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Little Al versus Mikey
Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. on the pace lap before the start of the 1991 "Indianapolis 500" - photo by Bob Jennings
One is from New Mexico. The other is from Pennsylvania. They were born within six months of one another. They met as young boys coming with their famous fathers to the races. They played together in the infield at different race tracks across the U.S. during the summer months away from school. Most likely they shared dreams with one another, especially since their hopes for the future were the same. No doubt they each cheered for and celebrated their father's wins and successes. Perhaps they developed a rivalry about whose father was the better race driver. Their rivalry likely extended to their own respective skills racing karts.
When both started professional careers their fathers were at their side teaching, shaping and guiding. Not unexpectedly their careers have followed a similar path to their fathers who raced against each other for nearly 30 seasons. They have challenged each other wheel to wheel on the race track at speeds exceeding 200 mph. Ten years ago the two second generation racers were considered the future of their sport. Five years later when both were at the top of that sport it was torn apart and pulled out from under them.
During the telecast of the Indy Racing League event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ESPN2 presented a short feature about Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti racing together in this year's "Indianapolis 500." In the feature Little Al called Michael "my direct contemporary" and said their careers and childhood have "paralleled" one another. Unser's characterization was good. Both drivers hit the top at the same time and each enjoyed major success. Each has also experienced major disappointment. Today as Al Jr. and Michael approach their forties, both men are trying to prove they are still at the top of their game as race drivers. Unser and Andretti came to the big time as kids. Both have evolved into the elder statesmen of Indy car racing. Even with their skills now coming into question Al and Michael remain the two most recognizable personalities in American open wheel racing.
Mario Andretti and Al Unser made their first starts in the "Indianapolis 500" in 1965. They spent four years as teammates in the Vel's Parnelli Jones Viceroy cars. With the exception of 1969, 1979 and 1991, Big Al and Mario raced against each other at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until Al's retirement before the "Indianapolis 500" in May 1994. They never had a direct battle in the "500" however. The closest they came to anything like that was 1987. Unser gained his fourth "500' win as Andretti experienced problems with 20 laps to go in the race. Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr. haven't had a "straight fight" at the "Indianapolis 500" either. In 1992, Al Jr. won the "Indianapolis 500" at Michael's expense when Andretti's dominant car broke with eleven laps remaining. It was a situation much like what happened with his dad five years earlier against Michael's father.
One of the things I'd most like to see in racing would be an outright Andretti - Unser fight to win the "Indianapolis 500." What a classic confrontation that would be, almost the inevitable battle. It's been anticipated by many for years much like the wait for A.J. Foyt's fourth "Indianapolis 500" win in 1977 and Dale Earnhardt's victory in the 1998 "Daytona 500."
There have been times during the past five years, since the Indy car split, that an Andretti - Unser reunion in the "Indianapolis 500" didn't seem possible. At one point, as recently as prior to the start of the 1999 season, it appeared that Michael and Little Al were firmly established in the CART series.
I think the first time I began seriously considering that Unser Jr. would return to the "500" was on May 15, 1998. I saw Little Al at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during "500" practice. The crowd sitting behind the pits was enthusiastic in their welcome, asking him to come back to the "500." His CART career had begun to fall apart the previous season with the Penske team. Unser hadn't won since Vancouver in 1995. It seemed like each season Al Jr.'s performance deteriorated a little more. Many including myself were questioning his motivation and desire. Roger Penske dropped Little Al for the 2000 season. But old friends Tony George, Rick Galles and the fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were waiting to bring Unser back to the "Indianapolis 500."
Now Al Unser Jr. is an Indy Racing League regular. Last season I saw Unser's white, black and red Galles Tickets.com G-Force featured on signs advertising the IRL races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. It looked as if Al was being presented as the IRL "poster boy." His IRL career hasn't been spectacular but there were many signs that the fire of the Al Unser Jr. of old was still burning during the 2000 season. Al won at Las Vegas and should've won both IRL races at Texas Motor Speedway. He led 22 laps in his second IRL start at Phoenix in March 2000. Last July he put on a fantastic run from last on the starting grid to battle Buddy Lazier wheel to wheel for second place in Atlanta. During the 2000 IRL season, Little Al led a total of 220 laps which was third highest behind Greg Ray (299) and Buddy Lazier (242).
