Bob Akin facts for kids

Robert Macomber "Bob" Akin, III (born March 6, 1936 – died April 29, 2002) was an American business leader and a famous sports car racing driver. He was also a journalist and a TV commentator.

Bob Akin's Life Story

Bob Akin was born in North Tarrytown, New York, on March 6, 1936. He grew up in Sleepy Hollow Manor. He went to Hackley School and later served on its board for 30 years. He was even the president of the board from 1980 to 1990.

Bob studied at Columbia University. He earned a degree in engineering and another in business. After college, he worked for 40 years at Hudson Wire Company in Ossining, New York. His grandfather started this company in 1901. Bob became the president in 1974 and retired in 1995. In 1989, his company was a world leader in making wires for aircraft and aerospace.

Bob's Early Racing Days

Bob Akin started his racing journey in 1957. He first competed in outboard boat racing. Then, he tried drag racing in 1957 and 1958. Drag racing is when two cars race side-by-side over a short, straight distance.

In 1959, he switched to road racing. This is racing on a track with turns, like a normal road. He got his amateur racing license and hired a famous sports car racer, John Fitch, as his coach. Bob learned very quickly! He won his first race in only his third try, driving an Alfa Veloce Spider.

He drove different cars in the early 1960s. But in July 1961, he stopped racing. He wanted to focus on his family's business.

Returning to the Race Track

Bob Akin returned to racing almost by chance in 1973. His friend, Sam Posey, invited him to drive a few laps in a Mercedes-Benz 300SL. This was at a special event for old sports cars at Lime Rock Park.

Within a month, Bob was back to racing seriously. He drove a Lotus 11 in vintage racing events. Vintage racing is when old, classic race cars compete. In 1975, he found his favorite car, a 1959 Cooper-Monaco.

In 1978, he bought a Porsche RSR Carrera. He thought it would be fun to race it in the 12 Hours of Sebring. This is a very long endurance race. He raced a full season that year, even competing at Le Mans with a Porsche 935 Turbo.

Now, Bob was fully back in the driver's seat. He achieved many great things. He won a 6-hour race at Watkins Glen. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring twice, in 1979 and 1986. He finished second twice in the 24 Hours of Daytona, another long endurance race. He raced at Le Mans six times, finishing fourth overall in 1984. He won the IMSA Camel GT series in 1986. He was also a member and former president of the respected Road Racing Drivers Club.

Life After Professional Racing

Bob Akin stopped professional racing in 1991. But he stayed very involved in the sport. He went back to racing his beloved vintage and historic cars. He also wrote articles for Road & Track magazine. You might have heard his voice too! He did commentary for TV channels like Speedvision, TBS, and ESPN.

After retiring from Hudson Wire Company in 1995, Bob spent his time managing Bob Akin Motorsports. This company, now called Hudson Historics, restores and prepares old race cars for competition.

Bob Akin's Final Race

On April 25, 2002, Bob Akin was badly hurt in a crash. He was testing a very powerful 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo car. This was for a historic car race called the Walter Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta.

He had many serious injuries, including a broken neck and burns. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. After a few days, the 66-year-old passed away on April 29, 2002, because of his injuries.

The Bob Akin Memorial Motorsports Award

To remember Bob Akin, the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) created an award in 2003. It's called the Bob Akin Memorial Motorsports Award. A special committee chooses who gets the award each year. This committee includes Brian Redman, Judy Stropus, and Bob's son, Bobby Akin.

The main trophy is a beautiful glass sculpture. It has the names of all the winners and the year they won. You can see it at the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen, New York. Each person who wins also gets their own smaller trophy.

Bobby Rahal, the president of the RRDC, said that the award is for "speed with style." This perfectly describes Bob Akin. He added that Bob loved racing and was a good person. The award is given every year to a race driver who shows the qualities Bob was known for:

• They love motorsports and cars.
• They have been successful in amateur or vintage racing.
• They show great sportsmanship and play fairly.
• They are polite and speak well.
• They have a good sense of humor.
• They have many interests and pay close attention to details.
• They have helped motorsports and their community.
• They are devoted to their family and friends.

Bob Akin Memorial Motorsports Award Winners

• 2003 – Sam Posey
• 2004 – Charlie Gibson
• 2005 – John Fitch
• 2006 – Jim Haynes
• 2007 – Cameron Argetsinger
• 2008 – Jim Downing
• 2009 – Steven J. Earle
• 2010 – Augie Pabst
• 2011 – Don Knowles
• 2012 – Miles Collier
• 2013 – Peter Sachs
• 2014 - Bill Warner
• 2015 - Judy Stropus
• 2016 - Murray Smith
• 2017 - Archie Urciuoli
• 2018 - Jeff Zwart
• 2019 - Rob Dyson
• 2020 - No Award Given
• 2021 - Jeremy Shaw