Indy 500 veteran Bob Harkey passes away at 85

He fought Floyd Patterson, drove the decoy car in moonshine runs, flew stunt planes in several Hollywood productions and became a master at qualifying on the last day for the Indianapolis 500.

Bob Harkey, who passed away Saturday in Indianapolis at age 85, led a fascinating life on and off the race track in a career that spanned four decades and a seismic shift in open-wheel racing.

He started his IndyCar journey in a front-engine roadster in 1964 (pictured ABOVE) and made his final start in a rear-engine car in 1976 – and was one of only eight living drivers in that exclusive club along with A.J. Foyt, Jim McElreath, Gordon Johncock, Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Chuck Hulse.

Harkey started six Indy 500s with a best finish of eighth in 1974 but had knack for sticking an unfamiliar car in the show on Bump Day as he qualified 27th, 29th, 31st and 32nd.

"Bob was one of those mid-runners in USAC and at Indianapolis, good and steady who knew how to finish," said Rutherford, the three-time Indy 500 winner whose initial IMS start came in 1963. "It seemed like he would always wait until a ride opened up, get it up to speed in a short amount of time, put it in the show and make a few bucks.

"He was like Bill Cheesbourg in that they wouldn't have anything when May started but they left finishing in the money."

LEFT: Harkey at Indy in 1971.

Born in Charlotte, Harkey's introduction to speed was fleeing the law on the North Carolina back roads in a car that was a decoy for moonshine runs. "I learned how to get a car sideways with trees on both sides of the road," said Harkey a few years ago during a weekly lunch with some old race drivers. "It was good experience."

And it came in handy since he served as a stunt driver for the Robert Mitchum movie Thunder Road. That came after he fought eventual heavyweight champ Patterson in the Golden Gloves before turning pro in the middleweight division.

But airplanes captured his attention early on in life and he became an accomplished stunt pilot that owned a Steerman and an AT6, which was a World War II trainer.

"Bob helped me get my clearance to fly my P-51 Mustang," recalled Rutherford. "I probably logged 30 hours in his AT6 and he signed off on me being ready, which was mandated by the insurance company.

"One time we got caught by the FAA for buzzing my farm in the AT6. We had to go to court and prove we weren't trying to kill ourselves or anyone else."

Harkey, who also battled with an up-and-comer named Mario Andretti in ARDC midgets, had a best-ever finish of fourth in 1964 at Trenton and would bemoan the fact he never had a top-shelf ride at Indianapolis.

"I wish I could have driven for Foyt or Gurney or Penske just one time," he used to say, to which we always replied that he'd made Indianapolis when it was toughest and 50-60 guys were going for 33 spots.

And his life was an adventure like few others – in the air and on the ground.