Bob harkey race driver

Indianapolis 500 1964 driver bob harkey indy 500 photo press. Indy car racing indy cars classic race cars champs indie bob wings wheels purse. Bob harkey died at 85, american racecar driver youtube. Meadowlands was where he won his first big race, but who knows, he could be the winning driver of the hambletonian in 2015, or 2016 or both. Harkey made six 500 starts between 1964 and 1976, and he finished in the top 10 three times. Al blixt auto racing history this site is a tribute to my dad, al ace blixt, who photographed and wrote about auto racing in the midwest from the 1920s to the 1950s. A tribute to bob harkey, 19302016 indianapolis motor speedway. Bob harkey june 23, 1930 january 16, 2016 was an american driver in the usac. F1 racing road racing le mans grand prix nascar crash indy cars car and driver race day great friends. Bob harkey june 23, 1930 january 16, 2016 was an american driver in the usac championship car series from charlotte, north carolina.

Anytime you left red riegel third at hatfield, you were going good. I have also included some of my own racing photos from the 1960s. Indycar racing news indy 500 veteran bob harkey passes away at 85. A frequent usac championship, sprint and midget competitor, he recorded a usac feature victory on august 23, 1963 at wall stadium in belmar, n. Driver bob harkey assisted after crash it was a day that brought moderate speeds, the first rains and the months first. During a sprint car race at bridgeport speedway in new jersey, nascar driver jason leffler was involve.

The indianapolis star from indianapolis, indiana page 45. And as one person gave memories here they said they watched parnelli jones race there yes, that was the driver who i was timing and i remember him saying please, i dont want to get the pole. Harkeys lifetime of colorful adventures speed sport. Thankfully harkey survived a private plane crash in 2004. Click on the site to see bob harkey s career results at that track glossary. He was a popular indy race driver who competed in the indianapolis 500 six times between 1964 and 1976 and finished in the top ten. The photos that came out the best and were in decent shape were put on a cd.

Formation lap indy 500 joe leonard on pole position, graham hill in the middle and, the eventual winner, bobby unser on the outside. Starting 9th he finished 5th to enjoy quite a debut. Harkey was much slower than mosley and was at fault for the wreck. He had 85 career starts, including the indianapolis 500 in 1964, 1971 and 19731976. Bob harkey was an american driver in the usac championship car series from charlotte, north carolina. Danny ongais dominated the early stages of the race but eventually dropped out with a blown engine. Harkey spent the night before the race in his truck. The indianapolis motor speedway is filled with great stories. Bob also worked with champion spark plugs during his racing career. But still, injuring a fellow competitor is hard for a driver.

A dirttrack and sprint car ace in his racing heyday, he owned a steel hauling business, but he. He made six indy 500 starts between 1964 and 1976 and finished in the top 10 three times. Driver injured in indy accident the new york times. Bob harkey became the first driver seriously injured at. Bob harkeyresultsnascar midget division1957 the third turn. He raced in the 19631979 seasons, with 85 career starts, including the.

A former race car driver in the usac championship car series, harkey raced in the 19631979 seasons, with 85 career starts, finishing in the top ten 23 times, with his best finish in. Due to poor records, we can not confirm nor deny driver was in this event. Sixtime indianapolis 500 starter bob harkey has accumulated a lifetime of colorful adventures and 83 years of unforgettable tales to document them. Hiding a blown engine from race officials to salvage his 1973 indianapolis 500 starting spot was good, but it wasnt the best trick bob harkey pulled off in a car. Bob harkey obituary speedway, in the indianapolis star. Born and raised in charlotte, north carolina, harkey made his national championship debut at milwaukee in june of 63 driving jake vargos sixyearold kurtisoffy roadster. He was a popular indy race driver who competed in the indianapolis 500 six times between 1964 and 1976 and finished in. Bob harkey awaits the start of the 1973 indianapolis 500 with his blown engine. The ardc was a tough place to win, running against the likes of ardc president dutch schaeffer, len duncan, tony bonadies, king carpenter, bob harkey, tiny romit, and jiggs peters. Some of them belong to the drivers who didnt fulfill their dreams. Driver bob harkey poses for a professional portrait. The most comprehensive sprint car racing website on the web. The best was the bootleggers turn, a trick harkey used to elude law enforcement or pursuers as he called them, during his bootlegging days in north carolina.

He was a boxer, a pilot, a stunt driver in a movie and a lecturer on auto safety during his lifetime, which was far. Bob harkey, who was known to be one of the indianapolis 500s best drivers under the pressure of qualifying, died saturday. Please enjoy the season recap and results from each years of the series from its inaugural year in 1971 through 2019. He made six indy 500 starts between 1964 and 1976 and finished in. A tribute to bob harkey, 19302016 bob harkey, who competed in the indianapolis 500 six times between 1964 and 1976 and finished in the top 10 three times, passed away on saturday, jan. The race was won by the great british driver stirling moss, and harkey well remembers being impressed by moss legendary sporting gesture of waving acknowledgement to lapped competitors who had given him sufficient room as he passed. Bob harkey cut off mosley in practice and was severely injured in the crash. From news and results, to online fantasy racing has it all. Home racing history harkeys lifetime of colorful adventures.

