Jeff's Indy Talk: 30 Days in May: No. 3, Bobby Unser, 1981 Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth

Sunday, May 3, 2026

30 Days in May: No. 3, Bobby Unser, 1981 Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the history of the Indianapolis 500!

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Bobby Unser won the 1981 Indianapolis 500 from the pole, leading 89 laps.

In 1981, Bobby Unser started from the pole and was victorious in what would be his final Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver to win in three different decades. Another bit of trivia: Bobby Unser finished last in his first Indianapolis 500 and finished first in his last Indianapolis 500. Just to give you an idea of how outstanding a qualifier Bobby Unser was, he ranked in the top 10 in terms of speed in 17 of his 19 races, with nine front-row starts.

#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @Team_Penske

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I collect just about anything related to the 500 and IndyCar racing: Yearbooks, programs, post cards, diecasts, decanters, autographs, T-shirts, media guides, newspapers, books, magazines, trading cards, bobble heads, plastic models, CDs, DVDs. I even have View Masters (remember those?) and a blow-up Goodyear blimp, which hovers serenely in my basement. I think the following sums up this mania best. Once, while at the Mailroom on 16^th Street I was looking over some items, and my mother told the owner, Frank Gilbert, “He’s been hooked on this since he was about 5.” “Well, there are a lot worse things to get hooked on,” was Frank’s response. Indeed. I love hearing from fellow collectors about their prizes and how they got them.