INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Four-time Indianapolis 500 starter Lee Kunzman has died, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Sunday.

Kunzman, who passed away on Feb. 27, was 80 years old.

He overcame serious injuries during his racing career to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 1972, 1973, 1977, and 1979. His best finish was seventh, in 1973 and 1977, and his best start was 11th in 1979.

While he never won an IndyCar Series race, Kunzman’s career-best finish came in 1979 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, when he finished second after a late-race battle with winner Johnny Rutherford.

After hanging up his helmet, Kunzman was team manager for Hemelgarn Racing, which won the Indy 500 in 1996 and the IndyCar Series Championship in 2000 with driver Buddy Lazier. The Hemelgarn team also finished second at Indianapolis in 1998 and 2008, with Lazier behind the wheel.

Kunzman’s greatest success as a driver came in United States Auto Club competition. He earned 30 career USAC national feature victories — 16 in Midget and 14 in Sprint Car. He was also the Little 500 Rookie of the Year at Anderson Speedway. Kunzman inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.