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Bobby Unser

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Bobby Unser
Unser visiting the White House in 1986
BornRobert William Unser
(1934-02-20)February 20, 1934
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
DiedMay 2, 2021(2021-05-02) (aged 87)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Championship titles
USAC Championship Car (1968, 1974)
Major victories
Pikes Peak Hill Climb (1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1986)
Indianapolis 500 (1968, 1975, 1981)
California 500 (1974, 1976, 1979, 1980)
Pocono 500 (1980)
Champ Car career
258 races run over 21 years
Best finish1st (1968, 1974)
First race1955 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak)
Last race1981 Miller High Life 150 (Phoenix)
First win1966 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak)
Last win1981 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles
35 83 52
NASCAR Cup Series career
4 races run over 3 years
First race1969 Daytona Qualifier #2 (Daytona)
Last race1973 Winston Western 500 (Riverside)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited States American
Active years1968
TeamsBRM
Entries2 (1 start)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1968 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry1968 United States Grand Prix

Robert William Unser[1] (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al, A. J. Foyt, and Mario Andretti).[2] Unser won the 1968 and 1974 United States Automobile Club (USAC) national championships. He won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall title 10 times (13 times when class wins are included).

He was the nephew of Louis Unser, brother of Al, Jerry Unser and Louie Unser, the father of Robby Unser and the uncle of Al Unser Jr. and Johnny Unser. The Unser family has won the Indianapolis 500 a record nine times, with Bobby and Al Unser Sr. being the only set of brothers to win in the race's history. Bobby Unser was one of ten drivers to have won the 500 three or more times and the first of two (followed by Rick Mears) to have won in three decades (1968, 1975, 1981).[2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Unser was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the son of Mary Catherine (Craven) and Jerome Henry Unser,[4] the third oldest of four brothers. When he turned one, his family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where his father started a garage on U.S. Route 66.[3] From 1953 to 1955, he served in the United States Air Force[3] and became a top competition sharpshooter in military matches.

Racing career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Unser began racing in 1949 in a Modified at Roswell Speedway.[2][3] In 1950, at the age of 15, he won his first championship in Southwest Modified Stock Cars. In 1955, Bobby and brothers Jerry and Al Unser decided to pursue racing careers in USAC. In 1959, his brother Jerry Unser died in a practice crash for the 1959 Indianapolis 500.[5]

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

[edit]

He debuted in 1955 at Pike's Peak, dubbed "Unser's Peak" because of his family's history of success at the hill climb.[6] He finished fifth that year, behind his two brothers. A year later, he won his first championship at Pikes Peak.[7][8] He won six straight titles from 1958 to 1963.[9] His streak ended in 1964 when his younger brother Al won the race.[6]

He leads the all-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb champion's list with 10 overall wins, having set a new track record eight times. [10] Unser's record time was broken by Michele Mouton, so Audi approached Unser asking if he would want to attempt to take the record back.[11] In 1986, after a 12-year absence from the Pikes Peak race, he won the event for the tenth time driving an Audi Quattro. He eclipsed Mouton's time by 16 seconds.[11] The win also broke the tie he had with his Uncle Louis Unser for nine overall victories each. The 1986 win brought Unser's total number of Pikes Peak victories to 13,[9] including two stock car class victories (1969 and 1974) and a single sports car class win (1963).

IndyCar career

[edit]

Unser came from a family of racecar drivers. He won numerous racing championships throughout his career, including three Indianapolis 500 titles.[6][12] When asked in 2008 about his potential to move from midget and sprint cars, Unser said, "I never considered Indianapolis because I didn't think I was good enough. But Rufus (Parnelli Jones) told me I was going and he got me a ride and I always be indebted to him."[13]

Unser's winning car from the 1968 Indianapolis 500.

Unser made his IndyCar debut in 1962[9] (excluding the Pikes Peak races which were part of the IndyCar season in the 1950s). He raced for Andy Granatelli between 1963 and 1965 with a Novi engine.[9] Unser raced in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1963. He crashed early and placed 33rd.[14] Unser's second Indianapolis 500 in 1964 ended on the second lap in the crash that killed Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald.[15] Unser moved to an IndyCar owned by Bob Willke from 1966 until 1970.[9] His first IndyCar win came in 1967 at Mosport, in Ontario.[6] A year later, Unser won his first Indianapolis 500, setting the record as the first driver to race over 170 miles per hour at Indianapolis.[6] In 1968, Unser worked with crew chief Jud Phillips[13] and won his first USAC National Driving Championship[12] with wins at Stardust International Raceway, Phoenix Raceway, Trenton Speedway, Indy, and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.[2]

Unser's winning car from the 1975 Indianapolis 500.

