Bobby Unser, Liberace had unlikely Las Vegas alliance

Of all the things I never expected to see in Las Vegas, at the top of the heap was an autographed picture of Bobby Unser in the Liberace Museum before most of the entertainer’s keepsakes were moved to Michael Jackson’s former home in another part of town.

“Best wishes to a real fine person Liberace” read the inscription over Unser’s signature and an artist’s rendering of the auto racing legend’s 1968 Indianapolis 500-winning car.

I never imagined that Unser — a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 who died at 87 in his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this past week — and Liberace would have crossed paths.

But both were car guys. And in researching their brief dalliance, I also discovered a photo of Liberace sitting in Unser’s championship dirt track car at Springfield, Illinois, where Unser was racing and Liberace performing at the Illinois State Fair.

But that unusual alliance wasn’t the only thing connecting Uncle Bobby, as he was reverently referred to in the garage area and beyond, to Las Vegas.

Unser won the only Indy car race at Stardust Raceway, holding off Mario Andretti and a veritable who’s who of American auto racing — A.J. Foyt, Unser’s brother Al, Dan Gurney, Johnny Rutherford, Gordon Johncock, Joe Leonard, Lloyd Ruby, Gary Bettenhausen — to win the 1968 Stardust 150 at the old road circuit that encompassed much of what today is Spring Valley.

Las Vegas author Randy Cannon interviewed Unser about that victory for his fascinating book “Stardust International Raceway: Motorsports Meets the Mob in Vegas, 1965-71.”

“Bobby was absolutely terrific and recalled his 1968 victory in vivid detail,” said Cannon, who also has written a book about the Caesars Palace Grand Prix that soon will be released. Cannon sent a photo of Unser navigating the dusty 3-mile, 13-turn Stardust circuit in the No. 3 Rislone Special — the same car the famous racer would drive to his first Indy 500 triumph just two months later.

“He was struck by how that early season win in Las Vegas set the table for his 1968 Indy 500 win and USAC championship to follow,” Cannon said. “His recollections added immeasurably to the quality of the book as he and his family built much of the legacy of IndyCar racing and the Indianapolis 500.

“How is it possible that a single family can account for nine victories at the Indianapolis 500?”

Around the horn

— The Las Vegas Baseball Academy, headed by former Chicago Cubs catcher and longtime Las Vegan Mike Martin, received a nice plug during a Mets-Cardinals game this week. Cardinals broadcaster and former pitcher Brad Thompson — a Cimarron-Memorial grad — spoke about having attended the academy when Cardinals pitching coach and Las Vegan Mike Maddux, Maddux’s brother Greg, and fellow Las Vegas big leaguers Marty Barrett and Marty Cordova were instructors.

Thompson showed photos of himself as a camper and then as an academy instructor after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series when he was pitching for them. “One of the favorite things I have,” said the former right-hander. “I used to love those camps.”

— There’s always a Las Vegas connection: A’s pitcher Jesus Luzardo, who made headlines earlier this week by breaking the pinkie pitcher on his pitching hand while playing a video game in the clubhouse, pitched for the Aviators in 2019 and was one of the A’s starters during 2020 Big League Weekend at Las Vegas Ballpark.

— Former NASCAR driver Eric McClure, who has died of unspecified causes at age 42, made the second of his three Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2005 where he finished 32nd.

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Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn, on stories that he was so mean that he wouldn’t even give his mother a good pitch to hit:

“Don’t forget, my mother was a hell of a hitter.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.