LONGTIME USAC SCORER BOB LAYCOCK JR. DIES AT 86
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (April 5, 2023)………Bob Laycock Jr., a longtime scorer and official with USAC from 1968-2003, passed away on April 3, 2023, due to Parkinson’s Disease. He was 86 years old.
Nicknamed “Bolo” due to his penchant for unique penmanship which saw his periods look like circles when he wrote out his initials, B.L., Laycock began his career with USAC as a serial scorer in 1968 and later served as the chief scorer for both the Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions. Each May, he worked as an official at every running of the Indianapolis 500 between 1968-1995.
Few racing families have been entrenched in auto racing, and with USAC, as much as the Laycock family. Bob Jr.’s father, Bob Laycock Sr., was the chief scorer for the USAC Sprint Car division from 1959-83, USAC Silver Crown from 1971-84, and at the Indianapolis 500 starting in 1953. Bob Sr. also served as the press room director at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and ultimately became the track’s first official historian.
Laycock Jr.’s brother, Dave Laycock, was an Indy Car crew chief and constructor of the Mongoose chassis. Laycock Jr.’s youngest brother, Dan (D.O.) Laycock, earned a coveted Emmy Award as the producer of ESPN’s Thursday Night Thunder and Saturday Night Thunder series. Furthermore, when Bob Laycock Jr. retired from racing in 2003, he was scoring USAC races alongside his two youngest sons, Josh and Rob.
Like grandfather, like father, like son. Bob Laycock Sr. attended every Indianapolis 500 between 1915 and 1993. In turn, Bob Laycock Jr. attended 77 consecutive runnings of the event with his final appearance coming in 2022. In fact, between Bob Jr., his father and grandfather, every Indianapolis 500 has been attended by one of the three since the inaugural edition in 1911.
For his dedication to the United States Auto Club and the sport of auto racing, both Bob Laycock Jr. and Sr. were awarded the Ross Hadley Achievement Award Presented by the USAC Winners Circle Club. Bob Sr. was the first recipient in 1985 while Bob Jr. was awarded the honor in 1993.
Outside of racing, Bob Laycock Jr. worked in the printing and office supply business and also served on the stat crew for the Indiana Pacers. He was married for 49 years to Sandy and was preceded in death by his brothers Dan and John and his sons Jay and Danny. Bob Jr. is also survived by son Josh, Josh’s wife Michelle, son Rob, daughter Debbie, 11 grandchildren, brother Dave, cousin Barbara Brodbeck and cousin Steve Owen.
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