In 1972, Unser started working for Dan Gurney's All American Racers team[15] and a John Miller Offenhauser engine.[13] He set another Indianapolis 500 record for the fastest qualifying time at 195.940 miles per hour (315.335 km/h).[16] Teams were allowed to bolt on a wing for the first time and speeds rose significantly (the previous record speed was 178.696 miles per hour (287.583 km/h)).[15] Unser won nine pole positions (in ten races) and won four of the races.[13] In 1974, he won his second USAC National Driving Championship.[9] In 13 races, Unser won four times, took second four times, and finished in the top five twelve times.[15] In the 1975 Indianapolis 500, he won his second 500 in a race that was rain-shortened on lap 174 because of torrential rains.[6][15] Unser won twice in 1976 as part of the Fletcher Racing Team.[15][17] He remained on Gurney's team until 1979.[13]

Unser's 1979 Penske Cosworth Champ Car.

From 1979 to 1981, Unser raced in the CART series for Team Penske.[7][8][18] Roger Penske wanted a proven winner to join his young driver Rick Mears.[15] Unser won six times to Mears' three wins but Mears won the championship and Indianapolis 500.[15] In 1980 he became the first driver to win the California 500 four times. Unser won four times in 1980 and finished second in the season championship to Johnny Rutherford.[15] His career ended in 1981 following a controversial win at Indianapolis.

1981 Indianapolis 500 controversy

[edit]

Unser was the center of one of the most controversial finishes in Indy 500 history at the 1981 Indianapolis 500.[19] Unser won the pole in the No. 3 Roger Penske-owned car[9] and led the most laps (89 laps).[13]

On lap 149, during a caution period, Unser and Mario Andretti made their pit stops and headed back to the race. Unser passed eight cars during the caution, while Andretti passed two cars. Unser won the race by 5.18 seconds,[19] but was stripped of it the following morning in favor of second-place finisher Andretti.[19] Andretti drove the only other car on the lead lap at the end.[13] After a five-month lawsuit and protest by Penske, Unser was re-awarded the win in October 1981.[2] For his infraction, Unser was instead fined $40,000 ($134,000 in today's money). [20][21] Unser retired during off-season testing for Pat Patrick at Phoenix.[13]

Unser's winning car from the 1981 Indianapolis 500.

In his autobiography Winners are Driven, Unser expressed his beliefs that the debacle was politically motivated and that USAC disqualified him (and benefited Andretti), hoping to start a falling-out between Pat Patrick, Andretti's car owner and owner of Patrick Racing, and Roger Penske (owner of Unser's car), in order to destroy CART. He claimed that Patrick's team did not protest the finish and that Patrick was on Unser's side in the controversy.[22] For years, Unser and Andretti did not speak to each other willingly until early 2017 when Unser announced on his YouTube channel that Andretti reached out to wish him the best after Unser got extremely sick.[21]

Other achievements

[edit]

Unser was the 1975 International Race of Champions (IROC) champion and won the 1993 Fast Masters championship.[2]

Unser challenged Dan Gurney to improve the performance of his 1971 USAC car, leading to the development of the Gurney flap.[23] In 1993, Unser set a new Bonneville Salt Flats record at Bonneville Speedway of 223.709 in a D/Gas Modified Roadster that stood for 18 years.

In 2003, he published a book, Winners are Driven: A Champion's Guide to Success in Business and Life.

Broadcaster

[edit]
Unser in 2015

Unser was a television broadcaster for 20 years after his retirement from racing.[24] He was a television commentator for IndyCar races after his retirement working for NBC, ABC, and ESPN.[13] Unser 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".[3] Unser received announcer honors with Paul Page and Sam Posey.[5]

Unser was announcing in the booth for his brother Al's record-tying fourth Indy 500 victory in 1987 and Al's 1985 CART championship.[15] He also called his nephew Al Jr.'s first Indy 500 victory in the 1992 Indianapolis 500[24] and second in 1994.[15]

Unser also broadcast several NASCAR events between 1986 and 1992 alongside Page and Benny Parsons. The most famous NASCAR race Unser broadcast was the 1989 The Winston in which Rusty Wallace won by wrecking Darrell Waltrip with 2 laps to go; Unser was the first broadcaster of the broadcasting team to spot the post-race fist-fight between Wallace and Waltrip's pit crews.

