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Motor racing Bobby Unser a three-time Indy 500 winner has died at 87

Reuters/Inquirer.net Los Angeles / 07:43 AM May 04, 2021

Three-times Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser died on Sunday aged 87 at his home in New Mexico, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said.

No cause of death was given.

The motorsports world has lost an all-time great.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Bobby Unser has died at the age of 87. pic.twitter.com/R5P5FMqaOo

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 3, 2021

Unser was one of six members of the famed motor racing family to race in the Indy 500.

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While Bobby won the Indy 500 in 1968, 1975 and 1981, his brother Al went one better winning the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” four-times.

They remain the only brothers to win the race.

“There simply was no one quite like Bobby Unser,” said Roger Penske, chairman, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske. “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.

“Bobby brought so much to Team Penske during his time with our team, including a memorable victory in the 1981 Indianapolis 500.”

Unser’s last win in 1981 is widely considered to be one of the most controversial races in Indy 500 history. He crossed the finish line ahead of Mario Andretti but was ruled to have illegally passed cars while the race was under caution.

He was penalized one position and Andretti was declared as the winner.

After a lengthy protest and appeals process, Unser’s penalty was rescinded, and he was declared the winner of the race in October, more than four months after the race.

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Unser retired with 35 career IndyCar victories and two championships.

“When you mention icons in racing, and particularly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bobby Unser was a legend,” said Doug Boles, president, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“He could drive, and win, in any type of car and on any type of track.

“And he was magical at Indy.”

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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