R.I.P. Al Unser

Four time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr. passed away at his New Mexico home on December 10th, 2021 following a 17 year battle with cancer. He was 82.

Unser became the second driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times after A. J. Foyt. (Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves have since joined the four winner club). Unser’s first victory came in 1970, and he repeated as champ in ’71. He next won it in 1978 and then for the fourth time in 1987, when he was a few days short of his 48th birthday. He finished third in both 1988 and 1992, and was 12th in his last race at Indy in 1993.

The Unsers are an iconic family in auto racing. Al’s brother Bobby (who died earlier this year on May 2nd) won at Indy three times (1968, 1975, and 1981), and his son Al Unser Jr. won in ’92 and ’94. Between 1968 and 1994, an Unser won the Indianapolis 500 nine times.