Jeanetta Holder made this quilt in 1981 to mark Bobby Unser’s three wins at the Indianapolis 500 in 1968, 1975, and 1981. The balloons in the center of the quilt suggest the thousands of balloons released before the Indianapolis 500 race. Quilted below the balloons are heart designs, Jeanetta’s personal logo that appears on all her quilts. The racecars appliquéd on the squares reflect classic racecar design of the 1930s. The alternating squares include the Norton company logo, Bobby Unser’s sponsor that year. Jeanetta embroidered the signatures of people involved in racing that Bobby Unser knew personally.

Bobby Unser donated this treasured quilt to The Henry Ford in 2009 – after asking Jeanetta Holder to make him a replacement. ID.THF80400, THF80402, THF80407