Lloyd Ruby

Who was Lloyd Ruby?

Lloyd Ruby was an American racecar driver.

Ruby raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1958-1977 seasons, with 177 career starts, including every Indianapolis 500 race during 1960-1977. He finished in the top ten 88 times, with 7 victories. His best Indy finish was 3rd in 1964. In 1966 he led the Indy 500 for 68 laps.

Ruby also had endurance racing victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was booked to drive in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, however did not start as he suffered spinal injuries in a plane crash after taking off from Indianapolis Motor Speed Way Airport.

However, he is best known for the race he didn’t win. His biography, written by Ted Buss in 2000, was titled: "Lloyd Ruby: The Greatest Driver Never to Win the Indy 500." Ruby led five of them for a total of 126 laps, however his best finish at Indianapolis was third in 1964. His only other top five finish at the 500 came in 1968. Five other times he placed in the top 10. In 1991, he was inducted into the Indianapolis 500 Hall of Fame.

Ruby had another strong chance at winning in 1969. With leader Mario Andretti suffering overheating problems and forced to nurse his car, Ruby was in strong position to score an upset victory. But at the end of a mid-race pit stop, a crew member motioned Ruby to exit a fraction of a second too early. The refueling nozzle was still engaged in the car's left saddle tank, and as Ruby dropped the clutch, the car lurched forward and the nozzle ripped a hole in the gas tank. Andretti, the eventual winner, admitted later he could not have held Ruby off had the Texan remained in the race.