Bobby Unser passes away at age 87

From the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser, one of the most colorful, outspoken and popular drivers in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” died Sunday, May 2 at his New Mexico home. He was 87.

Unser won the Indianapolis 500 in 1968, 1975 and 1981. He is one of just 10 drivers to win the “500” at least three times and is a member of numerous motorsports Halls of Fame, including induction into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1990. Unser and Rick Mears are the only drivers to win the “500” in three different decades.

As good a race car driver as Bobby Unser was, he’ll likely being remembered for being a larger-than-life character. From years of bickering with broadcast partner Sam Posey to parts one and two of an episode of the excellent podcast Dinner with Racers, he found a way of becoming the motorsports community’s beloved, wacky uncle.

In my own family, we’ve seen Bobby several times, and his appearances on the public address at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway became a sort of intra-family meme. Even though we did—and certainly will continue to do—impersonations of him, they always came from a place of genuine appreciation. Bobby knew he was a card and relished living up to that reputation.

I’d recommend giving the obituary Robin Miller wrote for Racer a read. He knew Uncle Bobby well and put his legacy in context. This loss will take a while to fully comprehend.