IndyCar in mourning: Al Unser Sr. passed away at 82 years old.
The American driver Alfred Unser, four times champion of the Indianapolis 500 , died this Friday at the age of 82 due to a cancer against which he had been fighting for 17 years, informed the president of ‘Indianapolis Motor Speedway’ Doug Boles.
“Sad news comes from New Mexico as we learn that ‘Al’ Unser, a four-time ‘Indy 500’ winner, died peacefully in his beloved home in Chama after a 17-year battle with cancer. Four times winner of the ‘Indy 500’, more laps led (644) in the history of 500 and fan favorite, “said Boles through his Twitter account.
The tragic year of 2021 for the Unser family: Al’s brother, Bobby Unser, the three-time Indy 500 winner, died in May at the age of 87, and Al’s nephew, Bobby Unser Jr., left the ranks at the age of 65, six weeks later.
Unser is one of the four drivers who has managed to win the ‘Indy 500’ four times (1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987), a select group in which he is accompanied by Anthony Joseph Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves.
The American made his debut in 1964 in a scoring race. Until then, and since 1959, he only raced in competitions that did not score. The legendary pilot leaves a legacy for the ‘Indy’ of 39 victories, 98 podiums and 140 ‘top-5s’.
The surname Unser is linked to motorsport. ‘Al’ accompanied his brothers Jerry and Bobby in car races and his son – known as Little ‘Al’ – is also a driver and winner, on two occasions, of the ‘Indianapolis 500’ (1992, 1994).
“He achieved all his success competing against many of the best drivers our sport has seen, which makes his achievements all the more impressive. He will be remembered as one of the best and his smile, sense of humor, warmth and closeness will be missed.” Boles said.
Amelia Warner
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