Bobby Unser, Indy and Pikes Peak racing legend, dies at 87
Bobby Unser, the three-time Indy 500 winner and 10-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb winner, passed away at his New Mexico home on Sunday at the age of 87.
Unser was born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but would soon move with his family to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The veteran racer was a part of the illustrious Unser family that is considered American racing royalty. Jerry Unser, Bobby’s father, was a driver, as were his uncles, Louis and Joe. In 1934, Louis became the first Unser to win the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, but in 1968—after an inauspicious start at Indy racing in 1963—Bobby became the first Unser to win the Indy 500. Bobby Unser would go on to win the Indy 500 twice more and surpass his uncle’s impressive nine Pikes Peak wins with 10 wins of his own. In 1968 Unser even managed to stake claim to the Pikes Peak crown as well as the overall USAC championship. He would go on to another driver championship in 1974 and add two more Indy 500 wins in 1975 and 1981.
Bobby Unser’s racing career began in the Southwestern Modified Stock Car series, where he won his first championship in 1950 when he was 15. After a two-year stint in the United States Air Force, Unser went back to racing, this time in a Sprint Car. His personality made him a fan favorite and his racing skills kept him behind the wheel for a long career that spanned more than 30 years. Even as he graduated to the paved ovals of Indy, Unser didn’t give up on his roots of opposite-lock drifting, with frequent returns to Pikes Peak. His last win there came in 1986, 18 years after his previous win.
Few drivers have proven themselves in such varied vehicles, especially over such a long career. Unser was truly of a different breed and will be missed by racing fans of all stripes. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, his brother Al, and his children: Bobby Jr., Cindy, Robby, and Jeri.
