Al Unser

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Lore & Background

Al Unser was born into racing royalty in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the youngest of four sons of Mary Catherine (Craven) and Jerome Henry "Jerry" Unser. His father and two uncles, Louis and Joe, were also drivers. Unser began racing in 1957, at the age of eighteen, initially competing primarily in modified roadsters, sprint cars and midgets. His breakout year in IndyCar was in 1970 when he joined Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, where he would drive for the next seven years. Unser won the Indianapolis 500 in 1970, two years after his brother, Bobby. During the race, he led for all but ten of the 200 laps and averaged 155.749 miles per hour (250.654 km/h). That season, he won a record ten times on oval, road and dirt tracks to capture the United States Auto Club national championship. In 1971, with Vel's Parnelli Jones, he won the Indianapolis 500 again, starting from the fifth position with an average speed of 157.735 miles per hour (253.850 km/h), and holding off Peter Revson's McLaren for the victory. Unser's bid to become the first three-time consecutive Indy 500 champion was thwarted when he finished second to Mark Donohue in the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

In Their Own Story

In 1987, Penske's slate of drivers included Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, and Danny Ongais. Unser was dropped from the team, and entered the month of May without a ride. During the first week of practice, Al Sr. spent much of the week shopping for a ride, and a few offers were made by owners. Unser, however, refused the offers, as he insisted on landing a ride in a competitive, well-funded car only. Danny Ongais crashed into the wall during the first week of practice, suffering a serious concussion, and was declared unfit to drive. Meanwhile, the Penske team's new Penske PC-16 chassis had been uncompetitive during practice. By the end of the first week of practice, Penske parked the PC-16s and elected to qualify back-up cars for the race. Midway through the second week of practice, Roger Penske consummated a deal with Unser to drive the third car. Penske promised Unser a well-funded effort, and a brand new Cosworth engine, the same chassis/engine combination that had won the previous four Indy 500s. The year-old March was removed from a Penske Racing display at a Sheraton hotel in the team's hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania, and hurriedly prepared for a return to active competition. Unser easily put the car in the field on the third day of time trials. At the start, Unser was in the twentieth position. On a day when heavy attrition felled most of the field's front-runners, including the overwhelmingly dominant Newman-Haas entry of Mario Andretti, Unser worked his way steadily forward and took the lead on the 183rd lap, after Roberto Guerrero's car stalled on his final pit stop. Averaging 162.175 mph (260.995 km/h), Unser bested a charging field to win his fourth Indianapolis 500.

Reader's Guide

Al Unser's era spanned from 1957 through the early 1990s. His playing style was deceptively simple: smooth, patient, and relentless. He rarely made mistakes, preferring to let the race come to him rather than force the issue—a philosophy that earned him the nickname 'Big Al' and made him a master of endurance events like the Indianapolis 500. His greatest achievements include four Indianapolis 500 victories (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987), making him one of only four men (A. J. Foyt, himself, Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves) to have won the race four times. He also won the National Championship in 1970, 1983, and 1985. Unser's 1987 Indy 500 win was particularly remarkable—he drove a backup car after his primary entry failed to qualify, starting 20th and winning at age 47. Outside of his open-wheel career, Unser was a semi-regular competitor in IROC, winning three races and the 1977-1978 championship. He also started five races in NASCAR, with best finishes of fourth at the 1968 Daytona 500 and the 1969 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway.

Did You Know?

• In 1971, Unser became the only driver to date to win the Indianapolis 500 on his birthday (his 32nd).
• Unser was the only person to have both a sibling (Bobby) and child (Al Jr.) as fellow Indy 500 winners.
• Unser's 1970 Indy 500 victory saw him lead all but ten of the 200 laps, averaging 155.749 mph.
• For his 1987 Indy 500 win, Unser drove a year-old March chassis that was removed from a Sheraton hotel display in Reading, Pennsylvania.
• Unser won the 1977-1978 IROC championship, winning three races in the series.