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3/2/13, 10:08 AM   #1
Boston Bob
Vukie
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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
 
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3/2/13, 10:12 AM   #2
Re: Boston Bob
racegal
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Rip
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DD FAN-atic!! Susan St. Catherine
God bless America and our troops
 
3/2/13, 10:44 AM   #3
Re: Boston Bob
Andrew S. Quinn
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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.
 
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3/2/13, 10:53 AM   #4
Re: Boston Bob
Vukie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew S. Quinn View Post
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!
 
3/2/13, 11:01 AM   #5
Re: Boston Bob
luckybuc97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vukie View Post
Geoff Bodine LMAO!
Please Share the story!!
 
3/2/13, 11:05 AM   #6
Re: Boston Bob
Andrew S. Quinn
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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!
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Last edited by Andrew S. Quinn; 3/2/13 at 11:11 AM.
 
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3/2/13, 11:19 AM   #7
Re: Boston Bob
Vukie
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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.
 
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3/2/13, 12:39 PM   #8
Re: Boston Bob
ASPHALT24
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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.
 
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3/2/13, 1:34 PM   #9
Re: Boston Bob
grinch
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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......
 
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3/2/13, 2:05 PM   #10
Re: Boston Bob
IndyBound
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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
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Last edited by IndyBound; 3/4/13 at 10:06 AM.
 
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