Rick Mears' first Indy 500 victory out of four, in 1979, was the second for his car owner who has been a major figure in IndyCar ever since. Who is he?
1979 Indianapolis 500 The 63rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 1979. Second-year driver Rick Mears took the lead for the final time with 18 laps to go, and won his first of four Indianapolis 500 races. It was also Mears' first of a record six Indy 500 pole positions. Brothers Al and Bobby Unser combined to lead 174 of the 200 laps, but Al dropped out around the midpoint, and Bobby slipped to 5th place at the finish nursing mechanical issues. It was also Roger Penske's second Indy 500 victory as a car owner.
Jim Buick James J. Buick (born December 14, 1940) is a former American racing driver from Omaha, Nebraska who competed in the CART series in 1981. He started four races in 1981 with a best finish of 16th and failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in a 7 year old Chevrolet–powered Eagle. Buick again attempted but failed to make the Indy 500 in 1983 in a Chevrolet-powered 3 year old Penske chassis. With the formation of the Indy Racing League in 1996, the then 55-year-old Buick attempted to qualify for the series' first race at Walt Disney World Speedway in a 1992 Lola, but was unable to qualify. He still earned $10,000 for his entry.