Al Unser, Jr.
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This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (April 2009) |
| Alfred Unser, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Unser, Jr. at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in March 2011. |
|
| Nationality | United States |
| Born | April 19, 1962 Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Retired | 2007 |
| Related to | Al Unser (father) Al Unser III (son) Bobby Unser (uncle) Jerry Unser (uncle) Robby Unser (cousin) Johnny Unser (cousin) |
| 2013 IRL IndyCar Series | |
| Debut season | 1982 |
| Former teams |
Forsythe Racing Galles Racing Kelley Racing Patrick Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing A. J. Foyt Enterprises |
| Starts | 329 |
| Wins | 34 |
| Poles | 7 |
| Best finish | 1st in 1990, 1994 |
| Previous series | |
| 1982 1982-1999 |
Can-Am CART Indy Car World Series |
| Championship titles | |
| 1982 1986, 1988 1990, 1994 |
Can-Am Championship International Race of Champions CART Indy Car World Series |
| Awards | |
| 1992, 1994 1994 |
Indianapolis 500 Champion ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year |
Alfred Unser, Jr. (born April 19, 1962), nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.
Contents |
History [edit]
Al Unser, Jr. was born into a racing family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is the son of Al Unser and the nephew of Bobby Unser, both Indianapolis 500 winners themselves.
Early career [edit]
By the age of 11, Al Junior was racing sprint cars. After high school, he was already in the World of Outlaws series of sprint car racing. He soon moved into road racing, winning the Super Vee title in 1981 and the Can-Am title in 1982.
Rising CART star [edit]
In 1982, Unser made his debut on the CART circuit. A year later, he competed in his first Indianapolis 500, finishing tenth. Unser continued racing on the CART circuit, becoming one of the series' rising stars. He finished second in the CART championship point standings in 1985, losing to his father by just one point. He began competing in the IROC championship in 1986, winning that championship with two victories in four races. At the age of 24, Unser was the youngest IROC champion ever. Unser won the 1988 and 1986 IROC championships. Unser won the 24 Hours of Daytona, also at age 24 for the first time in 1986 and again in 1987.
Unser Jr. continued to improve on the CART circuit, finishing fourth in the points standings in 1986, third in 1987, second in 1988 and finally winning the series for the first time in 1990. In 1989, Unser Jr. was on the verge of winning his first Indianapolis 500, but while battling with Emerson Fittipaldi for the lead, the two touched wheels and Unser spun out, hitting the wall and ending his chances. This race is remembered for a remarkable show of sportsmanship, as Little Al climbed out of his wrecked racecar and gave Fittipaldi the "thumbs up" as he drove by Unser Jr. under caution. Unser would have his day at Indy in 1992, however, defeating Scott Goodyear by 0.043 of a second, the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history. During the off-season he drove in the 1993 Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsports finishing 36th in what would be his only NASCAR start. He ran well in the race, running with the lead pack all day, until a late race crash with Kyle Petty and Bobby Hillin Jr. During an intreview with Mike Joy after the accident, Joy asked him if he would be back. Unser Jr. said that he wanted to come back, but it would never happen. Unser, Jr. also tested a Williams F1 car but never competed in the series.
Penske years [edit]
In 1994, Unser again won at Indy, this time with Penske Racing. His teammates were Emerson Fittipaldi, the man whom he battled with five years before, and Paul Tracy. Unser Jr. turned in a dominant season-long performance, winning eight of 16 races on his way to his second CART championship, as well as being named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year that year. In 1995 Unser, along with teammate Emerson Fittipaldi, failed to qualify at Indianapolis, and he would later point to this as the trigger event for his descent into alcoholism and the breakup of his marriage. He would finish second to Jacques Villeneuve in CART championship points in 1995, but after finishing fourth in 1996, 13th in 1997, 11th in 1998 and 21st in 1999, (not helped by the fact that he had to sit out two races after breaking his leg in the season-opener at Miami in a first-lap accident with Japanese driver Naoki Hattori). Little Al's decline in performance coincided with the Penske team's struggles with the Penske chassis and his teammates suffered similar results during this time. Team Penske finally abandoned the maligned in-house Penske chassis for customer Reynard chassis mid-season 1998. Unser Jr. would eventually leave CART to join the budding Indy Racing League for the 2000 campaign. Unser Jr. won a total of 31 races during his 17 seasons in CART. His career win total including IRL stands at 34, which is currently the sixth-most all time in American open wheel racing (as of 2013). As a two-time Indy 500 and two-time overall points champion, Unser Jr. enjoyed a decorated career as one of the most dynamic and successful drivers in American auto racing.
