Lloyd Ruby, a racer from my neck of the woods (Wichita Falls, Texas), died this week. He was a class act.
Lloyd Ruby, a racer from my neck of the woods (Wichita Falls, Texas), died this week. He was a class act.
Lloyd Ruby was a great driver in other series as well. He won the World Sportscar Championship, the Daytona 24 Hours, Sebring and was part of the Ford GT40 program at LeMans. he was one of the guys like Gurney, Foyt, Andretti and Jones who could go fast in any racing series.
So, yes, he had some really bad luck at Indy. More importantly, he had the respect of everyone I listed above. I wish more American drivers were like Lloyd and the other guys. They were incredibly talented and versatile. Brave too. His was an era when all race cars were much faster than they were safe.
Lloyd was the first favorite driver I had when I developed a love for racing. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago at a memorabilia and Collectors show in Indianapolis. He was as gracious and nice as I expected.
Truly a great driver and a real class act like you said. He was wildly respected by his peers like Mario, Gurney, Parnelli, Rutherford, Unser etc. I felt a real loss when I heard of his passing.
That's too bad. I always liked him.
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