Dennis Leech

{{short description|British racing driver (born 1943)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Dennis Leech | image = | image_size = | caption = | nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|4|6|df=y}} | birth_place = Sidmouth, Devon, England | death_date = | death_place = | retired = | relatives = | last_series = British Saloon / Touring Car Championship | years_active = 1969–1973, 1981–1988, 1990–1992 | teams = Dennis Leech | starts = 95 | wins = 3 (2 in class) | poles = 2 | fastest_laps = 3 | best_finish = 6th | year = 1987 | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = | title_years = | awards = | award_years = }}

'''Dennis Herbert Leech''' (born 6 April 1943 in Sidmouth) is a British former racing driver. Most of his racing career was spent driving saloon cars, mainly as a privateer in the British Touring Car Championship. He also entered selected rounds of the British Formula One Championship between 1978 and 1980. His most competitive years in the BTCC came in the 1980s, where he was often a front runner in his Class A 3.5 litre Rover Vitesse. In 1987 he finished as runner-up in his class, finishing sixth overall in his ageing Rover.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=30 |title=BTCC - 1987 Standings |accessdate=2009-12-01 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071908/http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=30 |archivedate=16 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }} Official 1987 BTCC Standing</ref> His final year in the BTCC came in 1992, entering his own-built Ford Sierra.

Leech was the record holder for the longest period between wins in the BTCC, with nearly 18 years between his first two wins in 1969<ref>http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1969%20Oulton%20Park.html</ref><ref>http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1969%20Brands%20Hatch%20EN.html</ref> and his last win in 1987,<ref>http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1987%20Thruxton.html</ref> until Rob Huff broke this record in 2024.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}}

==Racing record==

===Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" |- ! Year ! Team ! Car ! Class ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts ! Class |- | 1969 ! Dennis Leech ! Ford Falcon Sprint ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} | BRH | SIL | SNE | THR |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CRY ovr:11† cls:3† |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''MAL'' ovr:2† cls:1† |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CRO Ret |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:2 cls:2 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| OUL ovr:1 cls:1 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| BRH ovr:1 cls:1 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''''BRH''''' ovr:2 cls:2 | | | ! 10th ! 40 !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd |- | 1970 ! Dennis Leech ! Ford Mustang Boss 302 ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} | BRH | SNE | THR | SIL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CRY Ret† |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:2 cls:2 | SIL |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CRO ovr:10 cls:3 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| OUL ovr:3 cls:3 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BRH ovr:2 cls:2 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRH ovr:23 cls:3 | | | ! 11th ! 24 !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd |- | 1971 ! Castrol-Leechtune Engineering ! Ford Mustang Boss 302 ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH ovr:5 cls:4 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SNE ovr:4† cls:3† |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| THR ovr:3 cls:3 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SIL ovr:4 cls:3 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| CRY DNS† |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| SIL DNS |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CRO Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:5 cls:4 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| BRH ovr:2 cls:1 |style="background:#000000; color:white"| MAL DSQ† |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret | | | ! 14th ! 21 ! 4th |- | 1972 ! Dennis Leech ! Ford Mustang Boss 429 ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} | BRH |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| OUL ovr:3 cls:3 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| THR ovr:4 cls:3 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:9 cls:6 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| CRY DNS† |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRH ovr:7 cls:3 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| OUL Ret | SIL | MAL |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH NC | | | | | ! 22nd ! 13 ! 5th |- | 1973 ! Dennis Leech ! Ford Mustang Boss 429 ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} | BRH | SIL | THR | THR |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SIL ovr:14 cls:3 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ING ovr:? cls:2 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret† | SIL | BRH | | | | | | ! 17th ! 10 !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd |- | 1981 ! Dennis Leech ! Ford Capri III 3.0S ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} | MAL |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:? cls:? |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| OUL ovr:12† cls:11† |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| THR ovr:? cls:? |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH ovr:?† cls:?† | SIL | SIL |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON ovr:13† cls:11† |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH ovr:10 cls:6 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret | SIL | | | | ! 44th ! 1 ! 16th |- | 1982 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover 3500 S ! {{Tooltip|D|Class D}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:6 cls:6 | MAL |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:4† cls:4† |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| THR ovr:8 cls:7 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR ovr:5 cls:5 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:8 cls:8 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret | DON | BRH |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret | | | | ! 30th ! 6 ! 8th |- | 1983 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} | SIL | OUL | THR |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BRH ovr:4 cls:3 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON ovr:9 cls:6 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret | DON | BRH | SIL | | | | ! 22nd ! 5 ! 10th |- | 1984 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON ovr:7 cls:7 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret | OUL | THR | THR |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:8 cls:8 | SNE |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret | BRH | DON | SIL | | | | ! NC ! 0 ! NC |- | 1985 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} | SIL | OUL | THR | DON | THR | SIL | DON |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:15 cls:7 | SNE | BRH |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRH Ret |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SIL ovr:3 cls:3 | | | ! 25th ! 4 ! 9th |- | 1986 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:2 cls:2 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ''THR'' Ret |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| SIL DNS |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| DON DNS |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH ovr:4 cls:4 | SNE | BRH | DON |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| SIL DNS | | | | | | ! 17th ! 10 ! 5th |- | 1987 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:2 cls:2 | OUL |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''THR''' ovr:1 cls:1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| THR ovr:4 cls:4 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SIL ovr:2 cls:2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:7 cls:6 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BRH ovr:2 cls:2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SNE ovr:4 cls:4 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| DON ovr:3 cls:2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:6 cls:4 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON ovr:16 cls:6 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret | | | ! 6th ! 44 !style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- | 1988 ! Dennis Leech ! Rover Vitesse ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} | SIL | OUL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON ovr:11 cls:9 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:14 cls:11 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL ovr:17 cls:12 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH ovr:12 cls:9 | SNE | BRH | BIR | DON | SIL | | ! NC ! 0 ! NC |- | 1990 ! Judge Developments ! Ford Sierra RS500 ! {{Tooltip|A|Class A}} | OUL | DON | THR | SIL DNS |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OUL ovr:10 cls:8 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIL ovr:7 cls:7 | BRH | SNE |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRH ovr:19 cls:7 |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| BIR DNS |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| DON Ret |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| THR DNS | SIL | | ! 26th ! 11 ! 10th |- | 1991 ! Judge Developments ! Ford Sierra RS500 ! |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 16 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SNE 14 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DON 8 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| THR Ret | SIL | BRH | SIL | DON 1 | DON 2 | OUL | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | DON | THR | SIL ! 20th ! 3 | |- | 1992 ! Judge Developments ! Ford Sierra RS Cosworth ! | SIL | THR | OUL | SNE | BRH | DON 1 | DON 2 |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIL Ret | KNO 1 | KNO 2 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| PEM 17 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH 1 15 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRH 2 15 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DON 13 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SIL 15 ! NC ! 0 | |- !colspan="22"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web |last1=de Jong |first1=Frank |title=British Saloon Car Championship |url=http://www.touringcarracing.net/Pages/BSCC.html |website=History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993 |access-date=8 April 2025}}</ref>}}}} |} † Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.

