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1996 Indy 500 Winner Buddy Lazier poses with Tomaso
in the IMS Flagroom, circa 2012. (The Tomaso Collection)
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A Gentle Giant 'O Yesteryear's Pre-eminant Open
Wheel Racing series...
Yeah, I know we can All be easily swayed by
an Ex-Racing Driver's public persona, but Bob Lazier, the Patriarch of the
Lazier Racing Dynasty seemed like a genuinely kind man to Mwah, who I only had
the privilege of meeting once briefly during a past Legends Day Autograph
session at Mother Speedway.
Yet Bob seemed very outgoing and willing to
talk with me as my IMS Sherpa CARPETS' introduced me, as Dave, Dave's Not Here;
Oh Never Mind! Seemingly became good friends with the Lazier's - including
Treks to Thar Tivoli
Lodge in Colorado.
Along with meeting both of his sons, albeit
Jaques just once along the Pitlane fencing at Mother Speedway, for a brief
Chin-wag[, it's Buddy who most impressed me.
As Buddy, the 1996 Indianapolis 500 Winner
was most outgoing to Mwah, having met him a few times at the long forgotten
IMS Flagroom where I once interrupted his
conversation with the late Dr. Who'.
But Buddy genuinely seems like a Stand Up Guy
and loyal to those he worked with and a pleasure to briefly interact with all
those years ago, which I can only surmise is part of his father's legacy for
true inclusion and treating everybody like they're family...
Former CART Rookie Of the Year Bob Lazier Dies at 81
Update
Ran across this wonderful story by Racer's
Marshall Pruett further cementing Bob Lazier's Zest for Life and being Friendly
towards everybody quite enjoyable. Also Didn't know he was a Two-times Rolex 24
Winner, notching two GTU Class victories along with a third place finish as
Co-driver in Amos Johnson's Shrieking twin rotor Mazda in the late 1980s...