By Dick Mittman
indy500.com

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

Al Unser can lift a glass of champagne Sept. 3 and salute himself.

It was 25 years ago, Sept. 3, 1978, that Big Al completed one of auto racing's most incredible achievements by winning the Ontario 500. That gave him four 500-mile race victories in a row within 364 days.

He also won three 500-mile races in a single season, another record.

"In racing, sometimes it isn't everything that you know is going to happen," said Unser, now the driving coach for the IRL IndyCar^™ Series. "There's a lot of ifs and ands.

"And to finally put it together and then afterward, you say, 'Boy, this is unbelievable to be able to do this.' And it really is. You're proud and happy once you've achieved it."

This feat was achieved against some legendary drivers. The men who finished second to Unser were A.J. Foyt, Tom Sneva, Johnny Rutherford and Pancho Carter.

"Well, it was amazing to see the precision," Rutherford said of Unser's driving during the streak. "It was like watching a surgeon, I guess, is the best way to put it.

"He seemed to have the formula down pat, and it was just a matter of him just setting there and waiting until all the pieces came together and then running off with it."

Unser's remarkable string of successes in the 500-milers began Sept. 4, 1977, when he outraced Foyt, Sneva and Mario Andretti to the checkered flag at Ontario, located in Southern California. Rutherford won the pole for that race at 195.111 mph. Unser started third and led 93 laps.

Unser switched to the Jim Hall team and chief mechanic Hughie Absolom for the 1978 season. The three races at Indianapolis, Pocono and Ontario were called the "Triple Crown," and Unser swept them like a thoroughbred.

At Indianapolis, Unser qualified fifth as Sneva captured the pole at 202.156 mph. Unser didn't lead a lap until the 76th circuit and took the lead from Sneva for good on Lap 181. He led 121 laps on his way to his third Indy triumph, accompanying those scored in 1970 and 1971. Gordon Johncock came in third behind Sneva.

Pocono was next on June 25. Unser was only 10th fastest in qualifying behind Danny Ongais' top speed of 190.335 mph. And again it wasn't until Lap 75 that he took his first lead. Unser snatched the front spot away from Rutherford on Lap 191 as J.R. and Sneva finished second and third as the only other drivers to complete all 200 laps.

Now Unser had won three 500-mile races in a row, something no open-wheel driver had ever done. Ontario, the California racing palace that stood for hardly a decade, was next.

Ironically, Unser's only victories in 1978 before Ontario came in the two 500-mile races.

"It was a very difficult year because of that," Unser said.

"We couldn't seem to connect on the other racetracks for some reason. And we never knew why. Then we say, 'Well, why can't we?' We go to each race, and we just can't seem to make it happen. And then we get to the 500-mile races, and it always seemed to click. The car just seemed to work, and the team seemed to work better in the 500-mile races.

"I think it confused everybody as it probably did us. You still have to sit back afterward just kind of look at yourself. You can't hit your tail with both hands on the other tracks, but when it comes to the 500-mile races, you're up front and winning them.

"It's really breathtaking sometimes when this comes about. And later you can just look at it, think about it and say, 'I wonder how?'

At Ontario, Sneva again won the pole with a 199.933-mph clocking. Unser started seventh. Nineteen laps into the race, Sneva wrecked. And as the race moved along, No. 2 qualifiers Rutherford and Ongais fell out with mechanical problems.

Johncock appeared to have the race in hand as he passed Unser on Lap 178 and pulled away. But then with seven laps remaining, Johncock's fuel pickup stopped working.

Unser sped by and won. Not only won, but won by five laps over second-place Carter.

Five laps.

"You talk to Gordy, and Gordy says he had Ontario won so easy," Unser said. "He says, 'I had to fall out for you to win that.' Each guy says that.

"As I have said, first you have to finish, and then you have to finish first. And there's many races that I didn't finish that I was leading.

"Just like I told Johncock, I said, 'Damn, when did you win the Speedway (Indy), '73?' I said, I had that race won, so see, Gordy, you can say all you want that you gave it to me. I gave you Indianapolis, so I'll trade you Ontario for Indianapolis."

Unser has trophies from his dominant 500-miler streak in his New Mexico home. He looks at them at times and wonders how it happened. But he said he'd be willing to swap the two Pocono and two Ontario 500 victories during his career for something even more valuable.

"I would like to take all the rest of the 500s and trade them for the Indy races," Unser said. "That way I would have eight victories. It would tickle me to death.

"Can't do that. But there still is the fact of winning a 500-mile race is a great honor." ***

2004 Indy 500 tickets: Tickets for the 2004 Indianapolis 500 are on sale, and the IMS ticket office encourages customers to place orders early to ensure the best possible opportunity to acquire good seats.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, or by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.

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