===Complete European F5000 Championship results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- | 1975 ! Dennis Leech ! Chevron B24 ! Chevrolet 5.0 V8 |style="background:#000; color:#fff;"| BRH {{small|DSQ}} |style="background:#dfffdf;"| OUL {{small|8}} |style="background:#cfcfff;"| BRH {{small|12}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| SIL {{small|Ret}} | ZOL | ZAN |style="background:#ffffff;"| THR {{small|DNS}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| SNE {{small|Ret}} | MAL |style="background:#dfffdf;"| THR {{small|9}} |style="background:#dfffdf;"| BRH {{small|7}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| OUL {{small|Ret}} |style="background:#cfcfff;"| SIL {{small|13}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| SNE {{small|Ret}} |style="background:#ffffff;"| MAL {{small|DNS}} | BRH ! 26th ! 9 |}

===Complete Shellsport International Series results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- | 1976 ! Dennis Leech ! Chevron B28 ! Chevrolet 5.0 V8 | MAL | SNE | OUL | BRH |style="background:#dfffdf;"| THR {{small|5}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| BRH {{small|Ret}} |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MAL {{small|DNQ}} |style="background:#dfffdf;"| SNE {{small|9}} |style="background:#cfcfff;"| BRH {{small|23}} |style="background:#dfffdf;"| THR {{small|10}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| OUL {{small|Ret}} | BRH |style="background:#cfcfff;"| BRH {{small|13}} | ! 24th ! 11 |- | 1977 ! Dennis Leech ! Chevron B28 ! Chevrolet 5.0 V8 | MAL | SNE | OUL | BRH | MAL | THR | BRH |style="background:#ffffff;"| OUL {{small|DNS}} | MAL |style="background:#dfffdf;"| DON {{small|7}} |style="background:#efcfff;"| BRH {{small|Ret}} |style="background:#dfffdf;"| THR {{small|6}} | SNE | BRH ! 20th ! 10 |}

===Complete British Formula One Championship results=== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- | 1978 ! Dennis Leech ! March 761 ! Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | OUL | BRH | SNE | MAL | ZAN | DON | THR | OUL | MAL | BRH |style="background:#cfcfff;"| THR {{small|16}} | SNE | | | ! NC ! 0 |- | 1979 ! Dennis Leech ! McLaren M23 ! Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ZOL | OUL | BRH | MAL | SNE | THR | ZAN | DON | OUL | NOG | MAL | BRH |style="background:#cfcfff;"| THR {{small|9}} | SNE | SIL ! NC ! 0 |- | 1980 ! Dennis Leech ! McLaren M23 ! Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | OUL | BRH | SIL | MAL | THR | MNZ | MAL | SNE | BRH | THR | OUL |style="background:#cfcfff;"| SIL {{small|11}} | | | ! NC ! 0 |}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leech, Dennis}} Category:1943 births Category:British Touring Car Championship drivers Category:British Formula One Championship drivers Category:English racing drivers Category:English Formula One drivers Category:Living people Category:People from Sidmouth Category:Britcar 24-hour drivers Category:20th-century English sportsmen

Dennis Leech

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