Little Al

BSchneiderFan · 21 May 2003, 23:01 (Ref:606385)

OK, simple question: just how good is Al Unser Jr.? Two-times CART champion, three-times winner of the Daytona 24 Hours, IROC champion, winner of the Indy 500... Lucky or good? Or both? Also, how good is he now?

For what it's worth, my (uneducated) view is that in the late '80s and early '90s, he was very good indeed. Now, I think he's still got some speed. With a top team in the IRL - if Penske took him back, say - I think he'd have a tilt at the title, as the speed on ovals is still largely there. But, in his forties, I don't think he has what it takes to drag a team like Kelley to the very top of the IRL.

Thoughts?

Tailwind · 21 May 2003, 23:07 (Ref:606391)

He was unstapable in the 80's. Now he just doesn't have it to compete for championships. I can't really say how he is doing over there, but it was more than just the uncompetative Penske car he was driving that keeped him from doing well the last couple of years in Champ Cars.

Dov · 21 May 2003, 23:28 (Ref:606404)

Should this not be in the IRL forum? Who cares about Al Uuser Jr.!

Flatspot · 21 May 2003, 23:28 (Ref:606405)

Little Al's carrying a ton of baggage that I don't think he can shed and he has to, to get back to the top. Could he? Yes. Will he? No.

Dave S · 21 May 2003, 23:29 (Ref:606406)

He was a really good driver back then. I think his downfall was his lifestyle. Excesive drinking, never interested in conditioning, etc eroded his skills at too young an age. Penske dropped him for that very reason. He's well over the hill now even though he's not physically that old.

BSchneiderFan · 21 May 2003, 23:30 (Ref:606407)

Well, he was in CART/Indy Cars for fifteen years; this is his fourth in the IRL. So I put it here.

I would say anyone interested in US open-wheel racing cares about Little Al.

Lee Janotta · 21 May 2003, 23:43 (Ref:606416)

He was pretty good once. He was always better than Mikey when they were in CART. But his hedonism destroyed his talent as a driver, he's useless now.

Dov · 21 May 2003, 23:47 (Ref:606419)

Al Unser Jr. is NOT IN CART annymore! I am interested in US OW racing....it's called CART! Until both series unite or one of them folds, then this thread should be moved to the IRL forum.

Jay · 22 May 2003, 02:32 (Ref:606462)

I disagree, he made a name for himself in Cart, as did many other drivers, thus it's a valid topic here.

I'm not sure how you end up with a name like "little" though...lol.

Liz · 22 May 2003, 02:52 (Ref:606467)

Simple, really; if your daddy is well known and your name is the same as his, in the South you are known as either "Junior" or "Little [Daddy's Name]".

Personally I think he should have retired about five years ago, while he was still a pretty good driver.

Jay · 22 May 2003, 03:24 (Ref:606472)

Agreed, if his name was 'John Smith'....or 'Little Jon', he'd be history long ago.

macdaddy · 22 May 2003, 04:16 (Ref:606479)

Always was, and still is, one of my all-time favourite drivers. I wish him all the luck in the world, and if Vasser doesn't win on Sunday, then I'll be rooting for Little Al. Besides, if you were to meet him, he's a heckuva nice guy.

The Snout · 22 May 2003, 05:10 (Ref:606486)

He's ****. Hasn't done much in the IRL as compared to his early to mid 90s form in CART.

jetsetter · 22 May 2003, 08:39 (Ref:606563)

Unfortunately his career appears to be in decline, he was certainly a good driver in his day though.

f1manoz · 22 May 2003, 09:06 (Ref:606588)

His career has been in a rapid decline since around 1997.

**GTRMagic** · 22 May 2003, 09:38 (Ref:606615)

The bigger question is whether the sport has improved their drug detection, and whether there is really a zero tolerance rule in place or not

At a road race called Targa Tasmania that concluded last weekend, a codriver was disqualified from the event for blowing into a breathyalyser at 3 times the limit

Little Al admits he used cocaine, pot, drinking etc etc and not a thing is done

BSchneiderFan · 22 May 2003, 10:04 (Ref:606634)

I think Tomas Enge could tell you how stringent drug tests are...

BootsOntheSide · 22 May 2003, 11:38 (Ref:606704)

Maybe less stringent in the US. All the same, Al Jr has made an effort to clean up his act, even voluntarily missing races last year so he could go into rehab.

His lifestyle has probably had a negative effect on his career's downward trajectory, but in fairness by the late 90s he'd reached an age where it becomes harder to be competitive on road/street courses, especialyl as Penske were really struggling. Who knows how he may've done alongsdie De Ferran in 2000?

However, I don't think he's as good, even on ovals, as the CART defectees and young blood. His day has passed, and I think he'll be doing well to place top 10 in the championship. It's not as if he was doing well when the competition was mainly from guys like Lazier, Sharp and Boat.

None of this shoudl take away form how good he was at his peak. He was capable of rescuing a great drive out of nowhere and was always moving up through the order on raceday. His relatively poor qualifying hindered him a bit though.

And this should go in the IRL forum, as he's an IRL man now, and we're talking about his current ability as much as his past skill. A similar thread about Montoya would go in the F1 forum, no questions asked. Should be the same here.

KC · 22 May 2003, 12:34 (Ref:606775)

Little Al was almost never the fastest racer on the track. He did not garner that many poles. He did however run at the front, run the most consistent lap times, run just as fast on old tires as new ones, and had excellent racing strategy. I think that his lifestyle caught him out in this day of ultra-fit athletic race car drivers. He was from the old school of hard drinking and smoking drivers. Its impossible these days to get away with that behavior.

Raven · 22 May 2003, 16:09 (Ref:607008)

Well I didn't see him for most of his prime as I only started watching CART regularly in '96, but can remember some races in 94 when Mansell was there, and Al Jr. was very impressive back then.

BTW: Didn't most of his wins come on road/street courses?

Lee Janotta · 22 May 2003, 18:09 (Ref:607102)

Indeed Raven, he was the better road racer in the rivalry between himself and the younger Andretti. Michael was more successful on ovals. Although I've always disliked Unser Jr., he would have been the better choice for McLaren in 1993.

Tiresmoke · 22 May 2003, 18:39 (Ref:607122)

Little Al was good a long time ago. he drank away most of the years he could have still been decent. now he's no good and he's certainly no role model.

The Snout · 22 May 2003, 21:32 (Ref:607237)

Al Jr. should do a Al Sr. and just run the
longer distance stuff.

Liz · 23 May 2003, 16:55 (Ref:608101)

Quote:

Originally posted by macdaddy
Always was, and still is, one of my all-time favourite drivers. I wish him all the luck in the world, and if Vasser doesn't win on Sunday, then I'll be rooting for Little Al. Besides, if you were to meet him, he's a heckuva nice guy.

I met him or tried to at the 1998 Molson Indy Toronto. He was attended by a "handler" who told me sharply to "take a signed photo and move along."

Which I did. I gave the signed photo to one of my suppliers who was thereafter my devoted slave.