IndyCar racing legend was beloved by many
Bobby Unser, who began racing jalopies in New Mexico and went on to become a beloved figure across racing and part of the only pair of brothers to win “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” died Sunday at 87. He died at his home in Albuquerque, N.M., of natural causes, Indianapolis Motor Speedway said.
“There simply was no one quite like Bobby Unser,“said Roger Penske, now the speedway owner. “Beyond his many wins and accomplishments, Bobby was a true racer that raised the performance of everyone around him. He was also one of the most colorful characters in motorsports.”
Unser was a member of one America’s most famed racing families and one of the greatest drivers in the history of the speedway, capturing the race in 1968, 1975 and 1981.
“He is part of the Mount Rushmore of Indy,” said Dario Franchitti, another three-time Indy 500 winner.
Unser was one of six members of the Unser family to race in the Indianapolis 500; an older brother, Jerry, died in a crash preparing for the 1959 Indy 500.
Al Unser is one of only three drivers to win the Indy 500 four times — 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. The Unser family tradition stretched to Al Unser’s son, Al Unser Jr., who won Indy in 1992 and 1994.
Bobby Unser was born Feb. 20, 1934, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and moved with his family as a child to New Mexico. His father owned a garage along Route 66 and he his three brothers grew up tooling around in old jalopies before he quit high school at 15 and began his racing career at Roswell New Mexico Speedway.
After two years in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1955 — a stint in which he took pride — Unser turned to racing full time in what became a mighty career. His family was legendary at Pikes Peak International in Colorado — nicknamed “Unsers’ Peak” because of their prowess at the annual hill climb — but it was “Uncle Bobby” who was the best. He dominated with 13 championships, including six straight from 1958 to 1963.
At Indy, one of the most difficult and challenging race tracks in the world, Unser was magical.
He was one of just 10 drivers to win the 500 at least three times, and Unser and Rick Mears are the only drivers to win the 500 in three different decades.
After his driving career, Unser moved to a 20-year broadcasting career and won an Emmy Award as part of the ABC Sports broadcast team in 1989.