Robert "Bobby" Grim (September 4, 1924 – June 14, 1995) was an American racecar driver. Born in

Coal City, Indiana Coal City is a small unincorporated community located in Jefferson Township, Owen County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The town consists of only a grocery/restaurant, and a post office. History In 1852, the village of Davidsburg was plat ...

, Grim died of cancer in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. He drove in the USAC

Championship Car American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar. Competitive event ...

series, racing in the 1958-1969 seasons with 66 starts, including the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

races each year from 1959-1968 except 1965. He finished in the top ten 30 times, with his one victory coming in 1960 at Syracuse. He won the 1959 Indy Rookie of the Year, despite finishing in 26th position. He was also the IMCA

sprint car Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New ...

champion from 1955-1958 driving the famed "Black Deuce" Offy of Hector Honore. Grim was the 1959

Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year The Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year is an annual award "presented to the driver who has performed with the most distinction among first-year drivers in the Indianapolis 500." Criteria includes "on-track performance in practice, qualifying an ...

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Indianapolis 500 results

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Bobby Grim participated in 2 World Championship races. He started on the pole 0 times, won 0 races, set 0 fastest laps, and finished on the podium 0 times. He accumulated a total of 0 championship points.

Award

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.

References

1924 births 1995 deaths Deaths from cancer in Indiana Indianapolis 500 drivers Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees People from Owen County, Indiana Racing drivers from Indiana {{US-autoracing-bio-stub