Al Unser Sr., a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, died on Thursday, according to ESPN. He was 82 years old. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Unser died at his home in Chama, New Mexico after the 17-year battle with cancer.
Unser’s son, Al Unser Jr., went to Twitter to share the news. “My heart is so saddened,” he wrote. “My father passed away last night. He was a Great man and even a Greater Father. Rest In Peace Dad!” In addition to Unser Sr. winning the Indianapolis 500 four times, Unser Jr. won the race twice, making them the only father and son to win the race. Unser Sr. also won the IndyCar Seies in 1970, 1983 and 1985.
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“I will always remember Big Al welcoming me to the speedway,” Helio Castroneves, another four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, told The Associated Press on Friday. “He and Johnny Rutherford were the two helping me with my rookie orientation. He will be missed.”
“Al was the quiet leader of the Unser family, a tremendous competitor and one of the greatest drivers to ever race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” team owner Roger Penske said. “We were honored to help Al earn a place in history with his fourth Indy victory … and he will always be a big part of our team. Our thoughts are with the Unser family as they mourn the loss of a man that was beloved across the racing world and beyond.”
Unser began racing in 1957 and won his first Indianapolis 500 in 1970. He won it again in 1971, 1978 and 1987, making him one of four men to win the race four times. The Indianapolis 500 win in 1987 was Unser’s last victory on the IndyCar circuit before retiring in 1994. He remains the career lap leader for the Indianapolis 500 with 644. Under’s brother, Bobby, won the Indianapolis 500 three times, resulting in nine Indianapolis 500 wins for the Unser family. Bobby died earlier this year at the age of 87.
“He will be remembered as one of the best to ever race at Indianapolis, and we will all miss his smile, sense of humor and his warm, approachable personality,” IMS President J. Douglass Boles said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Susan Unser, the entire Unser family and all Al’s friends and fans.”
