Road Racing Drivers Club President Bobby Rahal cordially invites you to attend the RRDC Evening with Bobby Unser Presented by Firestone at the Long Beach Hilton on Thursday, April 16:
Long Beach Hilton, Thursday, April 16
Seats $200 ($175 for RRDC members only)
Reservations Required (to rrdc2@cox.net)
Unser Unleashed!
Bobby Unser, 2015 RRDC Banquet Honoree
Racing dynasties? Dime a dozen: Petty, Andretti, Earnhardt, Hill, Brabham, Villeneuve (etc., etc.). Racing clans? There’s exactly one, period. Unser.
If, in the ‘40s, your first name was Bobby, Jerry Jr., Al or Louis, the yardsticks of excellence were set by the original Unser racers, Louis, Joe and Jerry Sr. If, in the ‘60s, your name happened to be Bobby Jr., Robby, Jeri, Al Jr. or Johnny, then your childhood echoed with the heavy footsteps of Jerry Jr., Bobby and Big Al. Please join the RRDC in celebrating the career of Bobby Unser — pater familis of a racing clan with the kind of kick-ass genes that your progeny can only dream lay buried in the family DNA.
There’s a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado that Zebulon Pike should come out of his grave and insist be renamed Unser’s Peak. In 1915, Uncle Joe, Uncle Louis and Jerry Sr. summited in a motorcycle with a sidecar one year before there was a road. Uncle Joe was killed in 1929 prepping for the Indianapolis 500, but Uncle Louis went on to win Pike’s Peak nine times and ace mechanic Jerry Sr. begat four second-generation racers, including Bobby and Big Al. Bobby didn’t go racing because he was dreaming of the Indy 500. His only goal was to beat Uncle Louis’ Race to the Clouds record, which he did. As history demonstrates, that ambition soon progressed.
Bobby Unser’s legend is well known: three-time Indy 500 winner; first to average over 180 and 190 mph at Indianapolis; 49 IndyCar poles with 35 wins; two USAC championships and one in the IROC sporty cars. Oh, and 13 Pike’s Peak top positions (sorry, Uncle Louis). Bobby Unser was the take-no-prisoners on-track charger who metamorphosed into a smooth-talking television raconteur. In his playful color commentary with Paul Page and Sam Posey on ABC Wide World of Sports, Bobby called it like it was and earned widespread admiration from the fans.
If you’re a veteran RRDC Long Beach attendee, then you know the drill — elegant setting, great food, generous beverages, legendary racers, current competitors and a very personal honoree interview. Reserve ASAP to rrdc2@cox.net and send John Fergus the damned check. There is a form attached. Follow it exactly!
Outdoor cocktails among famous Unser cars will commence at 6:00; dinner at 7:15 sharp. My interview with Bobby will be concluded by 9:30 so Long Beach competitors can meet team curfews.
Fun, camaraderie and stories from the paddock. What’s not to love?
Bobby Rahal, RRDC President
Please RSVP to Jeremy Shaw at rrdc2@cox.net, then complete the registration form and mail, along with a check made out to RRDC, to:
John C. Fergus, RRDC Treasurer, 8377 Green Meadows Drive N, Suite A, Lewis Center, OH 43035.
Registration forms are available by clicking here:
All proceeds go toward the RRDC’s young driver initiatives: SAFEisFAST and Team U.S.A. Scholarship.
Our thanks to Steve Shunck and the Collections of The Henry Ford.
