Robert William “Bobby” Unser (born 20 February 1934 – 2 May 2021) is an American former automobile racer.
He is the brother of Al Unser, Jerry Unser and Louis Unser, the father of Robby Unser and the uncle of Al Unser Jr. and Johnny Unser. The Unser family has won the Indy 500 a record nine times. He is one of ten drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three or more times and one of only two (followed by Rick Mears) to have won the 500 in three different decades (1968, 1975, 1981). Bobby has also been a spokesman and advocate of many commercial products. Info from Wiki
Bio by Stephen Latham
Although included as a ‘forgotten driver in F1’, Bobby Unser has one of the most impressive records in American racing history, being the first driver to record a 200 mph qualifying average speed in Indy car competition, recording 35 Indy car wins plus eight Indy 500 victories, 49 Indy car pole positions, 4 IROC victories and 13 times a Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner. His philosophy was ‘If I don’t have a five-percent advantage, I’m 10 percent behind.’ A hard charging racer, it was said he had broken his legs so many times he lost count and among the mementos at his New Mexico ranch was a twisted steering wheel from a race at Phoenix, when his car slid under a guardrail and almost decapitated him. A colourful character who would happily chat to people about racing, despite his fame his phone number was listed in the Albuquerque phone book and directory assistance.
Born Robert William Unser on the 20th of February, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he was the third son of Jerome Unser and Mary Craven and was part of a racing dynasty. Three brothers, Jerry, Louis and Joe, competed in open wheel racing in the 1930s, most notably at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado, which Louis won nine times between 1934 and 1953 until Bobby (who was his nephew) took a tenth victory. When he turned one, his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where his father started a garage on Route 66. His parents, ‘Mom and Pop Unser’ were described as colourful characters and his Mother became legendary for her chilli, which, it was alleged, included tequila, and close to race day, she would serve several hundred people in the parking lot of the garage area, with the substantial proceeds going to various charities.
He began his racing career in 1949, racing his father’s modified stock cars from the age of 15 at Roswell Speedway, and became State champion in 1950 and 1951. Following this he switched to midgets and during this time he also raced at Langhorne Speedway, a fearsome one-mile oval which included a notorious part of the circuit, nicknamed ‘Puke Hollow’. The track was so dangerous that several drivers, including two-time Indy 500 champ Rodger Ward, refused to race there and Bobby stated “I raced all over the world, and that was the most dangerous, most treacherous, most murderous track there ever was. Nobody liked it and the ones who said they did were lying.” He served in the US Air Force from 1953 to 1955 and became a top competition sharpshooter in military matches, then, following this three-year stint he and brothers Al and Jerry shifted into USAC racing. By 1962, he was driving Indy cars.
At the age of 17 he competed in 1951’s running of the Carrera Panamericana (with his father as navigator) but they were involved in a fatal accident on the second day, during the second stage from Oaxaca to Puebla. They failed to finish the race and retired from the following year’s event as well. Also in 1951 he contested the legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb and in 1956’s event won in the Indycar class and continued a family tradition of success that had been set by uncle Louis Unser, who had won it nine times.
Further success in hillclimb and sprint car continued into the 1960s and he made his debut in the Indianapolis 500 in 1963, in a Kurtis-Novi, where he started last and had climbed to 16th by the end. Bobby was the second of the Unser brothers to compete at Indianapolis, as Jerry competed in the 1958 race (miraculously surviving a 13 car crash that sent his car tumbling over one of the turn walls) though he was sadly killed while practising for 1959’s race.
In 1964 and 65’s Indy 500 races, he raced a Ferguson 4wd drive car. Team boss Andy Granatelli had a Ferguson P99 shipped over and tested there (driven by Jack Fairman) and after proving quick and stable through the turns he commissioned Ferguson Research to build him a 4WD front-engined chassis for 1964’s race. Bobby drove the STP Corporation car but he got caught up in the second-lap disaster which claimed the lives of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. Returning for the following year’s race, he qualified eighth in the STP Novi-Ferguson but his race ended due to an oil leak.
