Al Unser
A master of precision and patience, he joined an exclusive club by winning the Indianapolis 500 four times, cementing his family's racing dynasty.
1939–2021 (age 82)·American racing driver·Birthday: May 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Al Unser emerged from the shadow of his older brother Bobby not with flash but with a relentless, calculating consistency that made him a terror at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While others chased speed laps, Unser mastered the art of staying in contention, often lurking just outside the lead before making a decisive move in the race's final stages. This strategy delivered him an unprecedented feat: victories at Indy in three different decades (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987). His 1987 win was a stunning capstone; he was a substitute driver without a full-time ride who took over an untested car mere days before the race and drove it to victory lane at age 47. Beyond the Brickyard, he claimed three national championships, his calm demeanor belying a fierce competitive fire. The Unser name is synonymous with American open-wheel racing, and Al's quiet excellence ensured his chapter was among the most compelling.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Al was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 80
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2021Died at 82
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Won the Indianapolis 500 four times (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987), one of only four drivers to do so.
- Secured the USAC/CART National Championship title in 1970, 1983, and 1985.
- His 1987 Indy 500 victory made him the oldest winner of the race at that time, at age 47.
- Part of the Unser family, which holds the record for most Indianapolis 500 wins (nine).
Did You Know?
He was the only person to have both a sibling (Bobby) and a child (Al Unser Jr.) who also won the Indy 500.
His first Indy 500 win in 1970 came after leading only the final 11 laps of the race.
He initially worked as a mechanic for his brother Bobby's racing team.
He drove a car nicknamed 'Johnny Lightning' to his first two Indy 500 victories.
“You have to be able to go fast, but you also have to finish. The race isn't over until the last lap.”
