AL UNSER SENIOR, 82, DIES

 Picture:    Tuesday, July 20, 2021.     The four time winners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, from left  A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977),  Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and Helio Castroneves, (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021).

By Dennis Newlyn

FOUR TIMES Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Senior, one of only four drivers to win the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” four times, has died aged 82.

Al Unser Senior, whose earlier years before his Indy 500 successes were devoted to running with the United States Auto Club Sprintcar and Midget divisions, died Thursday (US time) at his home in Chama, New Mexico, with his wife, Susan, by his side, according to a statement (Friday) from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In 1971 when he successfully defended the 1970 Indy 500 trophy, he became the first consecutive year Indianapolis 500 winner since the late Billy Vukovich Senior won again in 1954 following his 1953 success. Al Senior’s  other Indy 500 wins were recorded in 1978 and 1987.

Unser is the third member of one of America’s most famed racing families to die in 2021. His oldest brother, three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser, died in May, and Bobby Unser Junior  passed six weeks after his father.

Known as “Big Al” once his own son made a name for himself in racing, Unser is a part of an elite club with his four Indianapolis 500 victories. He is also the only driver in history to have both a sibling (and a child) also win one of the biggest races in the world in the Indianapolis 500.

Al Senior’s final victory at age 47 made him the oldest winner in Indy 500 history. Unser won three Indy car National Championships over his career and raced to 39 victories overall. He led 644 total laps at Indianapolis.

In 1965 he passed his rookie driver test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Arciero Brothers Maserati powered rear engine car in the wake of the Offy and Ford more accepted mode of powerplant choice for Indianapolis at that time.

He later switched to the Sheraton-Thompson Lola for the second weekend of qualifications and entered the starting line-up with a four-lap speed of 154.440 MPH in his rookie 1965 Indy year.

Al was also a member of the Champion Spark Plug Highway Safety Programme of the Indy 500 era back in the day.

The Unser family lost a brother at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Jerry was killed in a 1959 fiery crash early May before qualifications.

The Unsers out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, are also remembered for their endeavours at Colorado’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb that saw both Al and Bobby compete.

Al started driving at Pikes Peak in 1960 when he finished second to his brother Bobby. He was again placed runner-up to Bobby in 1962 while in 1964 Al broke the hill climb record and also interrupted Bobby’s long string of victories at ‘the peak.’

Al Senior contested his first USAC Championship Car (big car) race in 1964 at Milwaukee (Milwaukee 200).