Indy Racing League [edit]
He won his first IRL race that same season at Las Vegas. Unser would go on to win a total of three races in his IRL career, but after breaking his pelvis in an all-terrain vehicle accident in October 2003, Unser had difficulty securing a ride for the 2004 season. He finally signed with Patrick Racing three races into the season, but after a 22nd-place finish in Richmond, Al Unser, Jr. finally announced his retirement from racing on June 30, 2004. Unser continued to remain involved in racing, however, outside of a driving capacity. He served as an adviser for Patrick Racing and worked as a mentor for his son, Alfred Unser, who is currently working his way through the lower ranks in open-wheel racing.
Post-retirement racing and personal issues [edit]
In 2006 Unser announced that he would come back to racing again and he would run the 2006 Indianapolis 500, teamed with fellow former winner Buddy Lazier for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. This came just days after Michael Andretti also came out of retirement to run the 500. Unser qualified 27th in the 33-car field, and consistently ran in the upper half until a crash ended his day.
In late August, Unser took part in an A1 Grand Prix test session at Silverstone.
On 25 January 2007, Unser was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, misdemeanor hit and run, failure to render aid in an accident and failure to report an accident near Henderson, Nevada, USA.
On 2 May 2007, it was announced that Unser would drive a car for racing legend A. J. Foyt in the 2007 Indianapolis 500, carrying the No. 50 on his car in recognition of A.J.'s 50 years at the storied race. Unser qualified in the 25th starting position after being bumped from the lineup on the second day of qualifying.
On 18 May 2007, Unser spoke publicly for the first time about his battle with alcoholism when he joined forces with LIVE outside the Bottle,[1] a national educational campaign to help the public understand the need for addressing and treating alcoholism.
During the race weekend of the 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Little Al confirmed that his IndyCar career was in fact over.[2] During the weekend, he went out on top, winning the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race; his second in the event and his eighth Long Beach victory overall.
In 2010, Unser started the Race Clinic for Paralysis charity.
Unser is on the board of Baltimore Racing Development and helped announce plans for the 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix on Monday, August 17, 2009.[3]
Unser was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.[4]
On September 29, 2011 Unser was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico on charges of reckless driving and aggravated driving while intoxicated. Charges stemmed from an incident where Unser reportedly drag raced his Chevrolet Suburban SUV at speeds of over 100 mph. He was placed on indefinite suspension from his role with IndyCar.[5]
Career results [edit]
American Open Wheel racing results [edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
PPG Indycar Series [edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
IndyCar Series [edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Galles Racing | WDW 25 |
PHX 9 |
LVS 1 |
INDY 29 |
TXS 3 |
PPIR 10 |
ATL 3 |
KTY 27 |
TXS 17 |
9th | 188 | ||||||||
| 2001 | Galles Racing | PHX 23 |
HMS 6 |
ATL 17 |
INDY 30 |
TXS 8 |
PPIR 11 |
RIR 3 |
KAN 20 |
NSH 14 |
KTY 4 |
GAT 1 |
CHI 8 |
TXS 6 |
7th | 289 | ||||
| 2002 | Kelley Racing | HMS 19 |
PHX 5 |
FON 11 |
NAZ 12 |
INDY 12 |
TXS 2 |
PPIR 6 |
RIR 5 |
KAN 17 |
NSH | MCH | KTY 6 |
GAT 7 |
CHI 2 |
TXS 20 |
7th | 311 | ||
| 2003 | Kelley Racing | HMS 13 |
PHX 4 |
MOT 5 |
INDY 9 |
TXS 1 |
PPIR 14 |
RIR 10 |
KAN 14 |
NSH 8 |
MCH 9 |
GAT 20 |
KTY 4 |
NAZ 6 |
CHI 19 |
FON 9 |
TXS 9 |
6th | 374 | |
| 2004 | Patrick Racing | HMS | PHX | MOT | INDY 17 |
TXS 11 |
RIR 21 |
KAN | NSH | MIL | MCH | KTY | PPIR | NAZ | CHI | FON | TXS | 25th | 44 | |
| 2006 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | HMS | STP | MOT | INDY 24 |
