Al Unser Sr. passed away on Thursday, one of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times and a fan of one of the most accomplished families in motorsports. He was 82 years old.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway said he died at his home in Chama, New Mexico. He had cancer for 17 years.

Uncer’s four Indianapolis 500 wins came in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. Final victory It made him the oldest driver, at 47, to win his first auto race in the United States.

In all, more than a dozen members of the Unser family will be racing cars, including the three Unser brothers. His older brother Bobby, who himself won the Indianapolis 500 three times, invited the 1987 race on television to the national audience.

Unser won this race against his son, Al Unser Jr. , who finished fourth that year and would go on to become one of the best drivers in the world, twice won the Indianapolis 500. They shared the track multiple times, and the father took on the title of Big Al after his son, nicknamed Little Al, established himself in the race.

At the Beatrice Indy Challenge in 1985, Unser stood next to his son at the end of the race. Briefly looking straight at each other, giving each other a wave, Uncer sprinted forward and won the race, The Associated Press reported.

“I have really mixed feelings,” the elder Unser said after the race. “I would like to see Al win. It is difficult to win championships.”

He added, “However, I am a rider and I have to race. I said yesterday, if he wins it, he will have to earn it.”

He beat his son for the title of the season by one point.

Alfred Unser Sr. was born in Albuquerque in 1939. His father, Jerry Unser, who owned a gas station and was an occasional racer and car builder, put him and his siblings on the road to racing kings.

Bobby’s brother He said in 2009 He and Al did not fight and were “best friends”. Al Unser passed on his love of racing to his son, helping the younger Al with the kart He started racing when he was 9 years old.

Unser became at least the third family member to die this year. Bobby He died in May at 87and his son, Bobby Anser, Jr. He passed away in June at the age of 65.

Al Unser made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1965, running the race 27 times, the third most race in history. He drove 644 laps during his career, which is still a record.

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Unser’s four wins in the Indianapolis 500 is a record shared by AJ Foyt, Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves, Who won this year’s race?.

for us retired in 1994 He lived in Albuquerque. His wife Susan died before him, and his two daughters, Mary and Deborah, died before him.