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Al Unser Jr.

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Al Unser Jr.
Unser Jr. in 2011
BornAlfred Unser Jr.
(1962-04-19) April 19, 1962 (age 62)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Championship titles
SCCA/CASC Can-Am (1982)
CART Championship Car (1990, 1994)
Major victories
Pikes Peak Hill Climb (1983)
24 Hours of Daytona (1986, 1987)
Long Beach Grand Prix (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995)
Michigan 500 (1990)
Indianapolis 500 (1992, 1994)
Champ Car career
273 races run over 19 years
Best finish1st (1990, 1994)
First race1982 AirCal 500 (Riverside)
Last race1999 Marlboro 500 (Fontana)
First win1984 G.I. Joe's 200 (Portland)
Last win1995 Molson Indy Vancouver (Vancouver)
Wins Podiums Poles
31 80 7
IndyCar Series career
56 races run over 7 years
Best finish6th (2003)
First race2000 Delphi Indy 200 (Orlando)
Last race2007 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win2000 Vegas Indy 300 (Las Vegas)
Last win2003 Bombardier 500 (Texas)
Wins Podiums Poles
3 8 0
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish81st (1993)
First race1993 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Alfred Unser Jr. (born April 19, 1962) – nicknamed "Little Al" to distinguish him from his father, Al Unser – is an American retired racing driver. Known primarily for his Championship car career, Unser won two CART championships, and is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Early in his career, Unser found success in the Can-Am series, winning the championship in 1982. He joined his great uncle, uncle, and father, as a winner of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, doing so in 1983. He is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. He has the most Long Beach Grand Prix victories in history, winning six times.

History

[edit]

Unser 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. The Unser family has won the Indy 500 a record nine times.

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. He suffered personal tragedy when his sister Debbie was killed in a dune buggy accident, but this did not deter Unser; and a year later, he competed in his first Indianapolis 500, finishing 9th. Hours after the race ended, Unser Jr. was issued a 2-lap penalty by chief steward Thomas W. Binford for passing 2 cars under caution with less than 40 laps to go as well as blocking eventual winner Tom Sneva from passing his father with less than 20 laps to go. The penalty dropped him from an original finish of 9th to 10th. Despite being lauded for his performance as a rookie, Unser Jr. narrowly lost the rookie of the year award to Teo Fabi.

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 1986 and 1988 IROC championships, the final Indycar driver to win an IROC championship. Unser won the 24 Hours of Daytona, also at age 24 for the first time in 1986 and again in 1987.

Unser 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 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, 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 under caution. Unser would have his day at Indy in 1992, however, defeating Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history.

During the off-season he drove in the 1993 Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsports finishing 36th in 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 interview with Mike Joy after the accident, Joy asked him if he would be back. Unser said that he wanted to come back, but it would never happen. Unser also tested a Williams F1 car but never competed in the series.

Penske years

[edit]
Penske PC-23 driven by Unser in 1994

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 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. He finished fourth in 1996, despite having a chance of winning the championship until the end of the season.

Unser ranked 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. Little Al's decline in performance coincided with the Penske team's struggles with their in-house chassis, Mercedes engines and Goodyear tires, which were being abandoned by most teams during this era in favor of Firestones. His teammates suffered similarly disappointing results during this time.

Team Penske began abandoning the maligned in-house Penske chassis for customer Lola chassis during the 1999 season. By the end of 1999, Unser and Penske parted ways and, combined with the death of Gonzalo Rodríguez, Penske replaced Unser and Rodriguez with Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran. Unser would leave CART to join the budding Indy Racing League for the 2000 campaign.

Unser 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 enjoyed a decorated career as one of the most dynamic and successful drivers in American auto racing.(9)

Indy Racing League

[edit]

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, Unser 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, Al Richard Unser, who was working his way through the lower ranks of open-wheel racing at the time.

Post-retirement racing and personal issues

[edit]
Unser practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500
Unser before the 2007 Indianapolis 500

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.

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 to address and treat alcoholism.

During the race weekend of the 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Unser confirmed that his IndyCar career was in fact over.[2] During the weekend, he returned to the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race that he won in 1985, and scored his second win 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 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 over 100 mph (160 km/h). He was placed on indefinite suspension from his role with IndyCar.[5]

In 2013, Unser entered a sportscar race at Thunderhill Raceway Park, the legendary 25 Hours of Thunderhill, racing with his son Al III as teammates. Unser dominated the race, but co-driver Ivan Bellarosa crashed the car out.

