Lloyd Ruby, one of the best -- and most star-crossed -- Indy 500 auto racers in history, died Monday in Wichita Falls, Tex., where he lived all his life, according to The New York Times. He was 81.

Ruby was a standout in long-distance racing as well as on oval tracks. In 1966, he was a winning co-driver, with Ken Miles of England, of the 12-hour race in Sebring, Fla., and the 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway in Florida -- two of the world's most prestigious sports-car races.

But he might have been best known for a race he never won. Ruby competed in 18 consecutive Indianapolis 500 races from 1960 to 1977, often coming oh so close to the big win.