Ed Leavitt first met the sport of auto racing as a 14-year-old, in 1956, at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City.  Watching the midgets tear around the small oval he fell in love with racing.  I wasn’t until six years later that he and a friend, Pat Patterson, began building his first race car.  It was not an auspicious debut – in fact he did not finish race his first wo seasons!  Things were looking up in 1964 when he won $6.00 in the first race of the season.  

​  Soon, better cars were coming Ed’s way and heat race and B main wins were appearing as well.  By 1967, finishes in the top were becoming commonplace and Leavitt occionally was able to take an A Feature win.
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     In 1969, Ed was hired by Pappy Weld and won several races along with setting the car on the front row of the Knoxville Nationals.  He did not get to start the race however, because his wife went into labor with Eddie Leavitt Jr.

     Leavitt joined with car owner, Keith Barker, for the 1970 season and together they won many races over the next three seasons.  Eddie set a new track record at Eagle Raceway in 1973 driving for “Speedy Bill” Smith, and had another big year.

     Ed won the Knoxville Nationals twice, in 1975 while driving for R & H Farms and in 1976 for Fred Aden. 
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     Leavitt ran USAC for Don Seibert in 1977 and scored a win at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.  He also won at Reading, Pennsylvania in 1978, and scored a big victory at Terre Haute, Indiana in Tony Hulman Classic driving for Louie Seymour in 1980.  He also won a Silver Crown race at Williams Grove in 1981.