Robert Harold “Bob” Grim was an American open-wheel racer from the golden age — a hard-charging dirt-track specialist who rose from the sprint-car ranks to become an Indianapolis 500 winner in spirit, if not in statistics. Born on September 4, 1924, in Coal City, Indiana, Grim built his reputation the old-fashioned way: through years spent battling on America’s unforgiving oval tracks.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Coal City, Indiana, USA |
| Born | 4 September 1924 |
| Died | 14 June 1995 |
| First Grand Prix | 1959 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last Grand Prix | 1960 Indianapolis 500 |
| Years Active | 1959–1960 |
| Current/Last Team | Meskowski |
Before reaching the national stage, Grim became a dominant force in sprint-car racing during the 1950s. Driving the legendary Hector Honore-owned “Black Deuce” Offenhauser sprint car, he established himself as one of the premier dirt-track racers in the country. Between 1955 and 1958, Grim captured four consecutive IMCA Sprint Car Championships — an extraordinary run of success that made him a household name among Midwestern racing fans and cemented his reputation as one of the era’s finest oval racers.
That success opened the door to championship car racing and the Indianapolis 500.
Grim entered the USAC Championship Car series in 1958 and would go on to compete through the 1969 season, making 66 starts against some of the strongest fields in American racing history. During that time, he became a regular and highly respected presence at Indianapolis, starting the Indy 500 every year from 1959 to 1968, with the exception of 1965.
His debut at the Speedway in 1959 immediately won over fans and officials alike. Although Grim finished only 26th in the race itself, his speed throughout the month earned him the prestigious Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.
Away from Indianapolis, Grim proved himself capable of competing with — and beating — the best drivers in the country. Across his USAC Championship Car career, he recorded 30 top-ten finishes.
His crowning championship-car achievement came in 1960 at the Syracuse Mile, where Grim captured his lone USAC Championship Car victory. Winning at Syracuse carried enormous prestige at the time, and the triumph confirmed that Grim was far more than just a dirt-track specialist — he could win at the very highest level of American championship racing.
After stepping away from top-level competition, Grim remained a figure within the racing community that had shaped his life for decades.
Bob Grim died of cancer in Indianapolis on June 14, 1995.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 2 |
| Race Starts | 2 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 5th |
| Best Race Finish | 16th |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | – |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | – |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | – |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5th | DNF | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1960 | Meskowski | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 16th | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurtis Kraft | 1959 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5th | 16th | 0 | 0 |
| Meskowski | 1960 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21st | 16th | 0 | 0 |