The 2001 IRL season has been a mixed bag for Al Unser Jr. The season opener at Phoenix was a disaster. Unser's G-Force fell a lap down to the leaders early. Then he was out after 104 laps when his car developed engine problems. Things were better at Miami. Little Al started nineteenth but moved through the pack quickly. He led one lap, was running second and catching race leader Sam Hornish in the later stages of the race. Unser incurred a pit penalty which dropped him down in the order. But Al Jr. came back to finish sixth. Unser was having another good run at Atlanta Motor Speedway on April 28 after qualifying fourteenth when he became involved in that violent crash on lap 52 which eliminated seven cars.
In my opinion Michael Andretti has never been as good as he was before his aborted run in Formula One in 1993. Prior to his attempt at Formula One Andretti was the most explosive driver in Indy cars, even more than Al Unser Jr. He wasn't as successful as Little Al but he was more often than not the fastest driver on a race by race basis. Andretti still wins races and remains the biggest name in CART but he hasn't been the feared competitor he once was for more than a few seasons.
There has been a lot of speculation since last season that Andretti was returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May. It was an on again, off again, on again situation. Through it all Michael maintained he wanted to return to Indianapolis. When it was finally announced last month that Andretti would return this May it generated a lot of excitement in the Indianapolis media. People at work talked about it and I overheard Michael's return being discussed at my local pub Daddy Jacks.
Michael Andretti has a total of 382 leading laps in the "Indianapolis 500." That's the highest number for any driver who hasn't won the "500." Michael's best years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came in 1986, 1989, 1991 and 1992. He has always been one of the "featured players" during each of his eleven starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 1986 Andretti was running a March - Cosworth for the Kraco team. Barry Green was running the team and Adrian Newey, who designed the March, was serving as Michael's engineer. After qualifying for the outside of the front row, Andretti beat his front row mates Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan into the first turn at the start of the "500" and stayed in front for the 42 opening laps of the race before falling to sixth at the finish, one position behind Al Unser Jr.
Michael Andretti joined dad Mario on the Newman Haas team for 1989. In the "Indianapolis 500" he was challenging Emerson Fittipaldi and was actually leading the race on lap 163 when the Ilmor Chevy V8 in his K Mart Lola blew. I wonder how Andretti would've measured up to Emmo in the race to the finish if his car hadn't broke.
Two years later Michael led 97 laps in the 1991 "500." He was leading on lap 187 when Rick Mears beat him into turn one with a spectacular pass on the outside. Andretti tried hard to catch Mears but Rick's Marlboro Penske was too much to overcome.That was good stuff! Andretti pulled an outside pass on Mears in the same spot the previous lap on a restart. Then when Mears came back on the next lap to do the same thing in the same place to Michael the huge crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway went crazy with excitement. It was one of the classic "Indianapolis 500" moments.
The 1992 "Indianapolis 500" must represent Michael Andretti's biggest disappointment. He took the lead going into turn one at the start from sixth on the grid. He completely dominated the race leading 160 laps. At one point he had a lap on the field. But with eleven laps to go Andretti lost oil pressure in his K Mart Texaco Lola - Ford Cosworth and coasted to a stop.
Andretti's most recent appearance in the "Indianapolis 500" came in 1995. He had a good run going and led 45 laps. I never figured out why Michael ran into Mauricio Gugelmin at the entry to the pits on lap 77. It must've been brain fade. He's been known to experience that from time to time like his father. The mistake bent the suspension on the Andretti's Newman Haas K Mart Texaco Lola - Ford and put him out of the race.
Al Unser Jr. was a contender in the 1984 "Indianapolis 500." His Galles Coors Light March - Cosworth was in the lead group that included eventual winner Rick Mears, 1983 "500" winner Tom Sneva and Mario Andretti. But a water pump failure on lap 132 put Al Jr. out of the race. I can visualize a very young Little Al racing with the leaders in his black Galles car number 7, under overcast skies during the 1984 "500."