WGL | TXS | RIR | KAN | NSH | MIL | MCH | KTY | SNM | CHI | 35th | 12 | |||
| 2007 | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | HMS | STP | MOT | KAN | INDY 26 |
MIL | TXS | IOW | RIR | WGL | NSH | MDO | MCH | KTY | SNM | DET | CHI | 32nd | 10 |
CART career results [edit]
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Forsythe Racing | 0 | 30 | 21st |
| 1983 | Galles Racing | 0 | 89 (new system) | 7th |
| 1984 | Galles Racing | 1 | 103 | 6th |
| 1985 | Shierson Racing | 2 | 150 | 2nd |
| 1986 | Shierson Racing | 1 | 137 | 4th |
| 1987 | Shierson Racing | 0 | 107 | 3rd |
| 1988 | Galles Racing | 4 | 149 | 2nd |
| 1989 | Galles Racing | 1 | 136 | 5th |
| 1990 | Galles/Kraco Racing | 6 | 210 | 1st |
| 1991 | Galles/Kraco Racing | 2 | 197 | 3rd |
| 1992 | Galles/Kraco Racing | 1 | 169 | 3rd |
| 1993 | Galles Racing | 1 | 100 | 7th |
| 1994 | Marlboro Team Penske | 8 | 225 | 1st |
| 1995 | Marlboro Team Penske | 4 | 161 | 2nd |
| 1996 | Marlboro Team Penske | 0 | 125 | 4th |
| 1997 | Marlboro Team Penske | 0 | 67 | 13th |
| 1998 | Marlboro Team Penske | 0 | 72 | 11th |
| 1999 | Marlboro Team Penske | 0 | 26 | 21st |
2 championships, 31 victories
Indy Racing League results [edit]
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Galles Racing | 1 | 188 | 9th |
| 2001 | Galles Racing | 1 | 287 | 7th |
| 2002 | Kelley Racing | 0 | 311 | 7th |
| 2003 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 374 | 6th |
| 2004 | Patrick Racing | 0 | 44 | 24th |
| 2006 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | 0 | 12 | 35th |
| 2007 | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | 0 | 10 | 32nd |
3 victories, best series finish: 6th
Indianapolis 500 results [edit]
Video games [edit]
- Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing, a 1990 NES game featuring Unser.
- Al Unser Jr.'s Road to the Top, a 1994 SNES game.
- Al Unser Jr. Arcade Racing, a 1995 computer game featuring Unser.[1]
References [edit]
- ^ LiveOutsideTheBottle.com, Retrieved 2011-09-29
- ^ Cain, Holly. Al Unser Jr. ‘Done’, Speed, April 15, 2009, Retrieved 2009-09-29
- ^ Moore, Stan. Al Unser Jr. to help announce Baltimore Grand Prix plans, Inside Charm City, August 13, 2009, Retrieved 2011-09-29
- ^ "The Class of 2009". AutoWeek (Detroit, Michigan: Crain Communications) 59 (17): 62. August 24, 2009. ISSN 0192-9674.
- ^ Contreras, Russell. Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. arrested for DWI, Associated Press, September 29, 2011, Retrieved 2011-09-29
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Al Unser, Jr. |
- Unser Profile on Official A1 TEAM USA Site
- DUI
- LIVE Outside The Bottle Official Site
- The Greatest 33
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rick Mears |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 1992 |
Succeeded by Emerson Fittipaldi |
| Preceded by Emerson Fittipaldi |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 1994 |
Succeeded by Jacques Villeneuve |
| Preceded by Emerson Fittipaldi |
CART Series Champion 1990 |
Succeeded by Michael Andretti |
| Preceded by Nigel Mansell |
CART Series Champion 1994 |
Succeeded by Jacques Villeneuve |
| Preceded by Harry Gant |
International Race of Champions Champion IROC X (1986) |
Succeeded by Geoff Bodine |
| Preceded by Geoff Bodine |
International Race of Champions Champion IROC XII (1988) |
Succeeded by Terry Labonte |
| Preceded by Geoff Brabham |
Can-Am Champion 1982 |
Succeeded by Jacques Villeneuve |
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- 1962 births
- American people of Swiss-German descent
- 24 Hours of Daytona drivers
- American Speed Association drivers
- Atlantic Championship drivers
- Champ Car drivers
- Indianapolis 500 drivers
- Indianapolis 500 polesitters
- Indianapolis 500 winners
- IndyCar Series drivers
- International Race of Champions drivers
- Living people
- NASCAR drivers
- Sportspeople from Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Racing drivers from New Mexico
- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductees
