Boston Bob
 

Boston Bob Blair passed away 10 years ago today. What a character. He never had a drivers license as far as I knew but he went to the races all over the country. I was Bob's chauffeur at the last race he attended, the 2003 Chili Bowl.

His stories were priceless, his feud with Geoff Bodine, Bob's short military career " I thought they said I was being transferred to Fort Lauderdale!", his dad's racing career, the Boston Bruins, hitch hiking to the races and so much more.

In 2002 while we were in Indianapolis for the 500, he told me about a young kid who was going to a big star someday. That kid was Bryan Clauson.

Blair was one of kind.

RIP Boston Bob

Re: Boston Bob
 

Rip :9:

Re: Boston Bob
 

I met Bob Clauson at Terre Haute when, by chance, we were sitting next to each other,and he heard my Maine Accent,and asked me if I knew "Boston Bob" Blair,and I said yeah we were room mates at Knoxville for a couple years.

They had a story on Blair many years ago in Trackside Magazine where Bob listed everyone that gave him a ride to the races over the years. The list included people like Bobby Allison,Richie Evans etc etc.

Re: Boston Bob
 

Originally Posted by Andrew S. Quinn:
I met Bob Clauson at Terre Haute when, by chance, we were sitting next to each other,and he heard my Maine Accent,and asked me if I knew "Boston Bob" Blair,and I said yeah we were room mates at Knoxville for a couple years.

They had a story on Blair many years ago in Trackside Magazine where Bob listed everyone that gave him a ride to the races over the years. The list included people like Bobby Allison,Richie Evans etc etc.

Geoff Bodine LMAO! :5:

Re: Boston Bob
 

Originally Posted by Vukie:
Geoff Bodine LMAO! :5:

Please Share the story!!

Re: Boston Bob
 

I never heard the story about Geoff Bodine,but when he drove the Nu-Style 1 would have been in Blair's backyard for thumbing a ride.

Henry Graham told me that Blair would hitchhike to Syracuse and get there before Henry did driving there!

Best stories I've heard was being in Florida and putting a TV dinner in the wall safe and thinking it was a microwave,and going to California and going to a friends house and making himself at home and the guys wife comes home and asks him what he is doing there,as they had gotten divorced!

Re: Boston Bob
 

Bob and Geoff never liked each other but Bob was friendly with the car owner of Bodine's car. Blair was at a track watching the NA$CAR modifieds [ 6 hours from Boston] and the car owner asked "How are you getting home?" Bob tells him "I'll hitch hike".

The car owner talks Bodine in giving Blair a ride back to Boston, he's not happy about it but does it.

"Not one word spoken between the two of us in six hours of driving. Bodine pulls up in front of my apartment and let's me out. I say "thank you" and Geoff replies "you're welcome" He was pissed off during the entire drive".

Bob always had a good laugh about that night.

Re: Boston Bob
 

I became acquainted with Bob as a youngster in NY years ago. Always amazed me how he got around with no license. First met him over at Oswego. He loved that place, the speed of the supermodifieds and the keen competition. Loved the modifieds. He was just a great guy to be around, I could listen to his war stories for hours and be thoroughly entertained. RIP Bob.

Re: Boston Bob
 

Remember Boston bob very well......one year many yrs ago the wife and I were enroute to the Oswego classic. As we approached the mass pike toll booth who else but Bobby was sitting on a guard rail....asked him if he was waiting for someone his reply was...... "You". As he climbed into the back seat of my 65 chev convertible.....he was a tremendous race fan so much of a fan that I'm convinced God made it easier to see all the races......:32::22:

Re: Boston Bob
 

My long time friendship with the Martel family gave me my chance to meet Boston Bob on a number of occasions, as many have said Bob was always telling stories. I last saw Bob at Manzy after I moved out west, he didn't realize I lived in the Phoenix area now but he new he had to know a girl in a Martel Motorsports jacket in the Valley of the Sun rather than at Oswego or in Ipswich, Ma.. We exchanged stories of course, I think it may have been Bob's last visit for the Western World at Manzy. RIP Bob!

Patti

Re: Boston Bob
 

I was a 19 year old kid in 1968 when I met Boston Bob hitchhiking in the town of Millis, Ma. (Home of the Santos family then) I was a "crewman" on a Nascar modified. I was towing the car to Thompson Ct when I picked up Bob. After talking with Bob, I realized that I had seen him at Norwood Arena on Saturday nights. We both lived in Norwood, and over the years I would bump into him from time to time. Both around the town of Norwood, and at the races. It seems hard to believe that it was over 10 years ago that I read on Hoseheads that Bob was in the local hospital. I dropped in to say hello and chat about racing with him. Bob told me that he was being transferred to another hospital, sadly he passed away about a week later. Bob's father was a well known racer in his day. A few years ago Lew Boyd published a book on Massachusetts racetracks (Hot Cars/ Cool Drivers) and there were quite a few pictures of Bob Blair Sr. in there. RIP Boston Bob.

Re: Boston Bob
 

Why no driver's license?

Re: Boston Bob
 

We met someone from New England area at a car show in New Smyrna Beach about a month ago who was involved in racing and we asked him if he knew Boston Bob and of course, he did. Many stories were told in the next 15 minutes.
We met Boston Bob in Trenton at a motel during the Langhorne days. Would always bump into him from Oswego to Daytona. After moving to Florida from N.Y. we would always manage to bump into him. One time at East Bay, during the World of Outlaws we met him. He had talked a couple of guys from Daytona into going to East Bay by telling them it was just a little past Orlando.
He always managed to get around without a license, one way or another.
I also had the opportunity of working on the restoration of his Dad's midget race car. His Dad was a great driver in his day.

R.I.P. Boston Bob!!
falconeddie:22:

Re: Boston Bob
 

Bob at one time did have a drivers license but a DUI fixed that. Met Bob at a Baylands Outlaw show, Ascot Park, PRI, and Manzy. We hooked up for several years for the three hour ride to the Gold Cups Race of Champions in Chico California. He be two days early for the Calistoga show, Thursday night drink night at Hotel 6.

Gave Bob the real wild west coastal ride, long the coastline most visitors never get. I think I scared him. :6:
Called him at work once Bob who? Oh, Bobby!
Ten years?

RIP BOBBY.

Re: Boston Bob
 

Man ten years, sure does not seem like that long.

Jerry #66j
stida.com/HalfMoon