Unser's next big moment in the "Indianapolis 500" came in the 1989 race and it was one for the history books. Who can forget how Little Al chased down Emerson Fittipaldi in the closing laps of the race? Actually Rick Galles was as responsible for getting Al to the front as Unser's Valvoline Lola - Chevrolet. The car had been running a lap down to Fittipaldi. Galles decided to take a gamble that Little Al had enough fuel to get to the finish without making the final scheduled pit stop. The gamble almost paid off too. If Unser could've found a way to keep Fittipaldi outside coming off turn two in traffic on lap 199 he probably would've won - - if he had enough fuel that is.
Perhaps the 1989 "Indianapolis 500" is the closest thing to a straight fight Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti had at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but in an indirect way. Here's how it goes. Andretti was Emerson Fittipaldi's first obstacle as he marched over the field on the way to his first Indianapolis victory. Then near the end of the race Unser Jr. popped up to try to take the win away from Emmo.
Of Al Unser Jr.'s two "Indianapolis 500" wins one gives me great pleasure. The other was nice and I'm glad Little Al got it but it didn't give me a lot of satisfaction.
The 1992 "500" win was terrific, one of my all time favorite racing memories. Unser Jr. was in the Valvoline Galmer - Chevy. The Galmer was a great looking race car and it had a unique shape. But the car wasn't very good. The Ilmor Chevy A series V8 powering Unser's Galmer was becoming dated and underpowered compared to the new Ford Cosworth XB package, the stock block Buick V8 engines and even the new Ilmor Chevy B engine in Roger Penske's Marlboro cars. Not only was the Galmer - Chevy lacking performance and power but the Galles team had a total of seven engines blow up on Unser during "500" practice. In qualifying Unser turned in a four lap average of 222.980 mph that was good for twelfth on the grid but substantially off pole sitter Roberto Guerrero's record speed of 232.480 mph. Therefore I wasn't confident going into the 1992 "Indianapolis 500" that Al Unser Jr. would have much opportunity to win.
When the race started amidst cold, blustery conditions Al Unser Jr. began going backwards falling to fourteenth position on the start. At the same time Michael Andretti began blowing away the entire field including Little Al. By the halfway point of the race Unser's number 3 navy blue and white Valvoline Galmer was running one lap behind the leader Andretti.
But the 1992 "Indianapolis 500" developed into series of opportunities that Unser Jr. was prepared to take advantage of. Fifty-one of the race's first 102 laps were run under caution. Beginning with pole sitter Guerrero's crash on the pace lap, one driver after another found the concrete walls at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway most likely due to the track surface being too cold for the Goodyear tires to grip. Tom Sneva, Philippe Gache, Stan Fox, Rick Mears, Jim Crawford, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Jimmy Vasser, Brian Bonner, Jeff Andretti, Gary Bettenhausen and Arie Luyendyk all crashed during the race. The constant yellows enabled Al Jr. to make frequent pit stops to adjust his car. By the second half of the race the Valvoline car was working pretty well, running in excess of 220 mph. Unser moved back on to the lead lap and began to move up in the standings followed by Scott Goodyear and his father.
When Andretti's white and black Lola - Ford Cosworth lost oil pressure on lap 189, Al Jr. was ready to take control. There was the matter of Scott Goodyear who clung to Little Al like wet clothes after Unser passed the Canadian for second place a lap or two before Andretti's car quit. But somehow Al Unser Jr. managed to stay in front and he held off Goodyear by about eight feet at the finish line.
The final eleven laps of the 1992 "Indianapolis 500" were among the most intense I ever experienced at any racing event. I was standing on the edge of the creek inside turn one. My field of vision wasn't very wide. My sight lines from the main stretch were cut off by the old Tower Terrace seats at the south end of the pits. I couldn't hear my radio or Tom Carnegie on the Speedway PA system over the roar of the crowd as Unser fought to keep from losing his lead to Goodyear. When Unser and Goodyear slowed coming through turn one after taking the checkered flag I wasn't sure who had won the race. The only indication I had was that Goodyear pulled alongside Unser's car in turn one as they were slowing in what looked like a gesture of congratulations. But I wasn't sure. The cars were on the backstretch before I knew that Al Unser Jr. had won the "Indianapolis 500."
Al Unser's 1994 "Indianapolis 500" win didn't bring as much pleasure to me as his 1992 victory. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with Nigel Mansell. I declared myself neutral between Mansell and Al Unser Jr. going into the 1994 "500." But I felt a much larger sense of urgency about Nigel winning, probably due in a large part to the rumors surrounding Mansell in the days leading up to the 1994 "500" which had him returning to Formula One. When Dennis Vitolo ran over the top of Mansell as Nigel was coming to the pits on lap 92 taking him out of the "500," I became terribly disappointed.