In 1967 he drove an Eagle-Ford for A.J.Watson’s Leader Card Racers, taking his first victories when winning both races at Mosport Park and finishing third in the standings. In the following year he raced a Rislone Eagle and took victory in four of the first five races, at Stardust International Raceway, Phoenix, Trenton and Indianapolis then later won at Pikes Peak and took his first Indycar title. At the start of the 500, Joe Leonard took the lead in an STP Turbine, with Bobby second and a fast pace was set over the first 100 miles, with Bobby taking the lead on lap 8 and holding it for most of the first half. Later, on lap 110, Graham Hill lost a wheel and smashed into the wall, which brought out the second caution and on the restart, Bobby passed Leonard and took the lead. When he made his last pit stop on lap 166, his gearshift linkage was broken and the car was stuck in high gear and as he slowly left his pit, struggling to accelerate back to racing speed, Leonard and Ruby passed him. Leonard now led, with Ruby second, but on lap 178, Ruby pitted with a faulty ignition coil but though his crew was able to replace it, the six-minute pit stop dropped him out of contention. Bobby later stated how “Ruby gave me a hard time all day, and I really had to work to out-run him.” With 19 laps remaining, Bobby was back up to second though Carl Williams crashed on the backstretch and the car caught fire, which brought out the yellow light. Under the caution, Leonard led, with Bobby behind him and ahead of Dan Gurney in third though Bobby found himself stuck behind Art Pollard, Leonard’s team mate. After the clean up, the green flag was given to the field at the start of lap 192 but both Leonard and Pollard hesitated and instantly slowed with identical snapped fuel pump drive shafts. The turbine engines failed in sight of the finish and he swept by into the lead, with Gurney running second and with a nearly full-lap lead, Bobby kept the position over the final nine laps to win his first Indianapolis 500. Paul Newman’s ‘Winning’ movie was made during the year and Bobby’s car doubled as Newman’s in the movie. He also entered two Grands Prix with BRM though wasn’t allowed to start at Monza as he had raced a day earlier at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. He and Mario Andretti had qualified for Monza and immediately after qualifying, the pair flew back to Indianapolis to race in the Hoosier Hundred. Andretti finished second and Bobby retired on lap 8 then they flew back to Italy and rushed to get back to Monza to race, with Bobby driving the rental car in Italy. Recalling the events some years later he told how, with luck, he felt they would be at the circuit with 15 minutes to spare but “Mario’s telling me to go faster and go to the curb, so I’d get up on the curb and honk the horn. People are jumping out of the way and the cops can’t chase us because they don’t have cars. The police officer’s standing on a little wooden stool, so I’m not worried about getting caught there.” Despite reaching the track, they weren’t allowed to race due to an Automobile Club of Italy rule stating that drivers were forbidden from competing in another race within 24 hours of the start of the GP. His second F1 drive came in the US GP at Watkins Glen but engine failure ended his race.
1969 saw the first of two seasons with Leader Card, finishing third at Indianapolis and winning at Langhorne, then in the second year taking victory again at Langhorne and finishing second in the Championship to his brother Al. In 1971, Bobby raced for Dan Gurney’s All American Racers, taking victories at Milwaukee and Trenton and in 1972, after starting from pole in all but two races, he won four, at Milwaukee, Trenton and twice at Phoenix. Teams were allowed to bolt on a wing for the first time and speeds rose significantly (the previous record was 178.696 miles per hour (287.583 km/h). His qualifying speed in the Eagle-Offy for that year’s Indy 500, at an average speed of 195.940 mph, was 17 mph faster than the year before and he became the first driver to officially break the 190 mph barrier at Indianapolis. He failed to finish at Indy due to a broken ignition rotor and a blown engine ended his race the following year. Later in 1972 he (and Jerry Grant) became the first men to lap a closed circuit at more than 200 mph, driving AAR Eagles at the Ontario Motor Speedway. Recalling the year, he stated “the ’72 Eagle was a great car. We didn’t win the Indy 500 that year but we broke every record there was with that car. It was the first car to run a 200 mph lap and we broke the track record at Indianapolis by 18 mph that year, the biggest jump in speed ever in the history of the Speedway. We had pole after pole after pole with that car.” During this time he also raced in IROC plus drove a Nichels Engineering Superbird in USAC Stock Car in 1972.
