Bobby Unser was my favorite driver when I was growing up. He was a balls to the wall competitor who seemed to want victory more than life.
His car was cool. He honesty was cool. And he four ways to win that at the very least challenged the interpretation of the rules.
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Unser has been no less controversial as a former driver, speaking his mind in private and public conversations.
He made the Indianapolis 500 more interesting when he drove in it, and he makes it more interesting today by expressing his opinions about it. Some people are blessed with an ability to sugarcoat their feelings, and Bobby Unser isn’t one of them.
Maybe it’s age. At some point in life, men seem to realize that their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs have an expiration date, and that not being unvarnished dilutes whatever effect they might have. That might explain it, but I never remember Unser being any different. He seems to have been born with the gift of transparency.
Love him or think he’s a wingnut, he sure could drive the hell out of a race car.