In 2014, once again at Long Beach, he participated in the Pro/Celebrity race, finishing fifth, 6.115 seconds behind winner Brett Davern and four other celebrities, winning the Pro Division (with a 30-second disadvantage assessed to professionals) for his ninth Long Beach victory overall, extending the "King of the Beach" nickname. Later that year, Unser raced again at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, participating in the Indy Legends Charity Pro/Am race, during the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association's Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational event. This two-driver race included an Indianapolis 500 veteran in each car. Unser won the race, along with Peter Klutt, driving Klutt's 1969 Chevrolet Corvette. In so doing, Unser became the second driver to win on both the oval and road course at the Speedway.

In 2015, Unser participated in several Goodguys AutoCross competitions while racing Speedway Motors' 1970 Camaro.[6] He also raced in the Sports Car Club of America Solo National Championship, placing second in his class, and is entered again at Thunderhill for the 25 Hours. Because of his age (over 50), Unser is eligible to drop down a level from professional class to an "amateur" class (Silver level) under the FIA driver rankings used for sportscar races, although the National Auto Sport Association does not use such ratings.

On May 20, 2019, just days before the 2019 Indianapolis 500, Unser Jr. was charged for DUI for a fourth time.[7]

On October 1, 2021, Unser's memoir entitled Al Unser Jr: A Checkered Past, co-authored by Jade Gurss, was published by Octane Press.

Personal life

[edit]
Unser Jr. (far left) with wife Shelley visiting United States president Ronald Reagan in 1986 along with father Al Unser, step-mother Karen Unser, uncle Bobby Unser, and aunt Marsha Unser

Unser married Shelley; the couple later divorced.[8] He has four children, Al Richard Unser, Cody Unser, Shannon Unser, and Joe Unser.[9] Cody lost the use of her legs on February 5, 1999, when she was 12 years old.[9] She, along with her mother Shelley, founded the Cody Unser First Step Foundation at age 13 and she wrote about the cause on U.S. News & World Report.[10] Shelley Unser died on August 15, 2018. On September 30, 2021, Unser Jr. married Norma Lawrence.[11]

Motorsports career results

[edit]

Sports car results

[edit]

SCCA Can-Am

[edit]
SCCA Can-Am results
Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rank Points
1982 Galles Racing Frissbee GR2 Chevy V8 ATL
1
MOS
1
MDO
2
ROA
Ret
CTR
Ret
MOS
1
CPL
2
RIV
2
LAG
1
1st 540
Source:[12]

American open-wheel racing results

[edit]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Formula Super Vee

[edit]
Formula Super Vee results
Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rank Points
1981 Galles Racing Ralt RT5/81 VW Brabham CLT
1
MIL
1
WGl
3
ROA
2
BRN
1
MIL
1
MCH
3
RIV
Ret
PHX
2
1st 98

