Great racing history! Bobby Unser was one of the blazing fast Americans who were quick in anything they drove, in an era when top drivers could race in several different series during a given season. Guys might have rides in F-1, USAC, Can-Am, F-5000, Trans-Am, NASCAR, and FIA endurance racing. Money was far less than today and that gave a real incentive to seek prize money. Truly a golden era! If you're ever in Albuquerque seek out the Unser Racing Museum, and plan on spending at least a few hours! The Unser Family's love of Pikes Peak will be very clear to visitors.
Bobby told me he was way more proud of being King of the Hill at PP than ever winning at Indy (but then conceded Indy made him rich haha). I was lucky to have that conversation with him, it was amazing.
Walter Röhrl is a great legend, but he was active until 1987 while Bobby in 1986 was already retired as race driver and 14 years older than Walter. Still Bobby imposed a land speed record at Bonneville in 1993. And Bobby is the only person that has won Pikes Peak 13 times and that's what the video is about: Pikes Peak! So Bobby is still the King of the Mountain.
Well... he kinda is. Do the words "I just couldn't see a French girl winning" imply anything else? Jesus Christ on a Bicycle dude. Anyway I take nothing away from his career, and he even knew how to drive a 911 in the IROC series as well, so mad props to that. It's also more that he and has family kinda own that mountain and that's not by accident so he's naturally going to be gunning for it. I don't think he's a hater though, just old school. And he's a fucking badass overall for sure.
@@KingCast65 Both Walter and Bobby were ticked that Michele took the best time up the mountain.. quote from Michele.. " And if you had any sort of balls, you would race me back down. ".. There is no King of the Mountain.. but a Queen.
For those bitter Europeans, if you knew the entire story, you would know that Unser coached Walter Rohrl on how to best attack the Peak. He also asked the engineers to tweak the car similarly to when he did the course which improved his time. He was also asked to come back that year, but he decided not to since he was retired, but still was asked to come up to the Peak to help Walter. He also said Walter was amazing and after Unser asked him to change his driving style and to watch videos on the best times, Walter changed his driving style which helped a ton.
Why is everyone in this comment section so salty? Bobby won this event 13 times and won 3 500s, like he had anything to prove. Plus his comment on Mouton just reflects his character and what was acceptable at the time. We are talking about the same guy who used to roam around supermarkets at Indy with a turkey asking women if they had an oven at there place so he could get laid. Different times. Jesus you people
Great Racing History, This now be out of category now due to the fact that the mountain ⛰ is no longer ground granite and dirt .. the Unser family will always be respected in 🚘 Automobile Racing....
Kinda bugged by the fact the Audi/Auto Union's 'f1' cars from back in the day were called 'Silver Arrows' by the narrator. The Arrows were the Mercedes', not the Auto Union's.. No offence intended, I only wanted to point that out because aside from that, it is a great docu.
Sorry for replying to old posts, but the nickname 'silver arrows' originated in pre-wwII pre-F1 Grand Prix racing un Europe. Back then cars often used a paint scheme denoting their country- British racing Green, Italian red and silver for Germany. It was MB and AutoUnion dominating that made 'silver arrows' stick.
If Bobby Unser was racing Pikes Peak today and made the comment he did about Michelle Mouton having the record, “I just don’t see some French girl having the Pikes Peak record”, the media would eat him alive and he’d be called a sexist. Funny how things change.
Charlie T a lot has changed since then. It is a sexist comment but back then people’s opinions about what was sexist were very different. That was still a time when most people, men and women alike, saw certain things as things that only men did or only women did and they didn’t question it. Thankfully people like Michelle Mouton weren’t like most people and they didn’t let stereotypes stop them from doing what they love and are passionate about.
I actually interpreted the latter part of that comment as more stressing the fact that she was French than a woman (i.e. an American should hold the record since the mountain is in America), but still.
0:53 Yeah, hmmm say what you will about the French. But you should've shown some respect. She was no "French girl". She was the first (and so far the only) woman to have won a World Rally event (of which she won several), she held Pikes Peak record, had collected a second place in the World Rally Championship, she had won the German National Rally Championship, and had won Le Mans. So yeah... not just your regular French chick... Unser was there just for the PR, I myself would've smashed any record with that car, as did Röhrl the next year with Unser's record.
Oh geez shut it. We all love Michelle, but this was recorded in 1986 when people were allowed to say things without worrying about butt-hurt people like you. They were both famous at the time, but in different circles. You couldn't have smashed anything except your keyboard. Keyboard warriors just never know when to stop.
Lol French girl. They need to make a movie about Michele! Bobby has been racing there all his life and Michele came in a set a record there from a different Continent. They are both amazing achievements but Bobby should have given her more respect.
Bobby Unser is nothing in the world off motorsport and for Michelle !!! And with equal machinery he was smashed by a german guy !!! Karma is a bitch !!! You americans have to learn how to drive by us europeans all the time and then next year the euro car is banned from the american series !!! Bunch off cheaters !!!
Oh geez, shut it. We all love Michelle, but this was recorded in 1986 when people didn't get so easily offended like you. She would have easily laughed it off today and back then. Why can't you?
@@mediocreman2I actually did laugh. My first word was laugh out loud. He sounds a little childish for a 52 year old man saying he couldn’t handle a French Girl hold the record. That’s why I thought it was funny. Michelle Mouton goes down as one of the greatest drivers in history and Bobby Unser calls her some French Girl. It’s called bad optics. The comment hasn’t aged well. It’s funny.
If you knew the entire story, you would know that Unser coached Walter on how to best attack the Peak. He also asked the engineers to tweak the car similarly to when he did the course which improved his time. He was also asked to come back that year, but he decided not to since he was retired, but still was asked to come up to the Peak to help Walter.
@@motorsportfan1246 Let's see Bobby drive a single group-b rally stage, let alone day after day like Mouton. Her skill to tame a death machine flying down farm roads all day at the highest level of competition, is arguably more impressive. She also won 2.0l class at le mans 24hr. For Bobby to act like she is not talented because she's female, is incredibly pathetic and childish.
@@motorsportfan1246 Then he goes up pikes peak in a specialized and over boosted version of her car with better track conditions and acts like it's some massive accomplishment to beat her, pretty sad. Sore loser is an understatement. He might be a great driver, maybe better than Mouton, but having absolutely no class whatsoever overshadows it. Niki lauda and Stirling Moss, both definitely more talented and accomplished than Bobby Unser, publicly declared her driving as legendary. Bobby Unser's F1 career is not so impressive. He also had quarrels with Mario Andretti who quite obviously had more skill and more class.
@@motorsportfan1246Wait, Bobby Unser went all the way to the supreme court to contest a $75 fine for snowmobiling illegally on national forest land when he got lost. He still lost the appeal, hundreds of thousands in lawyer fees later. Maybe the most arrogant loser of all time.
If you knew the entire story, you would know that Unser coached Walter on how to best attack the Peak. He also asked the engineers to tweak the car similarly to when he did the course which improved his time. He was also asked to come back that year, but he decided not to since he was retired, but still was asked to come up to the Peak to help Walter. He also said Walter was amazing and after Unser asked him to change his driving style and to watch videos on the best times, Walter changed his driving style which helped a ton.
