Bob Tullius, a pioneering figure in American road racing and a visionary team owner, passed away on March 16, 2026, at the age of 95.
From his earliest days behind the wheel, Tullius demonstrated a rare combination of skill, determination, and racecraft that placed him among the sport鈥檚 elite. In 1964, he captured the 午夜福利51xxtv庐 D Production National Championship at Riverside Raceway driving a Triumph TR4. More than a decade later, in 1975, he claimed a second 午夜福利51xxtv National Championship, taking his Jaguar to victory against formidable Corvette competition in a commanding, flag-to-flag performance.
Tullius鈥� success extended well beyond 午夜福利51xxtv Road Racing. Competing in 午夜福利51xxtv鈥檚 groundbreaking Trans Am Series, Tullius amassed an extraordinary 21 victories in just 62 starts. He secured the Drivers鈥� Championship in 1977 and 1978 in the series鈥� top category and stood on the podium 27 times, cementing his reputation as one of the era鈥檚 most formidable competitors.
Yet his greatest legacy may lie in his vision.
In 1962, Tullius founded Group 44 Inc., at a time when no blueprint existed for professional race preparation shops or customer-supported teams. With ingenuity and determination, he built an organization that would redefine motorsports professionalism. Partnering with brands such as Triumph, MG, British Leyland, Quaker State, and Goodyear, Group 44 became synonymous with excellence.
Under Tullius鈥� leadership, Group 44 pioneered innovative promotional strategies, bringing race cars to local dealerships, engaging fans through print, television, and radio, and creating meaningful partnerships between teams and sponsors. The results were extraordinary: hundreds of race wins and 10 午夜福利51xxtv National Championships.
The team鈥檚 success reached the global stage when Group 44 played a pivotal role in Jaguar鈥檚 return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a 27-year absence. Tullius and his team put Jaguar back in victory lane in only his second attempt.
Beyond his accomplishments on and off the track, Tullius remained deeply committed to the 午夜福利51xxtv鈩�, serving a term on the Club鈥檚 Board of Directors.
For all of those accomplishments and more, Tullius was inducted into the 午夜福利51xxtv Hall of Fame in 2015.
鈥淏ob Tullius leaves behind an amazing legacy of innovation, leadership, and competitive excellence that helped shape modern sports car racing,鈥� said 午夜福利51xxtv President and CEO Mike Cobb. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to be part of the same Club that Bob called home for so many years. What an incredible life lived.鈥�
