Goodyear’s Leo Mehl Announces Retirement
H. Leo Mehl, who has directed Goodyear’s worldwide racing efforts to unprecedented success over the past 22 years, announced at Daytona on Feb. 14 that he will retire March 1 "in order to enjoy a few weekends without working an auto race for the first time in decades."Stu Grant, the company’s current direct of racing, will succeed Mehl as general manager of racing worldwide in the culmination of a process started by Mehl when the company’s racing division was restructured 18 months ago and Grant was named director.
Mehl chose this week’s running of the 37th Daytona 500, a race in which Goodyear has prevailed over competitive tire suppliers through the years since the 1959 inaugural event, at which to announce his retirement decision.
Mehl, who will turn 60 in April, is credited with much of Goodyear’s NASCAR success and also for his role in the development of tires that put A.J. Foyt into the winners circle at the 1967 Indianapolis 500 to begin Goodyear’s long reign as the dominant race tire supplier in Indy car racing. Since 1974, Mehl has guided the company’s racing involvement to the top in motor sports with unsurpassed success in all racing venues.
"Leo has had an exceptional career," Goodyear Chairman Stan Gault said of Mehl. "He literally has built our comprehensive motorsports program into the envy of an entire industry with unparalleled racing tire performance whether on dirt tracks, super speedways, drag strips or road courses. To many people, Leo Mehl has been Goodyear racing."
In 1995 alone, Goodyear captured 514 of 615 victories in professional motor sports events. Over the past 25 years, in competing with the 14 tire companies that have been involved in racing, Goodyear has won more than 83 percent of all events in 23 North American and one international series.
"For over 30 years I’ve spent most weekends and holidays at race tracks all over the world," Mehl said. "I’ve been wanting to do other things, but hesitated until I felt the time was right. I believe the time is right now because our programs are well organized and under way for a new season, and we have great people now in place to continue our success into the future."
A chemical engineer, Mehl joined Goodyear as a trainee in 1959 following his graduation from West Virginia University and three years in the Air Force. He moved into race tire development in 1963 working on the Indy project with Foyt. He also served four years in England as Goodyear’s racing manager in Europe.
In 1971, Mehl returned as chief engineer of radial tire engineering. He was back in racing in 1974 as director, and given worldwide responsibility in 1979.
"I’ve had a wonderful career at Goodyear, and particularly want to thank the thousands of Goodyear associates and racing friends worldwide who have made Goodyear number one in racing," Mehl said.
"There is no question that Leo will be missed by Goodyear and by racing," Gault said. "Along with establishing the success of our overall racing program, he has built countless friendships and relationships around the world. We aggressively will continue the winning tradition that Leo has been instrumental in developing."