Boost! Roger Bailey’s Extraordinary Motor Racing Career

by Gordon Kirby

Perhaps nobody in the history of automobile racing enjoyed a career of wider reach and diversity than Roger Bailey. Over the course of 52 years (1959–2012) Bailey competed as a mechanic, engine builder, crew chief, sanctioning body technical inspector and finally, co-founder and administrator of the Indy Lights series. Bailey’s career came to its culmination in 1986 when he co-founded the American Racing Series with Pat Patrick. In 1991, the ARS became the Indy Lights series with Bailey at the helm of the category through its heydays until his retirement in 2012.

Boost! details Bailey’s life and career, documenting the many skills that made him so successful. “Roger was such a great guy,” Roger Penske declares. “He worked with us in the Can-Am in 1967 and you could see that his passion for racing was as strong as anyone’s. He brought a lot of good ideas to us and was one of the hardest workers we ever had in our organization.

“You could see that when he took over running the Indy Lights series. He had a broad skill set and people genuinely appreciated him as their leader. If you can lead people the way Roger has over the years, you build great momentum and in that way he was among the very best.”

Hardbound | 208 pages