Sunday 24th May 1981

Bobby Unser was first to the checkered flag at the 65th Indianapolis 500 for his third major victory since 1968. The victory, however, was short lived, as race stewards took the win away from Unser the next day and awarded it to Mario Andretti. It was the first time a driver had been stripped of the championship. Race officials, looking at videotape, said that Unser had violated the caution light rule and penalized him one lap. After a lengthy protest and appeals process, the penalty was rescinded, and Unser was reinstated the victory on October 9. Officially, it became Unser’s third-career Indy 500 victory and his final win in Indy car competition. Unser stepped out of the car at the end of the season, and retired from driving.