HIS OWN PACE RACING LEGEND AL UNSER JR. REFLECTS ON CAREER AND FAITH Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Al Unser Jr. & Amy Payne
three of them, the Unser family has won the Indy 500 a record of nine times.
Additional Photography Provided As a professional race car driver, Al Unser Jr. has truly lived life in the fast lane, and he’s loved every minute of the competitive nature of the sport. But just as there is no such thing as the perfect race, there is also no such thing as the perfect life.
Unser began racing go-karts when he was 9 years old. By 16, he was professionally racing sprint cars.
Through the years, Unser has experienced his share of speed bumps and disappointments along the way - most notably, his battle with alcohol. Though he’s experienced ups and downs, both personally and professionally, it was only when he slowed down, looked up, and connected with Jesus Christ that he found true and lasting peace. For as far back as he can recall, Unser had a need for speed - something that ran in his family, as both his father, Al Unser Sr., and his uncle, Bobby Unser, were racing legends. In fact, he, his uncle Bobby, and his dad all won the Indy 500 on May 24. Between the
“At a young age, I thought, ‘I love racing and if I’m successful at it, I’ll keep going,’” says Unser, who hit the ground running early in life and never looked back. “Racing was both physically and mentally demanding, but it was so competitive that when you did win races, it was very gratifying.” He competed in more than 300 races, winning 34 of them, including two-time victories at both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. Unser credits his team for those triumphs. “You truly had to work at it and even when we were all prepared, you had to have some luck where things just went your way,” Unser says. As every driver knows, on some days luck MAY 2021
is on your side, and on other days, not so much. For instance, a driver may have a victory in their line of sight, and then in an instant, their engine blows up or an accident occurs. There is also human error. “In every race mistakes are made, whether it’s the pit crew or the driver,” Unser says. “The goal is to make fewer mistakes than anybody else.” Unser retired from racing in 2007 after a career that includes Indy 500 wins in 1992 and 1994. In 2009, Unser was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Though his first Indy 500 win was nearly three decades ago, he still vividly recalls the feeling of elation that enveloped him. “It was a dream come true,” he says. “It was life itself.” More recently, however, Unser has found new life by forging a meaningful relationship with Christ. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New