But a lot of my dissatisfaction with Al Unser Jr.'s second Indianapolis win had to do with the comparison in performances to Penske teammate Emerson Fittipaldi during the 1994 "500." Unlike 1992, Al Jr. had access to one of the three best cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 1994, the Marlboro Penskes powered by the top secret Ilmor Mercedes V8 pushrod engine. For all intents and purposes no one else stood a chance but Unser Jr., Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy.
It made me feel pretty good when Al Jr. stole the pole position away from Fittipaldi for the 1994 "500." Little Al got his qualifying run (228.010) in before rains washed out several hours of action on the track. Fittipaldi had to wait until the next day (227.300) when temperatures were higher and the track was more slippery. It made me feel even better when Al beat Emmo into turn one at the start of the race to lead 24 laps going into the first series of pit stops. But Unser Jr. stalled momentarily leaving the pits and from that point on, Fittipaldi seemed able to pull away from Al with ease. They were driving the same cars for the same team but Fittipaldi was making a shambles of the race. I recall reading somewhere that Emmo had 145 of the fastest laps during the 1994 "500."
Fortunately Al Unser Jr. was able to compensate for what he lacked in speed with race craft. When Little Al managed to get past Fittipaldi and back on to the lead lap within the final twenty laps it seemed to rattle Emmo. Maybe Fittipaldi was trying to get the lap back in case of a yellow flag when he crashed on lap 185. Whether Emmo had brain fade or not when he pushed into the wall coming out of turn four Little Al was waiting. Certainly I was glad it happened but Al's win didn't feel nearly as good to me as two years earlier. That Unser Jr. actually took the checkered flag behind the pace car after Stan Fox crashed within of a few laps of the finish tended to take away even more of the satisfaction I should've been feeling at the time.
As Al Unser Jr. said on the ABC feature during the IRL telecast from Atlanta, he and Michael Andretti have had "parallel" careers. Both won CART championships. Unser took his first title in 1990 with a six win season. Who finished second in the standings to Little Al in 1990? It was Andretti with five wins for the season. Who followed Al Jr. as CART champion in 1991? It was Michael Andretti with a record eight win season. Who else had a record eight win season in CART? It was Al Unser Jr. who won eight races on the way to his second CART championship in 1994.Who is the all time race winner in CART? It's Michael Andretti with 40 victories? Where does Al Unser Jr. stand in the Indy car win category? He has 30 wins in CART and one win in the Indy Racing League.
Michael Andretti was the only one of the two drivers to make it to Formula One. Recall however that Al Unser Jr. had the opportunity to go to Formula One in 1991, two years ahead of Michael. Little Al had talks with Frank Williams during summer 1990. It was reported that Unser was offered $6 million for 1991. Al wanted to take the offer but insisted on being allowed to compete in the "Indianapolis 500." Williams wouldn't agree and signed Jean Alesi shortly after. Then Alesi worked free of his new Williams contract to go to Ferrari to replace Nigel Mansell who announced his retirement at the end of the 1990 season. Needing a number one driver for the new FW14 - Renault V10, Frank Williams and Patrick Head had to lure Mansell out of his announced retirement. The rest of that story is history. Although the Mansell deal had already been completed by then and racing was over for the season, Little Al tested a Williams F1 car on Thanksgiving weekend 1990. What if Al Unser Jr. had taken Frank Williams' offer for 1991 earlier that year? Could he have been the 1992 World Champion rather than the winner of the "Indianapolis 500" the same season?
As I write this, I'm thinking of some of the Al Unser Jr. - Michael Andretti battles on the race track over the years. The first one that comes to mind was the 1986 CART race in Long Beach. I went to a case filled with some of my books and pulled out one featuring art by Randy Owens called "Ten Year Retrospective." Beginning on page 58 there is a two page spread with one of Owens' works called "Toyland." The painting or serigraph as Owens calls it features Andretti's Kraco March leading Unser's Dominos Pizza Lola nose to tail in that Long Beach race. It was Michael's first CART win. Little Al finished second.