There was a win at Milwaukee in 1973 then in the following year he took victories at Ontario, Michigan and Trenton (twice), was second four times and finished in the top five twelve times, which led to his second Championship, ahead of Rutherford. Both won four races but Bobby had five second place finishes. Speaking of the power from the Offenhauser turbocharged engine in the Eagle, he stated “when you stepped on that throttle, you better know where you’re going, ‘cause that things gonna go.” He won his second Indy 500 in 1975, in a race that was stopped on lap 174 because of torrential rain. In the race, Wally Dallenbach dropped out with a blown piston on lap 162, which handed the lead to Johnny Rutherford and Bobby was running in second place. He took the lead on lap 165 but at that point the skies were threatening and rain was expected. On lap 170, Gary Bettenhausen’s right rear hub exploded and he lost the wheel but he managed to keep the car mostly off the wall and was able to park down in the infield. The caution light came on and Bobby ducked into the pits for a quick ’splash and go’, with second placed Rutherford also making a pit stop. With Bobby leading and Rutherford about a half lap behind in second, the skies opened up and the rain came down. The track became flooded and many of the cars began spinning out of control, with visibility near zero due to the heavy rain and the spray from cars. The red and checkered flag came out and the race was halted, plus declared complete. The leaders had to precariously coast around to the finish line and, with several wrecked cars blocking the track, Bobby, Rutherford, and Foyt managed to make it to the finish line. The race was officially called with Bobby completing 174 laps (435 miles), just 26 laps short of the scheduled distance and finishing second to Rutherford.
Bobby then moved to Fletcher Racing for two seasons and won twice in 1976, at Phoenix and Ontario, though the following year proved disappointing. 1978 saw a return to All American Racers for one season and from there he joined Penske Racing, helping develop their PC7 chassis. Despite winning six races, to team mate Rick Mears’ three, Mears took the title in 1979, with Bobby finishing second. He was denied a win in the Indianapolis 500 after leading 89 laps when the top gear in the transmission broke in the final 50 miles of the race, handing the lead and victory to Mears.
Bobby Unser drove the #48 ARCO Graphite Lightning-Cosworth in the first four races of 1978, getting a best finish of 13th at Texas, here he is at Phoenix, where he finished 18th.
He won at Milwaukee and Pocono in 1980 and was second in the Championship (this time to Rutherford) but his victory at Indy in 1981 was overshadowed by controversy. He won the race from pole, with Andretti second, but it was declared he had passed cars illegally while exiting the pit area during a caution and was subsequently issued a one-position penalty. He was demoted to second place and Mario declared the race winner but after a lengthy 5 month protest and appeals process, the penalty was eventually rescinded and he was reinstated the victory.
There were plans to drive for Patrick Racing in 1983 but he decided to retire and, following retirement, he started to do more television work, covering IndyCar races on NBC, ABC and ESPN plus also worked as the analyst for the IMS Radio Network in 1986. In 1989 the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded ABC’s telecast of the Indianapolis 500 the Sports Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Live Sports Special’, with him receiving announcer honours along with Paul Page and Sam Posey. He also broadcast several NASCAR events between 1986 and 1992 alongside Page and Benny Parsons. He also became a became a development driver for Audi, lapping one at 206.8mph. Bobby had set a new track record eight times at Pikes Peak but after his time was broken by Michele Mouton, Audi approached Bobby asking if he would attempt to take the record back. In 1986, after a twelve year absence from Pikes Peak, he won the event for the tenth time driving an Audi Quattro and beat Mouton’s time by sixteen seconds plus the victory also broke the tie he had with his Uncle Louis for nine overall victories each. It also brought his total number of victories there to thirteen, including a sports car class win in 1963 and two stock car class victories in 1969 and 1974. He also broadcast several NASCAR events between 1986–1992 and in 1993 won the Fast Masters championship, plus at Bonneville set a new salt flats record of 223.709 in a D/Gas Modified Roaster that stood for 18 years.
He received the Martini & Rossi, and Olsonite, Driver of the Year awards in 1994 and was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1997, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994. In 1999 he was presented with the Indy 500 Front Row Award, as a nine time front row qualifier (68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 75, 77, 80, 81) and in 2011 was selected fourth in the Greatest 33 list of Indianapolis 500 drivers.
On the 20th December, 1996 in Colorado, he and a friend became lost while snowmobiling near his New Mexico ranch. They abandoned one stuck snowmobile, before a storm blinded them both, and when the second snowmobile stopped working they spent two days and nights in sub-zero weather before finding a barn where they were found. Both men were suffering badly, with his friend suffering from hypothermia and Bobby had vomited blood.
