Al Richard Unser

Alfred Richard Unser
Alfred Richard Unser
Nationality	American
Born	October 23, 1982 (age 41); Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Related to	Al Unser Jr. (father); Al Unser Sr. (grandfather); Bobby Unser (great-uncle); Jerry Unser Jr. (great-uncle); Robby Unser (first cousin once removed); Louis Unser (great-grandfather)
Indy Lights career
Debut season	2004
Former teams	Vision Racing ; Brian Stewart Racing ; Playa Del Racing ; American Dream Motorsports
Starts	20
Wins	0
Poles	1
Best finish	8th in 2004
Previous series
2004–2006	Atlantic Championship

Last updated April 05, 2024

Alfred Richard Unser^[1]^[2] (born October 23, 1982) is an American former professional race car driver. Unser has competed in the Indy Lights series and Toyota Atlantics Championship. He is part of the fourth generation of the Unser family.

Family connections

Al Richard Unser is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., grandson of four-time Indy winner Al Unser Sr., and grandnephew of three-time Indy winner Bobby Unser. Another granduncle, Jerry Unser, drove in the 1958 race but died from injuries suffered in a crash in 1959.

First-cousins-once-removed (Al Unser Jr.'s cousins) Robby and Johnny also drove in the Indianapolis 500. Often considered the third generation of the famous Unser racing family, Al Richard Unser is technically the fourth generation of racers to come out of the family. His great-grandfather Jerry Sr., and Jerry's brother Louis, also were racers, but neither drove in the Indianapolis 500.

During his young childhood years, he was often nicknamed "Mini Al" by the media and fans,^[1]^[2] all with the expectation that he might follow in his family's footsteps to race professionally. However, as a child, Unser had reservations about becoming a race car driver.^[3]^[4] For superstitious reasons, his father (Al Unser Jr.) insisted he not be named with the suffix "III".^[1]^[2] By that time both Al Sr. and Al Jr. were stars on the Indy car circuit. Al Sr. was becoming known by the nickname "Big Al." Al Jr. for a time was known as "Little Al," thus Al Richard Unser became known for a time as "Mini Al."

As he got older and reached his teenage years, he decided to eschew the "Mini" nickname, and became known as "Just Al." When starting his professional career, he abandoned any sort of nickname, and has insisted on being referred to as Just Al (i.e., Al Unser), or by his full name, Al Richard Unser.

His first widely-noticed television appearance was at the 1992 Indianapolis 500 at age nine when his father won the race. Unser was seen greeting his father in victory circle. He also posed in official photos with his father and grandfather when Al Jr. won the Indy 500 for the second time in 1994. Unser guest-starred on an episode of Home Improvement alongside his father and grandfather in 1997.^[5]

Career biography

Al driving an Infiniti Pro Series car at St. Petersburg in 2005. AlUnserIII2005.jpg — Al driving an Infiniti Pro Series car at St. Petersburg in 2005.

Unser racing in the 2008 Firestone Freedom 100, his last Indy Lights race to date UnserIIIFreedom100.jpg — Unser racing in the 2008 Firestone Freedom 100, his last Indy Lights race to date

Al Richard Unser began driving go karts at age ten, but stopped racing until after earning his driver's license at age sixteen. After attending driving schools, Unser competed in the Skip Barber Western Racing Series in 2002, winning six races and earning "Rookie of the Year" honors. A year later, he posted four top-ten finishes in the 2003 Barber Dodge Pro Series.

2004

In 2004, Unser made his Toyota Atlantics debut, running in four events. His best finish was an 8th place at Montreal. Unser also ran in eight races in the 2004 Infiniti Pro Series. He posted five third place finishes, and won the pole position at Michigan.

Around that same time, Unser's father, Al Unser Jr. temporarily retired from driving to help with his career.^[4]

2005

Unser posted three top-ten finishes in the first four races of the Infinity Pro Series season, including a 4th place at the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis. He then returned to the Toyota Atlantics, finishing the season 7th in points. He ran ten of twelve events with a best finish of 4th.

At the Indy Lights races at St. Petersburg and Indianapolis Unser competed against fellow third-generation driver Marco Andretti of the famous rival Andretti family. It was the only two times that Al and Marco raced together.

2006

In 2006, Unser drove in two Atlantics series events, but lost his ride to funding issues with his team.

2007

Unser was signed to drive for Playa Del Racing in the Freedom 100 for 2007. He drove in three other oval races, posting three top-tens in the four events.

