By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It's more about thanking and recognizing others who helped Unser accomplish his goals and fulfill his motorsports dreams. He'll be the third Unser to be inducted into the Hall, located in Novi, Mich., joining his father, Al (a four-time Indy 500 winner, inducted in 1991), and his uncle, Bobby (a three-time Indy 500 winner, inducted in 1994).
Al Unser is fourth on the all-time Indy car victory list with 39 (36 USAC, 3 CART sanctioned races), while Bobby Unser is fifth with 35 (25 USAC, 10 CART) and Al Jr. is sixth with 34 (29 CART, 2 USAC, 3 Indy Racing League).
"It's a real honor for them to nominate me to begin with, and to be inducted, joining dad and uncle Bobby, it's going to be a wonderful evening," Unser said. "I helped the Donohue family induct Mark into it (in 1990), and it was something that I always wanted since I was there that time. For your peers to recognize you and the whole racing fraternity knowing my story and all that kind of stuff and acknowledging the things I've done on the track and throughout my career is just a great honor."
Also being inducted are NHRA driver Kenny Bernstein, sports car racer/broadcaster David Hobbs, motorcycle racer Scott Parker, track owner/IROC founder Les Richter, motorsports promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler and stock car racer Joe Weatherly.
Unser won two CART championships and two International Race of Champions titles, in addition to the 24 Hours at Daytona at age 24. He also won three IndyCar Series races. Unser, who qualified for the Indianapolis 500 field as a rookie in 1983, won "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 1992 and '94.
"My greatest accomplishments - other than my children - were winning the Indy 500," Unser said. "That's what I dreamed about as a young boy. Just simply to drive an Indy car onto the racetrack in the spring of '83 was a goal that I accomplished, and then qualifying for the race and being the first father-son to race against each other at Indy was an honor in itself. To be the first father-son -- and to date the only father-son -- to win the Indy 500 is a true blessing from God."
Unser led the final 10 laps (and 25 in total) in '92 to win the 500 Mile Race from the 12th starting position by .043 of a second in the No. 3 Valvoline entry for Galles/Kraco Racing. His father climbed from 22nd on the grid to finish just behind runner-up Scott Goodyear. In 1994, driving the No. 31 Marlboro Penske car, Unser won from the pole by 8.6 seconds over Jacques Villeneuve.
Centennial Era Van Heusen Blue Oxford Striped Shirt
Centennial Era Van Heusen Blue Oxford Striped Shirt.
"Just to drive for Roger (Penske) is an accomplishment in itself," Unser said. "Uncle Bobby did, Dad did. Driving for Roger really revitalized me, and I had new commitments to the sport because really my whole goal in life was to win the Indy 500, and then when we did it in '92 I was kind of in a lull because I'd already won the championship, I already won the 24 Hours of Daytona, I had already won the IROC championship.
"These were goals of mine, watching my dad and uncle do in their careers, not just the Indy 500 but these other things. The way it worked out, I won these other things before I won Indy. When I won Indy, that was just the final piece. The new goal then was to drive for Roger, and I got that opportunity in '94 and then I had my best season ever."
Unser, 47, is the IndyCar Series driver coach, lending support and being a sounding board. It's a role he enjoys, a way of giving back.
"I truly want to thank Rick Galles, who brought me to Indianapolis in '83," Unser said. "We won Indy for Rick and my first national championship was in Rick Galles' car, and really if it wasn't for Rick Galles I don't know where I'd be because he's the one who really started everything and put me in front of car owners like Roger Penske. Had it not been for Rick, maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they did. I have to thank Rick for making my career happen and, of course, Roger for allowing me to drive for the team that really set the standard for single-seat open-wheel racing in America."
***
2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.
Tickets for the final event in 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 28-30 - can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
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