Another Unser Jr. - Andretti battle that I recall came at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin in late September 1991. I was at Road America for that race. I loved going to Road America. I only missed one CART race (1989) at the beautiful four mile road circuit from the first race in 1982 through my final trip in 1996. I wanted Al Unser Jr. to win at Road America badly. Perhaps my most memorable race at Elkhart Lake was the 1991 event.
It was cool and the rain was falling in a slight mist during the 1991 race. Little Al was in front for most of the race in his Valvoline Lola with Michael following in the K Mart Havoline Lola. It looked like Unser Jr. was going to win but a late race stop for fuel allowed Andretti to take the lead. After coming out of the pits Al Jr. was flying and was looking like he could catch Michael. As the laps wound down however the rain began falling with more intensity. Both drivers had to slow their pace allowing Andretti to take the win.
Al Unser Jr. had the 1996 race at Road America well in hand with Michael Andretti a distant second. This was the first year of the Indy car split and both drivers had missed the "Indianapolis 500." By then I'd come down heavy on the side of the Indy Racing League. While at Elkhart Lake my mind was preoccupied with thinking about the IRL race that same day at New Hampshire International Speedway, which I was recording on my VCR back in Chicago.
When Little Al passed by my location outside turn seven for the final time I thought he was going to finally get a win at Elkhart Lake. But five corners later and less than a mile from victory the Ilmor Mercedes V8 engine in Unser's Marlboro Penske blew up. Andretti went by Unser's stricken racer for an opportunistic win.
If you think about it, Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti were the names mentioned most often when the Indy car split occurred in 1996 as being the stars missing from the "Indianapolis 500." Now Tony George has both of them running in the "Indianapolis 500" together again. Is Tony George winning the Indy car war or what? It looks that way to me but that's another long story.
Perhaps Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti have been the primary victims of the Indy car split that kept both away from the "Indianapolis 500" when they were at the height of their talents. Had CART continued to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway it's probable either or both drivers would've won the "500."
Neither Al Unser Jr. nor Michael Andretti have had a pleasant month of May so far. Both have had to operate under stressful circumstances and both came relatively close to missing the eighty-fifth "Indianapolis 500" altogether. Little Al and Michael each had problems finding speed. Unser suffered from having two cars in the Galles stable damaged at the Atlanta IRL race on April 28. The team suffered another setback when Casey Mears wrecked one of the black and white Galles G-Force chassis on May 7 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I think Rick Galles took on too much trying to field cars for Mears and Didier Andre as well as provide cars for Al Jr. Andretti seemed uncomfortable in the Dallaras prepared by the IRL Panther Racing team and ran below many fans expectations.
During the week of practice leading up to qualifications Unser Jr. ran a total of 257 practice laps with his fastest lap being 222.013 mph. Andretti had a total of 307 laps of practice prior to Pole day on May 12. His fastest lap was 222.927 mph.
Little Al qualified nineteenth at 221.615 mph. That turned out to be the thirty-second fastest speed in the starting field of 33 cars. I stood nervously in the pits at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Sunday on "Bump day" hoping that Al's number 3 Starz SuperPak G-Force wouldn't be bumped from the field. It was close. Al Unser Jr. better start letting it hang out more in qualifying if he wants to get back on top. He usually does a good job in the races but he nearly always has to come through the field from the back.
Michael Andretti's qualifying run on Pole day (220.747) was only 24th fastest of the 27 cars that qualified. By the close of Pole day qualifications at 6 PM it was pretty apparent Michael would have to take drastic measures before he left for Japan for the CART race to ensure his place in the "500" field. Less than an hour before he was to catch a flight on Sunday May 13 Andretti withdrew his primary car 39 Motorola Dallara. In a gutsy run reminiscent of the Michael Andretti of old, he qualified his backup car at 223.566 mph.
As the fates would have it Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti will both start Sunday's "Indianapolis 500" from row seven separated by rookie Bruno Junqueira who is driving one of the four Chip Ganassi Target G-Force entries in the race. Perhaps this won't be the year when Al Unser Jr. and Michael Andretti finally have their anticipated battle for victory in the "Indianapolis 500." But then maybe it will be.
Al Unser Jr. career statistics - "Indianapolis 500"
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Michael Andretti career statistics - "Indianapolis 500"
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