Awards

[edit]

Federal criminal charges

[edit]

On December 20, 1996 in Colorado, Unser and a friend became lost while snowmobiling near Unser's New Mexico ranch. They abandoned one stuck snowmobile before a storm blinded them both. When the second snowmobile stopped working, they spent two days and nights in subzero weather before finding a barn where they were found. Both men were suffering badly; his friend was suffering from hypothermia, and Unser had vomited blood during this time.[27] Unser was later convicted of a Federal misdemeanor, "unlawful operation of a snowmobile within a National Forest Wilderness Area" (16 U.S.C. 551, 36 C.F.R. 261.16(a)), and was fined $75.[15] Maximum penalties could have been up to six months in jail and up to $5,000.00 in fines. Unser appealed, claiming to have been lost before the accident, but the court ruled that maps were widely available and it was a public welfare offense, thus intent was not necessary.[28] Unser appealed this decision all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,[15] but his writ of certiorari was denied.[29]

Death

[edit]

Unser died on May 2, 2021, at the age of 87 at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico from natural causes.[19][3] Page spoke at his funeral service; Andretti and Roger Penske spoke via videotape.[5] Pallbearers outside of the Unser family include Willy T. Ribbs, Johnny Rutherford, and Rick Galles.[5] He was interred at Sunset Memorial Park.[30]

Unser was the father of two sons, Bobby Jr. and Robby, and two daughters, Cindy and Jeri.[3] Unser coached Robby for the 1998 and 1999 Indianapolis 500.[24] Bobby Unser Jr., who participated in racing before giving it up to pursue stunt car driving, music, and horse breeding, died less than two months after his father at the age of 65, as a result of complications from hip surgery.[31]

Racing record

[edit]

American open-wheel racing results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete USAC Championship Car results

[edit]
Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Pos Points
1955 INDY MIL LAN SPR MIL DUQ PIK
5
SYR ISF SAC PHX 32nd 100
1962 TRE INDY MIL LAN TRE SPR MIL LAN SYR ISF TRE SAC
DNQ
PHX - 0
1963 TRE INDY
33
MIL LAN TRE SPR
18
MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC
7
PHX
9
25th 100
1964 PHX
17
TRE INDY
32
MIL
12
LAN
7
TRE
18
SPR
4
MIL
20
DUQ
4
ISF
15
TRE
6
SAC
18
PHX
22
14th 470
1965 PHX
16
TRE
10
INDY
19
MIL
17
LAN
14
PIP
2
TRE
14
IRP
2
ATL
22
LAN
5
MIL
4
SPR
10
MIL
18
DUQ
17
ISF
4
TRE
6
SAC
4
PHX
3
7th 1.402
1966 PHX
19
TRE
18
INDY
8
MIL
16
LAN
14
ATL
14
PIP
1
IRP
4
LAN
19
SPR
5
MIL
8
DUQ
3
ISF
17
TRE
DNQ
SAC
5
PHX
4
6th 1.210
1967 PHX
19
TRE
3
INDY
9
MIL
9
LAN
6
PIP
5
MOS
1
MOS
1
IRP
3
LAN
3
MTR
22
MTR
13
SPR
8
MIL
26
DUQ
6
ISF
18
TRE
3
SAC
18
HAN
2
PHX
3
RIV
2
3rd 3.020
1968 HAN
5
LVG
1
PHX
1
TRE
1
INDY
1
MIL
21
MOS
17
MOS LAN
2
PIP
1
CDR
11
NAZ
7
IRP
3
IRP
21
LAN
2
LAN
16
MTR
2
MTR
11
SPR
DNQ
MIL
4
DUQ
18
ISF
16
TRE
7
SAC
DNQ
MCH
17
HAN
2
PHX
19
RIV
2
1st 4.330
1969 PHX
8
HAN
7
INDY
3
MIL
16
LAN
1
PIP CDR
16
NAZ TRE
23
IRP
24
IRP MIL
2
SPR
10
DOV
22
DUQ
5
ISF
3
BRN
13
BRN
11
TRE
7
SAC
3
KEN
17
KEN
5
PHX
22
RIV
4
3rd 2.585
1970 PHX
2
SON
18
TRE
4
INDY
11
MIL
6
LAN
1
CDR
4
MCH
2
IRP
24
SPR
9
MIL
19
ONT
22
DUQ
2
ISF
DNQ
SED
DNQ
TRE
2
SAC
6
PHX
17
2nd 2.260
1971 RAF
27
RAF PHX
2
TRE
4
INDY
12
MIL
14
POC
9
MCH
18
MIL
1
ONT
21
TRE
1
PHX
8
6th 1.805
1972 PHX
1
TRE
17
INDY
30
MIL
1
MCH
14
POC
20
MIL
Wth
ONT
24
TRE
1
PHX
1
8th 1.500
1973 TWS
20
TRE
19
TRE
15
INDY
13
MIL
1
POC
10
MCH
20
MIL
DNQ
ONT ONT ONT
7
MCH
10
MCH
16
TRE
2
TWS
15
PHX
18
12th 1.108
1974 ONT
2
ONT ONT
1
PHX
2
TRE
1
INDY
2
MIL
21
POC
5
MCH
1
MIL
4
MCH
3
TRE
2
TRE
1
PHX
2
1st 4.870
1975 All American Racers Eagle 74 Offy 159 L4 t ONT ONT
10
ONT
2
PHX TRE INDY
1
MIL
2
POC
22
MIS
5
MIL 3rd 2.489
Jerry O'Connell Racing Offy Drake L4 t MIS2
3
TRE PHX
1976 Fletcher Racing Eagle 74 Offy Drake L4 t PHX
1
TRE
DNQ
INDY
10
MIL
3
POC
32
MIS TWS TRE MIL
4
ONT
1
MIS
4
TWS
17
PHX
21
6th 2.080
1977 Fletcher Racing Lightning Mk1 Offy Drake L4 t ONT
15
TRE
WD
INDY
18
MIL
16
POC
19
MOS MIS
21
TWS
15
MIL
17
ONT
30
MIS 35th 75
Eagle 74 PHX
17
TWS
Lightning Mk1 Cosworth DFX V8 t PHX
8
1978 All American Racers Lightning Mk1 Cosworth DFX V8 t PHX
18
ONT
16
TWS
13
TRE
20
12th 1.122
Eagle 78 INDY
6
MOS
19
MIL
17
POC
20
MIS
5
ATL
3
TWS
8
MIL
20
ONT
13
MIS TRE
Eagle 78 MkII SIL
8
BRH
13
PHX
11
1979 ONT
TWS
INDY
5
MIL
POC
TWS
MIL
- 0
1980 ONT
23
INDY
9
MIL
1
POC
1
MDO
15
3rd 1,334
1981-82 INDY
1
POC
ILL
DUQ
ISF
INDY
DNQ
- 0

