BOISE, Idaho — In one of the most controversial Indianapolis 500 races ever, Bobby Unser crosses the finish line first at the Brickyard. But upon reviewing films, USAC officials penalized Unser one position for illegally passing cars under a caution flag and declared second-place finisher Mario Andretti the winner. It was 4½ months later that—after an appeal—the result would once again be reversed and Unser would become the official 1981 Indy 500 champion.
Unser passed about six cars coming out of the pit under the yellow flag before blending back into the field on Lap 149. But he claimed that Andretti had passed at least two cars himself and should have been penalized as well. Roger Penske, the head of Unser’s team, appealed the decision to overturn his win. The process dragged on for months—and finally, on October 9, the USAC appeals board voted 2-1 to reinstate Unser’s victory. The justification in a nutshell: track observers had missed Unser’s original infraction, and the race was completed without any action being taken.
Bobby Unser, who passed away in 2021, was part of a racing family that has won Indy a record nine times. Bobby took the crown in 1968, 1975 and 1981. Al Unser Sr. was victorious in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. And Al Unser Jr. followed with wins in 1992 and 1994. The family also produced a number of other drivers, including Johnny Unser, a longtime Sun Valley resident who had five starts in the Indianapolis 500.
Turning to this year’s race, Payette’s Sting Ray Robb is set to go from Row 8 (position No. 23) on Sunday at the Brickyard. Last year, Robb became the first Idaho driver to qualify for Indy since Boise’s Davey Hamilton in 2011. On Thursday, Robb tweeted a photo taken with the legendary A.J. Foyt with the caption: “It’s an honor to be racing in the Indy 500 with A.J. Foyt Racing. Foyt has won the Indy 500 four times, won a record 67 IndyCar races, & has 7 national IndyCar Series titles as a driver. Thank you A.J. Foyt and team for all your hard work!” Best wishes to Sting Ray.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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