PPG Indycar Series

[edit]
CART results
Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Rank Points Ref
1982 Forsythe Racing March 82C Cosworth DFX V8t PHX
ATL
MIL
CLE
MCH
MIL
POC
RIV
5
ROA
MCH
PHX
21st 30 [16]
1983 Galles Racing Eagle 83 Cosworth DFX V8t ATL
6
INDY
10
CLE
9
MCH
7
ROA
2
RIV
4
MDO
18
MCH
10
CPL
10
LAG
4
PHX
8
7th 89 [17]
March 83C MIL
13
POC
2
1984 Galles Racing March 84C Cosworth DFX V8t LBH
17
PHX
25
INDY
21
MIL
3
POR
1
MEA
4
CLE
24
MCH
26
ROA
13
POC
21
MDO
19
SAN
6
MCH
6
PHX
2
LAG
4
CPL
4
6th 103 [18]
1985 Shierson Racing Lola T900 Cosworth DFX V8t LBH
9
INDY
25
MIL
24
POR
2
MEA
1
CLE
1
MCH
15
ROA
17
POC
2
MDO
4
SAN
3
MCH
23
LAG
3
PHX
2
MIA
3
2nd 150 [19]
1986 Shierson Racing Lola T86/00 Cosworth DFX V8t PHX
12
LBH
2
INDY
5
MIL
8
POR
3
MEA
9
CLE
8
TOR
4
MCH
8
POC
6
MDO
5
SAN
2
MCH
21
ROA
11
LAG
23
PHX
6
MIA
1
4th 137 [20]
1987 Shierson Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX V8t LBH
2
PHX
14
INDY
4
MIL
5
POR
20
MEA
8
CLE
3
TOR
20
MCH
18
POC
23
ROA
3
MDO
23
NAZ
6
LAG
4
MIA
2
3rd 107 [21]
1988 Galles Racing March 88C Chevrolet 265A V8t PHX
18
LBH
1
INDY
13
MIL
20
POR
4
CLE
4
TOR
1
MEA
1
MCH
21
POC
2
MDO
4
ROA
7
NAZ
19
LAG
6
MIA
1
2nd 149 [22]
1989 Galles Racing Lola T89/00 Chevrolet 265A V8t PHX
2
LBH
1
INDY
2
MIL
8
DET
21
POR
10
CLE
7
MEA
5
TOR
20
MCH
4
POC
9
MDO
2
ROA
20
NAZ
4
LAG
3
5th 136 [23]
1990 Galles-Kraco Racing Lola T90/00 Chevrolet 265A V8t PHX
3
LBH
1
INDY
4
MIL
1
DET
27
POR
3
CLE
15
MEA
11
TOR
1
MCH
1
DEN
1
VAN
1
MDO
3
ROA
4
NAZ
16
LAG
2
1st 210 [24]
1991 Galles-Kraco Racing Lola T91/00 Chevrolet 265A V8t SRF
16
LBH
1
PHX
6
INDY
4
MIL
19
DET
4
POR
4
CLE
4
MEA
2
TOR
23
MCH
3
DEN
1
VAN
3
MDO
5
ROA
2
NAZ
4
LAG
2
3rd 197 [25]
1992 Galles-Kraco Racing Galmer G92 Chevrolet 265A V8t SRF
4
PHX
5
LBH
4
INDY
1
DET
9
POR
3
MIL
7
NHA
8
TOR
7
MCH
4
CLE
3
ROA
2
VAN
2
MDO
3
NAZ
11
LAG
9
3rd 169 [26]
1993 Galles Racing Lola T93/00 Chevrolet 265C V8t SRF
15
PHX
4
LBH
21
INDY
8
MIL
5
DET
6
POR
5
CLE
19
TOR
5
MCH
8
NHA
8
ROA
25
VAN
1
MDO
8
NAZ
25
LAG
5
7th 100 [27]
1994 Team Penske Penske PC-23 Ilmor 265D V8t SRF
14
PHX
2
LBH
1
MIL
1
DET
10
POR
1
CLE
1
TOR
29
MCH
8
MDO
1
NHA
1
VAN
1
ROA
2
NAZ
2
LAG
20
1st 225 [28]
Mercedes-Benz 500I V8t INDY
1
1995 Team Penske Penske PC-24 Mercedes-Benz IC108B V8t MIA
15
SRF
6
PHX
8
LBH
1
NAZ
13
INDY
DNQ
MIL
2
DET
5
POR
1
ROA
28
TOR
26
CLE
18
MCH
2
MDO
1
NHA
3
VAN
1
LAG
6
2nd 161 [29]
1996 Team Penske Penske PC-25 Mercedes-Benz IC108C V8t MIA
8
RIO
2
SRF
9
LBH
3
NAZ
3
500
8
MIL
2
DET
22
POR
4
CLE
4
TOR
13
MCH
4
MDO
13
ROA
10
VAN
5
LAG
16
4th 125 [30]
1997 Team Penske Penske PC-26 Mercedes-Benz IC108D V8t MIA
27
SRF
27
LBH
4
NAZ
3
RIO
7
GAT
18
MIL
20
DET
8
POR
25
CLE
4
TOR
20
MCH
20
MDO
22
ROA
7
VAN
5
LAG
11
FON
22
13th 67 [31]
1998 Team Penske Penske PC-27 Mercedes-Benz IC108E V8t MIA
22
MOT
2
LBH
29
NAZ
15
RIO
16
GAT
19
MIL
3
DET
24
POR
5
CLE
17
TOR
17
MCH
22
MDO
6
ROA
27
VAN
5
LAG
6
HOU
7
SRF
22
FON
27
11th 72 [32]
1999 Team Penske Penske PC-27B Mercedes-Benz IC108E V8t MIA
26
MOT LBH NAZ
24
RIO
12
MCH
13
HOU
15
SRF
22
FON
7
21st 26 [33]
Lola B99/00 GAT
12
MIL
19
POR
16
CLE
5
ROA
9
TOR
9
DET
15
MDO
25
CHI
25
VAN
25
LAG
DNS

