His owner was dying. Days mattered. Bobby Rahal's dramatic, bittersweet 1986 Indy 500 victory
Rahal's owner Jim Trueman had days to live as he watched Rahal's dramatic 1986 Indy 500 win in record speed after a six-day race delay due to rain.
INDIANAPOLIS — Bobby Rahal's lower chin still quivers just like it did May 31, 1986, after winning the Indianapolis 500 in record speed, when reporters asked him about his dying owner, Jim Trueman, who had cheered Rahal on from the pits, a skeleton of the man he once had been. Trueman was 51, and he was battling terminal colon cancer. His frail appearance was shocking to viewers watching the first live, televised broadcast of the legendary race on ABC.
As Rahal tried not to cry talking about his mentor, he simply said: "I’m almost in tears. This one is for Jim Trueman. If there’s one thing I can give Jim Trueman, it’s this.
" As Rahal went on to explain his victory, how "if it hadn't been for that yellow, I would have been struggling," he turned his head and saw Trueman coming toward him. "And here he is. Here's the moment everyone's been waiting for," the ABC reporter said as Rahal and Trueman embraced.
"Couldn't of been better," an emotional Trueman said to Rahal, who told his owner, "This is yours. " As the cameras cut away from victory circle, an announcer said in a somber voice: "Very great possibility exists that Jim Trueman won't be here next year. It's great to see him standing there.
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