As we prepare to usher in the new year, we take a moment to salute some of the key figures from the world of motorsport that we farewelled in 2025, listed in chronological order of their passing.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 starter Lee Kunzman, a model of perseverance in motorsports, died Feb. 27. He was 80.Kunzman overcame serious injuries during his career to start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1972, 1973, 1977 and 1979. His best finish was seventh, in 1973 and 1977. His best qualifying...

It was June 5, 1970 at a USAC sprint race in Odessa, Mo., that Lee Kunzman first bitch slapped the Grim Reaper. At that point in his career he was not only a rising star in the toughest open-wheel racing in the country but one of the most versatile drivers...

The sporting world was agog last week, proclaiming Tiger Woods’ victory in The Master as the greatest comeback of all time. Now make no mistake, it was a remarkable recovery from all his surgeries and a story worthy of great praise, but let’s get serious. Greatest comeback of all time?...

Above: Pat Santello (left), and Lee Kunzman in 1977.He was one of the last to tow his Indy car on an open-wheel trailer. He spent his own money to go racing and loved the dirt as much as he did the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He sponsored Gary Bettenhausen's sprinter, ran...

Almost every Friday I eat lunch at The Pit Stop in Brownsburg with some tough hombres from days gone by. Lee Kunzman dodged the Grim Reaper twice in three years in the early '70s, Pancho Carter survived a deadly crash at Phoenix, Merle Bettenhausen had his right arm torn off...

The aftermath of the MAVTV 500 at Fontana still lingers as people that weren’t even fans of IndyCar racing can’t quit talking about how exciting it was while the drivers were divided on whether it was Russian Roulette at 215mph or a wild ride in a dangerous profession.It was also...