CART

[edit]
Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
1979 Team Penske Penske PC-7 Cosworth DFX V8 t PHX
5
ATL1
7
ATL2
4
INDY
5
TRE1
1
TRE2
1
MIS1
19
MIS2
1
WGL
1
TRE3
2
ONT
1
MIS3
1
ATL3
3
PHX2
2
2nd 3820
1980 Team Penske Penske PC-9 Cosworth DFX V8 t ONT1
23
INDY
19
MIL1
1
POC
1
MDO
15
MIS1
2
WGL
1
MIL2
3
ONT2
1
MIS2
2
MEX
2
PHX
DNS
    2nd 3714
1981 Team Penske Penske PC-9B Cosworth DFX V8 t PHX1
2
MIL1
21
ATL1
13
ATL2
6
MIS1
16
RIV
9
MIL2
3
MIS2
7
WGL
17
MEX
15
PHX2
2
      7th 99

Indianapolis 500 results

[edit]
Year Chassis Engine Start Finish
1963 Kurtis 500K Novi 16th 33rd
1964 Ferguson P104 Novi 22nd 32nd
1965 Ferguson P104 Novi 8th 19th
1966 Huffaker 66 Offy 28th 8th
1967 Eagle 67 Ford 8th 9th
1968 Eagle 68 Offy 3rd 1st
1969 Lola T152 Offy 3rd 3rd
1970 Eagle 67 Ford 7th 11th
1971 Eagle 71 Offy 3rd 12th
1972 Eagle 72 Offy 1st 30th
1973 Eagle 73 Offy 2nd 13th
1974 Eagle 74 Offy 7th 2nd
1975 Eagle 74 Offy 3rd 1st
1976 Eagle 74–76 Offy 12th 10th
1977 Lightning Mk1/77 Offy 2nd 18th
1978 Eagle 78 Ford Cosworth DFX 19th 6th
1979 Penske PC-7 Ford Cosworth DFX 4th 5th
1980 Penske PC-9 Ford Cosworth DFX 3rd 19th
1981 Penske PC-9B Ford Cosworth DFX 1st 1st