Many years later Bobby told how “Mario was one of the closest friends I had in racing. That lasted for a long time but it got broken obviously in ’81 (after the controversial finish to the Indianapolis 500). That thing lasted, the bad feelings for almost 40 years. But this last year, Mario and I have totally broken the deal of being mad at each other. For me, I just have to forget about it. The guy was too good a friend, and (expletive), we went a long time with bad feelings. That was no good. I had to have a talk with myself and just forget about the ’81 incident. I won the race, but I paid for it. Last year, I was giving a little talk at the (IMS) museum, and (Andretti) came over without me knowing about it. There was a big crowd, and someone spotted him. I said, “Mario’s here? What in the world.” But he was. Right then and there, we said, “This deal has gone on too long. Let’s get our friendship back again. I’ll quit being a (jerk) because I can be one. I know that. We were just too good of friends to keep going on like that.” He also told of a time the pair went snowmobiling in New Mexico, “right on the border with Colorado. That’s the best snowmobiling in the United States. The family and I went out every year. Anyway, we were at this pretty big hill or mountain, or whatever you want to call it and Mario’s there, creeping up to the edge on his snowmobile, looking down below. He’s standing up, leaning over, trying to see and I snuck up behind him on mine and gave him a little push (laughs). He went down the mountainside like you wouldn’t believe. It was so funny. He hadn’t started the engine, so he’s going down this big mountain with no engine. If he’d had one, he could have guided it off to the side or something. But he had nothing. Absolutely nothing. But he made it! That really surprised me (laughs). He missed all the trees and rocks going down, that son of a gun. He was steering it like a wild man trying to miss them. I mean he was really steering that son of a (expletive). Before ’81 we used to have a lot of fun, me and him. We never discussed racing. We tried to leave that out of our lives and just be good friends.” Andretti recalled how Bobby pressed him to race at Pikes Peak but “I told him, ‘Bobby, there is no way I can beat you there.” However, he eventually convinced him to compete in the hill climb, telling him told he would drive in the stock car division so Andretti could race open wheel. Andretti failed to reach the finish line in his first attempt in 1967 due to mechanical failure in his Lotus F1 car and finished fourth overall the following year. In 1969, he came to Pikes Peak a month after winning the Indy 500 and, driving a King-Chevrolet front-engine dirt track car, took the King of the Mountain title by racing up the 12.42-mile road in 12 minutes, 44.07 seconds. He and Bobby remain the only drivers to win the Indy 500 and Pikes Peak in the same year; Bobby achieved it in 1968. Speaking of his win he told how “I took so many chances. Bobby told me, ‘Whenever in doubt, spin on it. Don’t get off the throttle, and go.’ I’m glad I came out alive…Bobby and his family ruled that place when they were there. Pikes Peak meant so much to them.” He never raced Pikes Peak again after his win but Bobby continued coming back for the next five years.
Bobby sadly passed away at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the 2nd May, 2021. A funeral service took place at Calvary Chapel, Albuquerque, on May 11 and he was interred at Sunset Memorial Park and pallbearers included Willy T. Ribbs, Johnny Rutherford and Rick Galles. Among the many tributes to him, Roger Penske said “there simply was no one quite like Bobby Unser. Bobby was a ferocious competitor on the track and his larger-than-life personality made him one of the most beloved and unique racers we have ever seen.” Mario Andretti said he knew he wasn’t well but stated “I wasn’t ready for this news. You know, you can never prepare for that. When you hear it, you’re still in shock” and reminiscing on all the days the two men spent together, declared “just working…trying to kill each other on the track and having a beer later…The best of times…when a fierce competitor can also be a very, very, very, good friend. RIP my friend. Thanks for the memories.” Willy T. Ribbs wrote “he treated me like one of his own. Forever Uncle Bobby Unser” while J Douglas Boles, President of IMS declared “When you mention icons in racing, and particularly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bobby Unser was a legend. He could drive, and win, in any type of car and on any type of track. And he was magical at Indy.” A tribute from the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Historical Association stated “as a driver, his feats on Pikes Peak were unparalleled, with eight course records and 10 King of the Mountain titles. As an innovator, his collaboration with Goodyear Tire Company resulted in the Pikes Peak Special, a tire unmatched in its ability to provide traction and for many years was used by all competitors as the go-to tire for the dirt race course. As a story teller, he could entertain for hours with stories about Pikes Peak. From a humble start with no money for race fuel and nothing but an insatiable desire to go fast on Pikes Peak, Bobby realized his dreams through pure grit and determination.” Bob Gillis, former chairman of the board for Pikes Peak said “I knew Bobby for 44 years. He was a mythical legend to me who became a good friend. Not only did he win on Pikes Peak again and again, but he was perhaps one of the greatest ambassadors for this race. He brought drivers like Parnelli Jones and Mario Andretti to Pikes Peak. When he returned to the mountain with Audi in 1986 to recapture the King of the Mountain crown, he proved he was never better behind the wheel.”
Gallery F1 Indy and Other F5000