IndyCar Series

[edit]

(key)

IndyCar Series results
Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points Ref
2000 Galles Racing G-Force GF05 3 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 WDW
25
PHX
9
LVS
1
INDY
29
TXS
3
PPIR
10
ATL
3
KTY
27
TXS
17
9th 188 [34]
2001 G-Force GF05B 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 287 [35]
2002 Kelley Racing Dallara IR-02 7 Chevrolet Indy V8 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 [36]
2003 Dallara IR-03 31 Toyota Indy V8 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 [37]
2004 Patrick Racing Dallara IR-04 20 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS PHX MOT INDY
17
TXS
11
RIR
21
KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY PPIR NAZ CHI FON TXS 25th 44 [38]
2006 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara IR-05 31 Honda HI6R V8 HMS STP MOT INDY
24
WGL TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MCH KTY SNM CHI 35th 12 [39]
2007 A. J. Foyt Enterprises 50 HMS STP MOT KAN INDY
26
MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO MCH KTY SNM DET CHI 32nd 10 [40]
Indianapolis 500 results
[edit]
Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Note Team
1983 Eagle Cosworth 5 10 Out of Fuel Galles
1984 March Cosworth 15 21 Water Pump Failure Galles
1985 Lola Cosworth 11 25 Engine Failure Shierson Racing
1986 Lola Cosworth 9 5 Running Shierson Racing
1987 March Cosworth 22 4 Running Shierson Racing
1988 March Chevrolet 5 13 Running Galles
1989 Lola Chevrolet 8 2 Crash Galles
1990 Lola Chevrolet 7 4 Running Galles/Kraco
1991 Lola Chevrolet 6 4 Running Galles/Kraco
1992 Galmer Chevrolet 12 1 Running Galles/Kraco
1993 Lola Chevrolet 5 8 Running Galles
1994 Penske Ilmor-Mercedes 1 1 Running Penske
1995 Lola Ilmor-Mercedes DNQ Penske
2000 G-Force Oldsmobile 18 29 Radiator Damage Galles
2001 G-Force Oldsmobile 19 30 Crash Galles
2002 Dallara Chevrolet 12 12 Running Kelley
2003 Dallara Toyota 17 9 Running Kelley
2004 Dallara Chevrolet 17 17 Running Patrick
2006 Dallara Honda 27 24 Crash Dreyer & Reinbold
2007 Dallara Honda 25 26 Running Foyt

NASCAR

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

[edit]
NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 NWCC Pts Ref
1993 Hendrick Motorsports 46 Chevy DAY
36
CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 81st 55 [41]
Daytona 500
[edit]
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1993 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 40 36

International Race of Champions

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)

International Race of Champions results
Season Make 1 2 3 4 Pos. Pts Ref
1986 Chevy DAY
11
MOH
1*
TAL
7
GLN
1
1st 62 [42]
1987 DAY
5
MOH
4
MCH
1*
GLN
2
2nd 65 [43]
1988 DAY
4
RSD
3
MCH
3
GLN
1*
1st 66 [44]
1989 DAY
4
NZH
4
MCH
5
GLN
1*
2nd 60 [45]
1990 Dodge TAL
2
CLE
2
MCH
5
2nd 44 [46]
1991 DAY
4
TAL
10
MCH
3
GLN
3
5th 47 [47]
1992 DAY
6
TAL
7*
MCH
7
MCH
1*
3rd 59 [48]
1993 DAY
3
DAR TAL
1*
MCH
3
2nd 60.5 [49]
1994 DAY
2
DAR
10
TAL
5
MCH
1
2nd 56 [50]
1995 DAY
10*
DAR TAL MCH
1*
7th 42 [51]
1996 Pontiac DAY
5
TAL
1
CLT
8
MCH
5
5th 48 [52]
1997 DAY
1*
CLT
5
CAL
6
MCH
4
4th 57 [53]
1998 DAY
8
CAL
2
MCH
12
IND
2
4th 46 [54]
2001 Pontiac DAY TAL MCH
2
IND
5
NA 0 [55]
2002 DAY
5*
CAL
8
CHI
2
IND 7th 39 [56]

Video games

[edit]

Pop culture references

[edit]
  • In season 11, episode 12 of The Simpsons called "The Mansion Family" (originally aired on January 23, 2000), Bart is riding a bicycle through Mr. Burns's mansion screaming "I'm Al Unser Jr."

