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Sonny’s Racing Components

Sonny Leonard Memorial Race to Headline PDRA Summer Shootout Presented by Ty-Drive

DINWIDDIE, VA – As the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) enters the second half of its eight-race 2021 season, the all-eighth-mile series is preparing to honor one of the sport’s most prolific engine builders at the upcoming Summer Shootout presented by Ty-Drive. The Virginia Motorsports Park event, July 15-17, will host the Sonny Leonard Memorial Race for the PDRA’s Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock class.

“Following the loss of Sonny Leonard over the offseason, our Extreme Pro Stock racers and Sonny’s family at Sonny’s Racing Engines started thinking of ways to honor Sonny,” said Tyler Crossnoe, the race director at PDRA and vice president at Virginia Motorsports Park. “It made a lot of sense to hold a memorial race at his home track, Virginia Motorsports Park. Sonny was a huge part of the PDRA community, especially in the Extreme Pro Stock class. From both the PDRA and VMP perspectives, we’re proud to host the Sonny Leonard Memorial Race this weekend.

“We’re also excited to announce that the Extreme Pro Stock purse has been raised to $10,000 to win for this race,” Crossnoe said. “Lots of drivers, teams and businesses donated to raise the incentives for this special event, including a $500 No. 1 qualifier bonus and multiple additional contingency awards.”

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FULFILLING AN AMERICAN DREAM

Sonny Leonard’s Impact Is Still Being Felt In Racing – Story & Photos by Rod Short

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but the desire to succeed and then hard work is what makes it come true. That’s what happened when a small, 300 square foot shop called Sonny’s Garage emerged years later to become Sonny’s World Class Racing – and it’s still going on.

Humble Beginnings

After 50+ years of developing engine combinations ranging from 400 to 1,000 cubic inches, many people are surprised about where Sonny Leonard came from.

Following his time in the U.S. Army, Sonny was employed as a tech at a Chevrolet dealership where he put in extra time on nights and weekends to make a few bucks so he could drag race.

After selling his car and borrowing $300 from the bank to start his business, Sonny and his wife Frances set out on their own to open a shop  in a 300-square-foot building that could barely fit two cars.

He worked on anything that had wheels, anything that would pay the bills to keep his business going. That ranged from fleet truck maintenance to farm equipment to other racer’s cars.

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SONNY LEONARD BUILDS 1400-HORSEPOWER ENGINE FOR SUNNEN CHARITY SWEEPSTAKES AT PRI 2019

Tickets to win the 762 cubic-inch, high-horsepower engine are available now at victoryjunction.org/sunnen-sweepstakes

ALISO VIEJO, CA – Performance Racing Industry (PRI) and Sunnen have teamed up with well-known manufacturers and legendary engine builder Sonny Leonard from Sonny’s World Class Racing to raffle a high-performance engine during the PRI Trade Show, December 12-14, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tickets for the 31st annual Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes are available now at victoryjunction.org/sunnen-sweepstakes, with all proceeds going to Victory Junction, a camp founded by NASCAR’s Petty family for children with serious illnesses.

“It’s such an honor to have Sonny Leonard and his team generously volunteer their time to build another engine for the Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes,” said PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson. “Their engine last year raised a record amount for Victory Junction, and we’re looking forward to the excitement that this second, more powerful engine will generate.”

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Sonny’s celebrates 50 years

Sonny’s to build charity engine for Sunnen Sweepstakes at PRI

LYNCHBURG, VA – Sonny’s Racing Engines proudly celebrates 50 years in business in 2018. Longevity of this magnitude in any industry is uncommon and certainly a cause for celebration.

From humble beginnings in December of 1968, Sonny Leonard rose in prominence thanks to his innovative engine designs and uncompromising performance. Sonny’s has over 100 national and world records on land and sea. In Mountain Motor Pro Stock alone, Sonny’s engines have amassed 17 World Championships across PDRA, IHRA and ADRL. A Sonny’s engine won the first Pro Stock Championship with Ricky Smith in 1987. Additional MMPS Championships have been racked up by customers Billy Huff, Doug Kirk, Tommy Mauney, John Montecalvo and Cary Goforth.

While many drag race fans are well aware of Sonny’s Racing Engines accomplishments on the eighth and quarter miles, they may be surprised to find out the company has had a broad impact on boat racing and truck pulls, as well. A Sonny’s Racing Engine has won five out of six National Championships in the NTPA 4 wheel drive truck pull category.

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Sonny’s Celebrates 50 years

Sonny’s to build charity engine for Sunnen Sweepstakes at PRI

LYNCHBURG, VA – Sonny’s Racing Engines proudly celebrates 50 years in business in 2018. Longevity of this magnitude in any industry is uncommon and certainly a cause for celebration.

From humble beginnings in December of 1968, Sonny Leonard rose in prominence thanks to his innovative engine designs and uncompromising performance. Sonny’s has over 100 national and world records on land and sea. In Mountain Motor Pro Stock alone, Sonny’s engines have amassed 17 World Championships across PDRA, IHRA and ADRL. A Sonny’s engine won the first Pro Stock Championship with Ricky Smith in 1987. Additional MMPS Championships have been racked up by customers Billy Huff, Doug Kirk, Tommy Mauney, John Montecalvo and Cary Goforth.

While many drag race fans are well aware of Sonny’s Racing Engines accomplishments on the eighth and quarter miles, they may be surprised to find out the company has had a broad impact on boat racing and truck pulls, as well. A Sonny’s Racing Engine has won five out of six National Championships in the NTPA 4 wheel drive truck pull category.

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Goforth Wins Eighth Championship with Sonny’s Power

LYNCHBURG, VA – This season Cary Goforth secured his eighth Mountain Motor Pro Stock Championship across four organizations. All eight championships came with the aid of Sonny’s Racing Engines, attesting the prowess of Sonny’s horsepower on both the eighth and quarter-miles.

“I’m proud of this because there have been a lot of people from day one when we started this journey that helped us get started, that helped us with advice, that helped us on the team, that were with us through the years,” Goforth said of the 2017 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock World Championship. “I think about those people. I think about our families at home, and all the people that have supported us, like Sonny and his team.

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Sonny’s Racing Engines Powers Harper and Goforth to 2016 Championships

LYNCHBURG, VA – “The stats pretty well speak for themselves,” said the newly crowned 2016 IHRA Pro Mod Sonny'sChampion, Billy Harper. “The engines have just done phenomenal.”

Harper utilized his Sonny’s Racing Engines powerplant to reset the national record multiple times this season and easily walk away the 2016 championship. Sonny’s Racing Engines have been a factor in a myriad of IHRA championships throughout the years. Perhaps none speak more highly than the three back-to-back Pro Stock championships secured in ‘14, ‘15 and now ‘16 by Cary Goforth.

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