2008

For 2008, Unser was announced as the full-time driver in the #12 car for Playa Del Racing in Indy Lights. After five races, controlling interest in the team was sold to former Las Vegas restaurateur Eric Zimmerman, who renamed it American Dream Motorsports. After finishing 11th position at Indianapolis, Unser was reportedly released by the new owner and replaced by Tony Turco, who brought sponsorship to the program. The team posted an entry for the Milwaukee 100 on May 31, but the car never took to the track.

Unser's father (Al Jr.) drove during several seasons for Galles Racing, and Al Richard once worked for Rick Galles' Chevrolet dealership.

Racing record

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Barber Dodge Pro Series

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Rank	Points
2003	STP 11	MTY 18	MIL 14	LAG 6	POR 8	CLE 17	TOR 14	VAN 10	MDO 12	MTL 15	13th	38

Indy Lights

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Rank	Points
2004	Keith Duesenberg Racing	HMS	PHX	INDY	KAN 3	NSH 5	MIL 3	MIS 3	KTY 11	PPIR 6	CHI 3	FON	TXS 3					8th	252
2005	Brian Stewart Racing	HMS 12	PHX 8	STP 4	INDY 4	TXS	IMS	NSH	MIL	KTY	PPIR	SNM	CHI	WGL	FON			12th	106
2007	Playa Del Racing	HMS	STP1	STP2	INDY 8	MIL 7	IMS1	IMS2	IOW 7	WGL1	WGL2	NSH 13	MDO	KTY	SNM1	SNM2	CHI	26th	93
2008	Playa Del Racing	HMS 13	STP1 12	STP2 6	KAN 10	INDY 11	MIL	IOW	WGL1	WGL2	NSH	MDO1	MDO2	KTY	SNM1	SNM2	CHI	25th	102

Atlantic Championship

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Rank	Points
2004	P-1 Racing	LBH Ret	MTY	MIL	POR1	POR2	CLE	TOR	VAN					16th	42
2004	Brooks Associates Racing									ROA 9	DEN 10	MTL 8	LS	16th	42
2005	Brooks Associates Racing	LBH	MTY	POR1 7	POR2 6	CLE1 4	CLE2 Ret	TOR 4	EDM 6	SJO 6	DEN 7	ROA 4	MTL 5	7th	198
2006	Mi-Jack Conquest Racing	LBH 19	HOU Ret	MTY Wth	POR	CLE1	CLE2	TOR	EDM	SJO	DEN	MTL	ROA	42nd	2

Related Research Articles

Alfred Unser was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men to have won the Indianapolis 500 four times, the fourth of five to have won the race in consecutive years, and the winner of the National Championship in 1970, 1983, and 1985. The Unser family has won the Indy 500 a record nine times. He was the only person to have both a sibling (Bobby) and child as fellow Indy 500 winners. Al's nephews Johnny and Robby Unser have also competed in that race. In 1971, he became the only driver to date to win the race on his birthday.

Robert William Unser was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35. Unser won the 1968 and 1974 United States Automobile Club (USAC) national championships. He won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb overall title 10 times.

Alfred Unser Jr. – 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Vasser</span> American racecar driver and team owner

James "Jimmy" Vasser Jr. is an American former racing driver who competed primarily in the CART series and Champ Car. Vasser won ten CART series races and won the 1996 CART championship with Chip Ganassi Racing. Vasser was the last American to win the CART title. Vasser won the 1996 U.S. 500, and had a best finish of 4th at the Indianapolis 500 twice.

King Racing was a racing team which fielded cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as well as in CART and the Indianapolis 500. The team was owned by NHRA drag racing driver Kenny Bernstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Foyt Racing</span> American racecar team

A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and two-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt won two of his four Indianapolis 500s driving for the team. The team also won the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the IRL championship in 1996 and 1998.

The 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series saw the addition of five races and loss of one to bring the total to 13. Chip Ganassi Racing returned to the Indy 500 with four cars and were joined on the grid by Penske Racing and Team Kool Green. Sam Hornish Jr. won 3 races on his way to the championship while the less consistent Buddy Lazier won four races on his way to second place in his title defense.

Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser Jr., cousin of Al Unser Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. Unser's father, Jerry, died in a racing accident when Unser was seven months old. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th. He joined the Indy Racing League in its inaugural 1996 season but had a transmission failure during the pace lap of what would've been his first Indianapolis 500 and was not credited with completing any laps. In 1997 he made his first start in the Indy 500 starting in the 35th position after League and Speedway owner Tony George added his and Lyn St. James' car to the field because slower cars than theirs were guaranteed starting positions because of prior races. He went on to finish 18th, his best "500" result in 5 starts. Unser drove the majority of his IRL races for Hemelgarn Racing and in his 14 career IRL starts he had a best finish of 9th in his very first series start in 1996 at Phoenix International Raceway. His last major open wheel race was the 2000 Indy 500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Indianapolis 500</span> 67th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 67th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 29, 1983. After finishing second three times, winning the pole position twice (1977–1978), and being the fastest qualifier one additional time (1981), Tom Sneva finally shook his "bridesmaid" status and won his first and only Indianapolis 500. The win also represented the record seventh Indy victory that chief mechanic George Bignotti was involved with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Indianapolis 500</span> 78th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 78th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 1994. The race was sanctioned by United States Auto Club (USAC), and was included as race number 4 of 16 of the 1994 PPG IndyCar World Series. For the second year in a row, weather was nary a factor during the month. Only one practice day was lost to rain, and pole day was only partially halted due to scattered showers. Warm, sunny skies greeted race day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Indianapolis 500</span> 76th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 24, 1992. The race is famous for the fierce battle in the closing laps, as race winner Al Unser Jr. held off second place Scott Goodyear for the victory by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history. Unser Jr. became the first second-generation driver to win the Indy 500, following in the footsteps of his father Al Unser Sr. He also became the third member of the famous Unser family to win the race.

The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish Jr. won from the pole position. It was Hornish's first and only win at Indianapolis, and the record fourteenth Indy victory for Penske Racing. Hornish would later win the IndyCar Series championship, the second driver in a row to sweep the Indy 500 and season championship in the same season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 CART PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1990 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 12th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 16 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Al Unser Jr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Eddie Cheever. The 1990 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Arie Luyendyk won the Indy 500, his first-ever victory in championship-level competition, and the fastest 500 until the 2013 Indianapolis 500.

The 1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 5th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 13 races. Al Unser was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Teo Fabi. The 1983 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but an arrangement was made such that it counted towards the CART points championship. Tom Sneva won the Indy 500, after three previous runner-up finishes.

The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 7th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races. Al Unser Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Danny Sullivan won the Indy 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 8th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 17 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Chip Robinson. The 1986 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500, and would later become the first driver since 1980 to win Indy and the CART championship in the same season.

The 1992 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 14th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 16 races. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, his third and final career CART title. Stefan Johansson was named the Rookie of the Year. The 1992 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 in the closest finish in the history of that event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andretti curse</span> Superstition in sports

The Andretti Curse, sometimes referred to as Andretti Luck, is a sports-related curse in a string of bad luck the Andretti racing family has experienced in their efforts to win the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Doug Shierson Racing is a former racing team that competed in the CART Indy car series from 1982 to 1990. The team was sponsored by Domino's Pizza for its entire run in CART. Shierson Racing won 7 Indy car races, with their biggest victory coming at the 1990 Indianapolis 500, with driver Arie Luyendyk. The team finished runner-up in the 1985 CART Championship with driver Al Unser Jr. losing the title by one point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing

The 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Al Unser Jr. was the national champion, his second CART title, and the rookie of the year was Jacques Villeneuve. The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 from the pole position, his second career victory in that event.

References

1 2 3 Britton, Bonnie (May 29, 1983). "Of 3 Unsers named Al, only one isn't in '500' (Part 1)". The Indianapolis Star. p. 92. Retrieved February 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 Britton, Bonnie (May 29, 1983). "Of 3 Unsers named Al, only one isn't in '500' (Part 2)". The Indianapolis Star. p. 96. Retrieved February 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "The Unser Family". Unser Racing Museum. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
1 2 "Alfred Unser, 21, has clear goals". ESPN.com. June 30, 2004. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
↑ "Al Unser(s) To Guest Star On Television". ChampCar.com. March 10, 1997. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Star05-29-1983a-1] 1 2 3 Britton, Bonnie (May 29, 1983). "Of 3 Unsers named Al, only one isn't in '500' (Part 1)". The Indianapolis Star. p. 92. Retrieved February 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[Star05-29-1983b-2] 1 2 3 Britton, Bonnie (May 29, 1983). "Of 3 Unsers named Al, only one isn't in '500' (Part 2)". The Indianapolis Star. p. 96. Retrieved February 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[3] "The Unser Family". Unser Racing Museum. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

[ESPN2004-4] 1 2 "Alfred Unser, 21, has clear goals". ESPN.com. June 30, 2004. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

[5] "Al Unser(s) To Guest Star On Television". ChampCar.com. March 10, 1997. Retrieved February 2, 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]