We're lucky here in Indiana. We have the best dirt bullring racing scene in the country. We're the envy of so many. It's such a great racing epicenter that young local stars from states like California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Alabama and others pack up their belongings and head to the Hoosier State to take their shot at becoming the best of the best in the non-winged sprint car world. And while we have the drivers and the cars of the USAC series touching down here from time to time, it's our local tracks and loyal fans coming out in droves that makes possible an environment that some of these guys can come out here and "race for a living". But those fans would not have been coming out in droves for generations had it not been for the epic clash of the titans, that took place night after night, track after track during the golden age of sprint car racing, at small dirt ovals like Paragon, Haubstadt, Kokomo, Bloomington, Lawrenceburg, etc. There were none of these gladiators that held the shield more valiantly or waged in more legendary battles than did Bobby Kinser. And on hundreds of race nights, once the dust had settled, he would be the victor. If you were commissioned to make a monument that were to be titled "Indiana Sprint Car Racing", it should look exactly like Bob Kinser, standing by the Shields Sprinter after a race, with that cigar hanging out of his mouth. And in all the years that I've spent going to these tracks I've never seen a driver that manhandled a sprint car with as much brute force, as this one did.

I hope history will give him the due that he has coming and make sure the world knows how important he was to the racing scene that Indiana has become.

R.I.P. Bob Kinser

Jerry

Very well said my friend

Jerry

If you only knew the amount of drivers who said they learned how to race clean or not at all from Bob Kinser. Often touted as one of the best people to be around off the track. You raced him clean or you were given a age ole lesson.

One of my last conversations with Greg Staab was at Last years Lawrenceburg Nationals. I said Greg, I remember the first time I went to Bloomington Speedway. Back in 87-88 or so and they had a race called the Bloomington Bash. LMs and NW sprints only. Both 40 lap features. I remember you started 18th and the last five laps. Bob Kinser, Randy Kinser and Ricky Hood were racing three wide (ON BLOOMINGTON) for the lead and you were banging on their rear nerfs in fourth, Trying to get around em near the end of the race.

Greg said to me, "I remember that race perfectly. like it was yesterday. But you got it wrong, I banged Randy and Ricky's nerfs. Not Bobs, You didn't do that to Bob"

Bob won that race and Staab ended up fourth

LIke Jerry said. For most of his racing career, BOB was Indiana Sprint Car racing. About the only guy as big and stalky as him I can remember was Dick Gaines.

All hail the father of the KING.... a legendary figure himself! Rest in peace Bob!

Never got to see him race but heard many stories. If he dropped the cigar from his mouth someone was in trouble. RIP

I believe it was 1983, Bob was driving the gambler house car at Pargon World of Outlaw show. I always wonder if Bob would have told Kenny Woodruff, the car need something, would Kenny have done it. Or would Kenny had just told him, to just drive it like he did so many others. Bob was like a kid in a candy store that day.

Didn't he win a track champ his last season of driving?

I always thought that meeting Bob or Dick Gaines after a race when they was mad. Would have been a night a driver would never forget.

Rest In Peace Bob! Bob is standing in the best Victory Lane ever.

There are hundreds stories about Bob Kinser. But one that I witnessed. Bob had been driving with a cast on his broken leg when after hot laps he proceeded to cut off the cast because it was interfering with his driving. Tough as nails was Bob.

As a kid my idols were the 2 Bobs...Kinser and Christian.

We've lost a great one in Bob, saw him race so many times, when he pulled into a track with the Bayless 17B on the open wheel trailer you knew it was going to be a good one.
We were in attendance at Paragon when he ran his last race in August of 1993,,Augie O'Bannon helped Bob off of turn 3,I always figured there was a meeting after that.
Tons of bench racing over the years at the Smithville Road Race shop. Gone but not forgotten, Rest In Peace Bob.

http://www.racer.com/north-american-...tem/145508-bob

Bob and Kraig use to come to Hartford Speedway and race on Friday nights, it was like having Elvis at the track. RIP to a true legend of Sprint Car Racing.