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Robert Pronger (January 22, 1922 – June 17, 1971) was an American stock car owner, driver and Chicago Outfit associate from Blue Island, Illinois. He competed in nine NASCAR Cup Series and 14 NASCAR Convertible Division events in his career.

Background

Born and raised in Blue Island, Illinois, Pronger would first become exposed to automobile racing through the city's local short track at the time, Raceway Park, in 1948. Pronger began entering stock car races at the track the following year.

Racing career

Starting in 1949, Pronger began his racing career at Raceway Park, where he would amass 148 race wins and two track championships from 1949 to 1971. His success on the local scene allowed him the opportunity to race on the national level, and would make his first NASCAR Cup Series appearance in the 1951 Southern 500. Notably, Pronger competed in the inaugural 1959 Daytona 500 as one of his few starts in the division. In addition to the Cup Series, Pronger also raced in the NASCAR Convertible Division for three years, achieving two top-five finishes across 14 race starts. Outside of NASCAR, Pronger also competed in the Midwest Association for Race Cars, a precursor to ARCA, and in the USAC Stock Car Series.

Criminal career

In concurrence with his racing career, Pronger also conducted an extensive criminal career alongside his brother, John Pronger. He was convicted twice on federal charges relating to stealing cars in Chicago that would then be resold across state lines in Indiana, first coming to the attention of the Chicago Police Department when arrested for attempting to steal the car of local singer Art Kassel. He would also become involved in automobile chop shop schemes with the Chicago Outfit in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana regions, which would net Pronger earnings of $125,000 a year.

Disappearance and Death

On June 17, 1971, Pronger was last seen alive eating breakfast at the Rainbow Restaurant in Calumet Park, driving a black Cadillac. He was reported missing by his family shortly after, on June 22. Weeks after, a body, believed to be Pronger's, was found under a mattress near Griffith, Indiana. This came after Pronger had reported to police that someone had attempted to murder him in his apartment the previous month, and that shots had been fired at him on his way to Raceway Park on two separate occasions. A government informant later reported to a United States Senate subcommittee that he was murdered at the hands of William Dauber and Steve Ostrowsky.

References

1. "Driver". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
2. ^ "Bob Pronger Biography". www.kalracing.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
3. "Bob Pronger | Racing career profile | Driver Database". www.driverdb.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
4. "Driver Season Stats". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
5. "Chicago Guys and the 1959 Daytona 500". www.kalracing.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
6. "Misc Stats". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
7. "Bob Pronger – The Third Turn". thethirdturn.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
8. ^ "CAR-THEFT FIGURE SLAIN AT HIS HOME". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
9. ^ Dougherty, Jack (March 22, 2021). "The Curious Case of Bob Pronger: The Criminal NASCAR Driver Who Mysteriously Disappeared and Was Never Seen Again". Sportscasting | Pure Sports. Retrieved April 19, 2023.

• 1922 births
• 1971 deaths