invited Leonard to drive it and Leonard also raced it at Elkhart Lake for Sy Weisinger.


photo- Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke
all research Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 December 2013 - 03:10.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke and his McLaren Mk 3
Some are calling these cars Mk 1C's. This car was bought from Carl Haas for Leonard to run the 1968 season in. The car was an ex Skip Scott car. Skip Scott ran this car in 1967.

Leonards best finish in the car was a fine 4th at the 1968 Bridgehampton USRRC race. His crew at that race was Larry Powley. Larry had worked in Leonards car dealership while he was in high school. In 1968 he had just returned from Vietnam. And Leonard Janke redrafted him into his racing army.

When Leonard got it the car was Silver. He painted it Red.

Carl Haas for 1968 went to Lola cars instead of Trojan and became the Lola and Hewland distributor for the US.


photo Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 23:11.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard and Bonnie Janke with their McLaren Mk 3.

Leonard did all the work on the car himself and Bonnie was his main crew help in the day. They also had friends come out to help from time to time. Larry Powley was one of those friends who came and helped the team.



photo Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 14:17.

[raceannouncer2003]

[img]1953 at Goodwood
Leonard Janke is in the #98 Morris Minor, this was his first racing experience.

Could it be 1954? The following results from Martin Krejci's site seem to match:

http://www.wsrp.ic.cz/natgb1954.html#1

Vince H.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke and Bonnie Janke with the Lola T-160 at Elkhart Lake
Leonard was invited to drive the ex Chuck Parsons driven Lola T-160 now owned by Chuck Beck.
This car had an aluminum 427 chevy engine. It ran terribly. It had broken push rods and bad rocker arms. Leonard had never driven a big block car and knew nothing about those engines.

Vince: You and Martin were right about 1954 and I have changed it above. On the photo it said 1953, my mistake.

This one is from 1954
It is Leonard Janke receiving the London Motor Club American Challenge Trophy from
Mrs. Sidney Allard. This Trophy was for Rally type racing.


photos Janke Family collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 14:02.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard in the T-160 at Elkhart Lake
This car was painted a metallic Green.



photo Tom Schultz
copyright- Tom Schultz 2010

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 23:40.

[HistoricMustang]

Jerry, thank you so much for this insight!

Henry

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke's Camero at Daytona International Raceway in 1974
This was from an IMSA race and it was a 250 miler or 66 laps. Leonard said going down the back straightaway at 170 mph was awesome. He remembers passing a Porsche going into turn 3 and John Greenwood in a Corvette was on the other side of the Porsche going 200mph. He said that would light your eyes up. John Greenwood won this race and Leonard finished 22nd with 56 laps completed.
Leonard won the SCCA A Sedan Midwest Region Championship in this car.


photo- Janke Family collection
scanned for site Cindy Janke

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 20:34.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard and Bonnie Janke and Cindy and Harold Janke
This was from a TransAm race held at Brainerd, Minnesota. That is Harolds trailer and Motorhome next to them,



photo -Janke Family collection

[jettalvr41]

Leonard Janke is my grandpa, its very nice to see all these pictures. he doesn't talk about racing very often, but is currently rebuilding his Lola and his McLaren. My Uncle Harold is also building a SCCA car, i will try to get some pics up maybe if i can.
My Father John Krause and I are also build a 63 Ford Fairlane sports coupe 500 and i have built one of my own newer show cars. its a really big racing/car family!

nice to read all the info!

Edited by jettalvr41, 11 January 2010 - 01:08.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke in his McLaren following Marv Webster's Lola T 70

[Bob Riebe]

AH, surprised I had not seen this thread before.

I grew up in an area in Minnesota with a lot of last names starting with a J but ALWAYS pronounced as Y in yah.

 

He was one of the not well known drivers that DID catch my attention when Road Racing fever dominated my life as a youth.

I will be returning my Aunt's ashes to her home town in Amherst , Neb., a bump in the road, next year and while I will not bother Mr. Janke, I may just drive by his place out of curiosity.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 04 March 2020 - 18:49.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke helping his friend Jerry Entin with his seat belts

This was at Elkhart Lake a few years back. I am in my friend Dave Jacobs Lancer LolaT 70.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke and his son Harold and Denis Hulme and Bonnie Janke at Watkins Glen in 1990 for a Vintage event

Sadly Leonard lost Bonnie on Dec, 14, 2018.

photo: Group 7 Michael

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 March 2020 - 20:35.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard and Bonnie Janke's car dealership in Pender,Nebraska.

This was when they first acquired it.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 March 2020 - 01:18.

[group7]

Jerry, thanks for reposting (and remembering) my photo from the 'Glen 1990 Vintage event, till now I didn't know who the other people were other  then the Bear.

 

Michael

 

PS: sorry for not replying sooner,  thank you and  Willem for your replies regarding that photo of the Ferrari Can-Am car.

Edited by group7, 05 March 2020 - 01:37.

[Jerry Entin]

Leonard Janke in his Lola 332 center seat CanAm car

[ThursdayCar]

One more shot of Leonard in the Elva in its characteristic Satsuma orange. 

I believe the engine (?) but certainly the gearbox on this car was later changed for something non-standard although I don't have the details.

 

Edited by ThursdayCar, 13 March 2020 - 07:01.

[ThursdayCar]

And one of the M6/M8 in the same colour. 

 

[ThursdayCar]

Does anyone know what this logo was - by the way? I presume it was the Janke Auto logo?