Indy 500 qualifying results

[edit]
Year Att # Date Time Qual
Day
Car # Laps Qual
Time
Qual
Speed
Rank Start Comment
1967 4 05-13 4 1 6 4  — 164.752 9 8
1968 6 05-18 6 1 3 4  — 169.507 3 3
1969 12 05-24 12 2 1 4 3:32.1600 169.683 3 3
1970 24 05-16 24 1 3 4 3:33.6400 168.508 8 7
1971 17 05-15 17 1 2 4 3:24.7600 175.816 3 3
1972 13 05-14 16:49 1 6 4 3:03.7300 195.940 1 1
1973 19 05-12 13:28 1 8 0  —  —  —  —
1973 29 05-12 17:20 1 8 4 3:01.6500 198.183 2 2
1974 14 05-11 11:40 1 48 4 3:14.4100 185.176 8 7
1975 16 05-10 13:14 1 48 4 3:08.4100 191.073 3 3
1976 1 05-15 14:36 1 3 1  —  —  —  — PULLED OFF
1976 34 05-16 13:15 2 3 4 3:11.9800 187.520 5 12
1977 6 05-14 11:44 1 6 1  —  —  —  — PULLED OFF
1977 32 05-14 16:48 1 6 4 3:02.0700 197.726 2 2
1978 30 05-20 17:07 2 48 4 3:04.9400 194.658 10 20
1979 17 05-13 14:08 1 12 4 3:09.5600 189.913 4 4
1980 23 05-10 14:16 1 11 4 3:09.4800 189.994 3 3
1981 19 05-16 11:36 1 3 4 2:59.5100 200.546 2 1

Complete Formula One World Championship results

[edit]

Unser participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix.

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
1968 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P126 BRM P101 3.0 V12 RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA
DNS
CAN NC 0
BRM P138 USA
Ret
MEX

NASCAR

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

[edit]
NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 NGNC Pts Ref
1969 Smokey Yunick 13 Ford MGR MGY RSD DAY DAY
4
DAY
42
CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS NA - [32]

Winston Cup Series

[edit]
NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NWCC Pts Ref
1972 Nichels 99 Chevy RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
43
CAR TWS NA - [33]
1973 Holman-Moody 41 Ford RSD
4
DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR NA - [34]
Daytona 500
[edit]
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1969 Smokey Yunick Ford 4 42

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bobby Unser". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Bobby Unser at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Bobby Unser Passes Away at 87". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  4. ^ "Laws of the State of New Mexico". Albright & Anderson, printers. June 15, 1976. Retrieved June 15, 2021 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b c d Wright, Rick (May 11, 2021). "Racing greats say goodbye to Bobby Unser". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Family History". Unser Racing Museum. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Bobby Unser 1980 USAC Champ Car Series Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Bobby Unser 1981 USAC Champ Car Series Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Bobby Unser". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. 1990. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "PPIHC All Time Kings of the Mountain (1916-2020)" (PDF). Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Bobby Unser". Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Bobby Unser Inventor, Collaborator, 3-time Indy 500 Winner". OnInnovation. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Bobby Unser 1934 – 2021". RACER. May 3, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  14. ^ "1963 Indianapolis 500". Racing Reference. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Nathan Brown Benbow, Christopher DeHarde and Dana Hunsinger (May 3, 2021). "Bobby Unser, three-time Indy 500 champion, dies at 87: 'There was nobody like him'". USA Today.
  16. ^ Oreovicz, John (May 16, 2011). "Indy at 100: Fatalities mar the '70s". ESPN. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  17. ^ "The Indianapolis Star 02 May 1976, page Page 60". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  18. ^ "Bobby Unser". Racing Reference. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  19. ^ a b c d Fryer, Jenna (May 3, 2021). "Bobby Unser, 3-time Indianapolis 500 winner, dies at 87". WANE-TV. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  20. ^ Lerner, Preston (May 24, 2013). "The 1981 Indianapolis 500". Motor Trend. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Benbow, Dana (May 6, 2019). "Indy 500's most controversial finish: It ruined Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser friendship forever". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  22. ^ Unser, Bobby (February 14, 2003). Winners are Driven. Wiley. pp. 115–118. ISBN 978-0471250685.
  23. ^ Unser, Bobby (February 14, 2003). Winners are Driven. Wiley. p. 15. ISBN 978-0471250685.
  24. ^ a b c "Bobby Unser, Indy 500 champ from famed racing family, dies at 87". NBC News. Associated Press. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  25. ^ "Bobby Unser". National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  26. ^ "Hall of Fame". Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  27. ^ Indy 500 Winner Bobby Unser vs. the U.S. Government on YouTube
  28. ^ Friedman, Richard A. (July 1999), Brief for the United States in Opposition, archived from the original on August 30, 2010
  29. ^ Carroll, Conn (March 14, 2011), "Bobby Unser vs the Feds", The Foundry, The Heritage Foundation
  30. ^ "Life of racing legend Bobby Unser to be celebrated at memorial". KRQE. May 11, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  31. ^ "Bobby Unser Jr. passes away". KOB 4. June 13, 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Bobby Unser – 1969 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  33. ^ "Bobby Unser – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  34. ^ "Bobby Unser – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
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