NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Longtime NHRA Division 4 announcer and Sportsman racer Bob Unkefer passed away on April 11. He was 68.

Unkefer, who grew up in Liberty, Mo., began attending events at Kansas City International Raceway, where he first began racing and announcing. 

His first race cars were street cars, and he even won F/Mini Stock Optional class at the 1972 AHRA Winternationals in a Toyota Corolla station wagon, but he eventually found himself doing more announcing as his family grew and also worked as a field investigator for the American Family Insurance Company.

Unkefer eventually graduated to the NHRA ranks and worked both national and divisional events and also compiled stats for the early NHRA television shows and returned to the wheel to drive in the Stock eliminator class for the heralded Emmons Brothers teams out of Texas and won the 2008 Houston national event, finishing in style with a flurry of .000 reaction times and ran in Stock for another couple of years.

“We will miss seeing and hearing Bob at the races. He was a constant presence at so many of our events,” said Billy Meyer, Texas Motorplex founder and co-owner. “His professionalism, great attitude, and knowledge of racing was such a blessing and brought so much joy to so many events. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as well as the NHRA Drag Racing community, who will miss him.”
 
Unkefer is survived by his wife of 35 years, Michelle, who was his high school sweetheart, son Greg, and daughter Whitney.