References

[edit]
  1. ^ LiveOutsideTheBottle.com Archived 2007-10-07 at the Library of Congress Web Archives, Retrieved 2011-09-29
  2. ^ Cain, Holly. Al Unser Jr. 'Done' Archived 2009-04-20 at the Wayback Machine, Speed, April 15, 2009, Retrieved 2009-09-29
  3. ^ Moore, Stan. Al Unser Jr. to help announce Baltimore Grand Prix plans, Inside Charm City, August 13, 2009, Retrieved 2011-09-29
  4. ^ Al Unser Jr at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  5. ^ Contreras, Russell. Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. arrested for DWI, Associated Press, September 29, 2011, Retrieved 2011-09-29
  6. ^ "G-Comp Team Speedway". www.speedwaymotors.com. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  7. ^ Al Unser Jr., 2-time Indy 500 winner arrested on OWI count in Indiana, IndyStar.com, Retrieved from https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2019/05/20/al-unser-jr-arrested-owi-dui-avon-indiana-indy-500/3738991002/
  8. ^ "Cody Unser: Never Say Never Again Essay". Deep Throttle.
  9. ^ a b "50 Plus Prime". 50 Plus Prime. April 14, 2019. Event occurs at 2:56. WGBA.
  10. ^ "Cody Unser / Contributor". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  11. ^ "Al Unser Jr: I Hurt a Lot of People". YouTube. March 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "1982 SCCA Can-Am Results". oldracingcars.com. Allen Brown. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  13. ^ "1981 SCCA Robert Bosch Formula Super Vee Championship Al Unser Jr. - Champion". Champ Car Stats. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  14. ^ "US Formula Super Vee 1981". oldracingcars.com. Old Racing Cars. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021. Rick Galles formed a new team for the 19-year-old Al Unser Jr and the experienced Bob Earl. Both had won races in the previous season, Earl having won both his appearances and Unser one of his two, and they were joined as pre-season favourites by 1977 European FSV champion Arie Luyendijk (who would later rename himself Luyendyk to help out the US press). Another leading contender from 1980, Pete Halsmer, missed the opening race in Frank Arciero's Ralt RT5/80 as he tried his luck in Atlantic and at the Indy 500. He and Unser then had a great battle through the season, finishing 1-2 in five of the nine races. Halsmer couldn't quite make up for missing that opening race and Unser took the title by just four points.
  15. ^ Potter, Steve (July 21, 1985). "AL UNSER JR. EMERGES, MUCH TO HIS FATHER'S DELIGHT". The New York Times. Section 5; p. 7. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021. Unser first brought attention to himself when he won the 1981 Bosch Super Vee Championship at the age of 19. The little single seaters with 200-horsepower Volkswagen-based engines resemble miniature Indy cars.
  16. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  17. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  18. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1984 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  19. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1985 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  20. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1986 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  21. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1987 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  22. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1988 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  23. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1989 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  24. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1990 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  25. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1991 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  26. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1992 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  27. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1993 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  28. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1994 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  29. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1995 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  30. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1996 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  31. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1997 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  32. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1998 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  33. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1999 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  34. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2000 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  35. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2001 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  36. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2002 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  37. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2003 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  38. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2004 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  39. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2006 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  40. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2007 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  41. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  42. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1986 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  43. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1987 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  44. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1988 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  45. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1989 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  46. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1990 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  47. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1991 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  48. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1992 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  49. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1993 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  50. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1994 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  51. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1995 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  52. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1996 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  53. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1997 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  54. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 1998 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  55. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2001 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  56. ^ "Al Unser Jr. – 2002 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  57. ^ "Welcome To The Next Level: 1994 And Beyond... - Sega Genesis". Sega Force. No. 5. Sendai Publishing. July 1994. pp. 8–26. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by US Formula Super Vee
Champion

1981
Succeeded by
Preceded by Indianapolis 500 Winner
1992
Succeeded by
Preceded by Indianapolis 500 Winner
1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by CART Champion
1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by CART Champion
1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by IROC Champion
IROC X (1986)
Succeeded by
Preceded by IROC Champion
IROC XII (1988)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Can-Am Champion
1982
Succeeded by