Rick Mears' career turned around with 1979 victory

The 52-year-old was named 1980s Driver of the Decade.
By MICHAEL MAROT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS -- Every time Rick Mears climbs out of bed, he feels the aches and pains from a lifetime of racing. The scars are a stark reminder of the hard hits, crazy crashes and injuries.
The trophy case tells another tale.
Mears' six Indianapolis 500 poles remain a record, he's tied with A.J. Foyt and Al Unser for most Indy wins, and he was chosen as the 1980s Driver of the Decade.
Until his first victory at Indy in 1979, Mears was just another driver.
"It was only my second time here," he recalled. "When I won, it was like people were saying, 'Rick who?' "
Won 29 times
During the next 13 years, Mears established himself as the principal force on Roger Penske's team, winning 29 races and 40 poles. Until Helio Castroneves won at Indianapolis in 2001 and 2002, Mears was the only multi-time Indy winner who ever drove for Penske.
Today, Mears is 52, and fans still clamor for his autograph and photos.
The legion of followers frequently gathers around Penske's garage or along pit road hoping to collect a signature from the Hall of Famer who earned more than $11 million and the nickname "Rocket Rick."
Younger drivers also respect his advice. Mears has served as a team adviser and driving coach for Team Penske since his retirement in 1992 and, like Unser, has helped teach young drivers in the Indy Racing League's developmental series.
"You know he's won four times, so you've got to listen to him," said Castroneves, last year's pole-sitter at Indy. "You either listen or you try to learn the hardest way."
The hardest task for Mears was earning respect.
Unlike Unser and others, who had driven sprint cars and midgets, Mears grew up racing motorcycles before trading his "bike" for a dune buggy. He quickly became one of the top off-road drivers in the Southwest and in 1976 started racing Indy cars for team owner Bill Simpson.
Got big break
The next year, Mears got his big break when Mario Andretti left Penske's team late in the season to pursue the Formula One championship.
"I liked his hand-eye coordination and his ability to field a race car under all conditions," Penske said. "He was very easy on a car. That was a huge benefit in knowing when to go and when not to go."
Penske hired him full time in 1978, and Mears responded with a front-row qualifying run at Indianapolis and victories at Milwaukee, Atlanta and Brands Hatch, England.
"We knew he was something special even though he didn't come from the same background as the rest of us," said Johnny Rutherford, a three-time Indy winner.
At Indianapolis, Mears ended Tom Sneva's two-year reign on the pole by outdueling his 1978 teammate with a four-lap average of 193.736 mph.
On race day, Mears followed his motto: Keep it clean and stay near the front. At one point, Wally Dallenbach raced out of the pits ahead of Mears. When Dallenbach's wheel fell off, Mears narrowly avoided disaster.
Then, engaged in a duel with teammate Bobby Unser, a three-time Indy winner, Mears was preparing for a shootout. It ended when Unser lost a gear with about 20 laps left and Mears cruised to a lopsided second victory that put him in the spotlight.
"I tried not to let it change me as a person, but it changed my lifestyle," he said.
Legacy still strong
Twelve years after his last Indy start, Mears' legacy remains strong.
He holds records for the most Indy wins from the pole (three), most front-row starts (11) and most consecutive front-row starts (six). He became the first driver to win three PPG Cup championships and ranks seventh in career wins and fourth in career poles.
Penske and Rutherford call Mears the greatest Indy qualifier ever, and Al Unser, a former teammate, refers to him as one of racing's good guys.
"He was probably one of the best teammates I ever had because he did no hiding or conniving on you," Al Unser said. "He didn't pull any shenanigans, he told you the truth. Rick's theory was that as long as he could outrun anyone else, he'd go head-to-head with his teammates."
Burned in pit
Mears went on to win Indy in 1984, 1988 and 1991, and while he was one of the best to ever drive the 21/2-mile oval, Indianapolis also taught him about the pitfalls. In 1981, Mears finished 30th after he and six crew members were burned in a pit fire.
He missed the next race, still recovering from facial burns, but went on to win the PPG Cup title.
A quarter-century after his first win, Mears is still feeling the effects.
"Those first 10 steps in the morning feel like 25 years," he said. But, he added, "time flies when you're having fun."