Indianapolis 500 veteran bob harkey died saturday in indianapolis, ind. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. He died in a qualifying crash at legion ascot speedway, apparently due to a stuck throttle. See more ideas about indy cars, indy car racing and racing. Bob harkey and red riegel finished second and third. Jul 15, 2014 good journeyman 500 driver,bob harkey. The indianapolis star from indianapolis, indiana on may. May, 1983 bob harkey suffered a broken neck, a broken collarbone, multiple rib and arm fractures and bruised lungs today when his coyote racer brushed mike mosleys car and slammed against the fourthturn. Scarce photos i have found show brown in the american race drivers club ardc primarily, and also in the northeast midget association. I used a film scanner and scanned the negatives and slides the best i could. In fact when asked what he would like to have been if not a race driver, he would respond, a world war one fighter pilot. I found a lot of old negatives of pictures that i took back in the early to mid 1960s.

There is no doubt in my mind, in the near future when looking at a race program at mohawk, you will see the name bob mcclure listed to drive horses in stake races. A superb and rare photo of a bob harkey before the start of the indy 500 in 1964. Here is the car of bob harkey, one of the many that would not qualify for the 1967 race. Most of the negatives and slides were in bad shape after over 40 years of poor storage.

Bob initially learnt fast driving on the wrong side of the law. His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of california, when bob was an infant. Race used helmet worn by colorful indianapolis 500 racing veteran bob harkey in the early 70s. Harkey never had great success in his racing career, although he finished in the top 10 of the indy 500 three times in his six starts between 1964 and 76. This is part of a series by indianapolis motor speedway historian donald davidson featuring indianapolis 500 veteran drivers returning to ims for legends day honoring roger penske on saturday, may 26. A hoosier favorite, bob will be on hand to wave the green flag to start the indy air race. I restored it to its last livery, when bob harkey drove the car in the 1964 indianapolis 500. Bob gates photo collection sixtime indianapolis 500 starter bob harkey has accumulated a lifetime of colorful adventures and 83 years of unforgettable tales to document them.

The 62nd international 500 mile sweepstakes was held at the indianapolis motor speedway in speedway, indiana on sunday, may 28, 1978. I think this bunch of indy knowledgable guys might. A dirttrack and sprint car ace in his racing heyday, he owned a steel hauling. He started 27th and finished eighth in it, but the fact is, in its first race, in 1960, jim rathmann. He won 1 race and accumulated a total of 8 championship points. He finished in the top ten 23 times, with his best finish in 4th position in 1964 at trenton. Norm continued to visit motorsport events until illhealth intervened. James hurtubise december 5, 1932 january 6, 1989 was an american race car driver who raced in usac champ cars including the indianapolis 500, as well as sprint cars and stock cars usac and nascar. Bob harkey, an indycar regular during the 60s and 70s, has passed away at the age of 85. Harkey never had great success in his racing career, although he finished in the top 10 of the.

Discover recipes, home ideas, style inspiration and other ideas to try. Indianapolis bob harkey became the first driver seriously injured at indianapolis this year, on the day he and other drivers were predicting recordbreaking qualification speeds this weekend. A lasting memory of the man took place shortly after the conclusion of the final qualifying day at indianapolis in 1979. Jan 17, 2016 colorful indianapolis 500 racing veteran bob harkey died saturday at the age of 85. Hurtubise enjoyed a lot of success in sprint cars, champ dirt cars, and stock cars but never. His career ended after being badly burnt in the crash that killed ronnie duman in 1968. Jan 17, 2016 driver in the usac championship car series from charlotte, north carolina. Jan 21, 2016 bob harkey passed away saturday, january 16, 2016. Bob harkey suffered a broken neck, a broken collarbone, multiple rib and arm fractures and bruised lungs today when his coyote racer brushed mike mosleys car and slammed against the fourthturn. He is tied with pat flaherty for the record of the driver with the fewest points to have won a race. For some years, bob made appearances at historic events, occasionally driving, before his death in 2016. However, unser bent the front wing of his lola during a pit. Colorful indianapolis 500 racing veteran bob harkey died saturday at the age of 85. Bob harkeyresultsnascar midget division1957 the third.

He raced in the 19631979 seasons, with 85 career starts, including the indianapolis 500 in 1964, 1971 and 19731976. Winchesters old timers grand marshal turns colorful tales. Bob harkey simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. There is some sad news coming out of nascar tonight. Harkey also competed in the first race at the thenbrand new daytona international speedway in 1959, a 100mile. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. Harkeys lifetime of colorful adventures page 2 of 2. Bob harkey born 23 jun 1930 charlotte, north carolina. Gurney was accountable for making the wicker bill still utilised in race cars in addition to.