Mr. Leroy (Lee) White of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away peacefully April 8th, 2026.
Lee grew up in Lanagan, Missouri where he spent endless hours tinkering on car engines. He grew his passion of building and designing engines to auto racing where he began his long and illustrious career as a mechanic then on to becoming team manager for multiple race teams across a broad-spectrum auto racing series. He notched multiple race wins and championships across the globe ranging from IMSA, GTO, CART, Indycar, and NASCAR. His most cherished win as an engine builder was the Indianapolis 500. Prior to retirement in 2013, Lee was President and General Manager for Toyota Racing Development (TRD) for nearly 15 years. He was recognized as one of the most influential people in American auto racing and his legacy in the sport will live on thru his many accomplishments and trophy case. He enjoyed golf, travel and tooling around on his boat on Lake Norman in North Carolina blaring bluegrass music. As a hobby, Lee was a pilot for many years, often flying himself and others to races in his super charged Mooney Airplane.
He is survived by his brother Virgil (Dennis) White, daughter Shelby, son Scott, two step-daughters; Gina and Dana, as well as his granddaughters Harper, Paige, Heather, and Haley.