5:58 AM
Al Unser, a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and three-time champion in what is now the IndyCar Series, died Thursday after a long illness. He died at the age of 22.
Unser died at his home in Chama, New Mexico, with his wife by his side. He was diagnosed with cancer 17 years ago.
Al Unser Jr. won the race twice, making them the only father and son to win the race. Bobby won the 500 three times, making him the only brother to do so.
Bobby Unser passed away in May. Bobby Unser Jr. died in June.
Al Unser retired with 39 wins and three season titles.
An icon and hero to racing fans around the world.
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A beloved member of theIMS family.
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Al Unser, a four-time winner of the Indy500, has died.
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Godspeed, racer.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be open on December 10, 2021.
"Al Unser was one of the smartest drivers I've ever raced against," Mario Andretti said. I said I wish I could've had some of his patience. It would have worked for me a lot.
In 1965, Unser competed in the Indy 500. He won his first Indy win in 1970 by starting from the pole and leading all but 10 of the 200 laps. He won again the following year in the Johnny Lightning Special, which Parnelli Jones designed, and finished second to Donohue.
He won his third Indy win in 1978. He entered the month of May without a ride for the race, and the fourth was the most surprising.
Unser had been dropped by Penske after four seasons in favor of Danny Ongais, who suffered a concussion in a practice crash and wasn't able to compete. Penske gave Unser a backup car that was on display in a hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania, where the team was based.
Unser was the oldest winner of the Indy 500. He joined A.J. Foyt as the only four-time winners of the race, and now also includes Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves.
Castroneves told The Associated Press that he will always remember Big Al welcoming him to the speedway. He and Johnny were helping me with my orientation. He will be missed.
Unser made 27 starts in the Indy 500, third most in history, and qualified once on the pole and five times on the front row.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser is part of a prestigious club that also includes A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves.
He retired in 1994 and still leads the Indianapolis 500 in laps with The closest active driver is Scott Dixon.
Unser ran five NASCAR races in his career, finishing fourth in the 1968 Daytona 500 and earning three top 10 finishes in NASCAR. He won three times in the International Race of Champion, a series that pits the top drivers from various disciplines against one another.
Unser was the youngest of four racing brothers and was born in Albuquerque in 1939. His father, Jerry, and two uncles were also drivers. The family began competing in the annual road race in Colorado in the 1920's.
The first Unser to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 was Jerry, who was killed in a crash during practice the following year.
In 1986 and 1998 Al Unser was in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. The Unser Racing Museum in Albuquerque houses his collection of trophies and cars.
Unser is survived by his wife and son.
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
