Al Unser, Sr. drives the Marmon Wasp at the 100th running of the Indy 500 in 2016. Photo by Mike Harding, courtesy Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in northeastern Florida is unique among similar exhibitions in America in that it honors motorsport with as much fervor as it does in recognizing great road cars. Historic racing cars of the past share equal space with the classics on its show field. At the end of the day, dual awards are given out for Best of Show, with one going to a race car and the other devoted to a road car. And racing people are honored dearly at the event. Next year's honoree will be Al Unser Sr., the second man to win four Indianapolis 500s, and a lot more than that.
Unser at Indy in 1970, the year of his first win. Photo courtesy IMS.
Unser came out of New Mexico to stamp his imprint on American racing during one of its most competitive and dangerous eras. He raced competitively in Sprint cars, dirt track Championship cars, and of course, being an Unser, the Pikes Peak hillclimb. He was a member of the Indianapolis 500 rookie class of 1965, one of the most competitive in the May classic's history. He is one of a handful of drivers to have won the great race twice consecutively, in 1970 and 1971. A lot of racing fans call Unser the last true national champion, because in 1970, he won all five events on dirt miles before those great speed plants were dropped from the USAC national championship trail, which that year consisted of paved ovals, road courses and dirt tracks.
The 1987 Indy 500. Unser won the race at age 48. Photo courtesy IMS.
It's a great matter of Indy 500 folklore that Unser became the race's oldest winner (48) in 1987, the same year he won the IROC title, by using a year-old March-Cosworth that had been a display piece in the lobby of a Reading, Pennsylvania, hotel until it was pressed into service. Unser also won the 24 hours of Daytona in 1985 teamed with A.J. Foyt, Thierry Boutsen and the late Bob Wollek.
The Amelia Island Concours is set for March 10-12, 2017. For more information, visit AmeliaConcours.org.
from Hemmings Daily – News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/2bz70NW
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