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Hink
06-29-04, 04:06 PM
From Robin Miller on www.Speedtv.com

Al Unser Jr to Announce Retirement

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/11800/

You were really Foyting it up out there by hanging on too long.

B3RACER1a
06-29-04, 04:15 PM
Sad to see him go. Always was a fan. It was tough watching him in the IRL praising TG, but oh well, still a fan. Really hope he gets everything straightened out, sounds like he is on his way.

I personally dont think he stayed around too long, just because he wasnt winning championships right to the end....he still won a few races....more than guys in the sport thier whole career have done.

racer2c
06-29-04, 04:23 PM
The last ten years wasn't kind to lil' Al. I rooted for him in the early '90's and thought of him back then as a good ambassador for the sport. He was high profile, ran IROC, a star across the board. then it just sort of went down hill. I'm sure the things going on in his personal life carried over into the cockpit. It's strange to see Mikey as a team owner and not have Al in that same position, but you never know. I have been hard on Al in the past. I do not have much sympathy for guys who ruin themselves, but he had his moments.

Audi_A4
06-29-04, 04:28 PM
he got a job working at the CLASSY CHASSIS as the VIP driver.

GOFAST1
06-29-04, 04:46 PM
Unser jr has retired from real racing for long time. He was good before 1996 after that something went wrong. Adios and best of luck.

JoeBob
06-29-04, 04:56 PM
I haven't been a fan of his career lately, but there was a time when he was "King of the Beach." That wasn't easy to do.

I'll always remember "the rest of the story" from his 1992 Indy 500 win. In victory lane, Jack Arute, never one to give a compelling interview said, "Al, you have tears in your eyes. Why are you so emotional?" Little Al glared at him and replied, "You just don't know what Indy means."

It is too bad that one of the all time greatest Jack Arute smackdowns has lived on without its proper context. But, I haven't forgotten.

Hopefully history remembers the Al Unser, Jr who dominated Long Beach like nobody else ever has. I'd love to forget the Al Unser, Jr who was reduced to dressing up like Dracula.

cart7
06-29-04, 05:01 PM
Pretty good driver in his day but I think he took the whole Indy thing way too serious. I have a feeling his being away from it after the split is what helped lead to his problems. Adios Al.

Wally
06-29-04, 05:33 PM
Whats that line Tony Soprano always used to describe his mother...... ;)

Seriously, a once brilliant racing career comes to somewhat depressing end.
I will forget all the earl spew we have had to put up with over the years and wish Al Jr. well. I suspect without driving it won't be easy.

FanofMario
06-29-04, 06:48 PM
A not so graceful end to a remarkable career. I was never a real fan, but the guy could drive anything well in his day. A very good road racer who became addicted to ovals.

Methanolandbrats
06-29-04, 07:02 PM
Back to full-time partying for Al :thumbup:

TedN
06-29-04, 07:14 PM
Back to full-time partying for Al :thumbup:

You must be very proud of that remark.

Ted

:thumdown: :shakehead

RichK
06-29-04, 08:28 PM
From the Speed article:

Unser's final totals will be 34 wins (31 in CART), a pair of Indy triumphs, a pair of CART championships, a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and a two-time IROC champion.

I was never a fan, but he was quite a driver before he messed up his life and career.

Methanolandbrats
06-29-04, 09:02 PM
You must be very proud of that remark.

Ted

:thumdown: :shakehead If you don't like it STFU and move on to the next thread.

Michaelhatesfans
06-29-04, 09:03 PM
He had great speed in his younger days, then decided to flush his life and his career down the toilet. What respect or appreciation I had for him began evaportating pretty quickly in the mid-90's. By the time I saw his mug shot last year, I could have cared less what he did with the rest of his life. As a race fan, I'm glad he is going to walk away from the sport in one piece. As a person, I wouldn't walk across the street to say hello.

Michaelhatesfans
06-29-04, 09:05 PM
You must be very proud of that remark.

Ted

:thumdown: :shakehead
Let's keep it in perspective - this isn't an obituary thread. The guy retired, that's all. He's still fair game as far as I'm concerned.

Madmaxfan2
06-29-04, 11:01 PM
A sad end to a one time great career. No last "time tours" for this guy. After, Michael got one, Al certainly is deserving of one, but then this split has ruined a lot of things. As far as his personal troubles, not suprising given his uncle and father and thier divorces.

Sean O'Gorman
06-29-04, 11:12 PM
He had great speed in his younger days, then decided to flush his life and his career down the toilet. What respect or appreciation I had for him began evaportating pretty quickly in the mid-90's. By the time I saw his mug shot last year, I could have cared less what he did with the rest of his life. As a race fan, I'm glad he is going to walk away from the sport in one piece. As a person, I wouldn't walk across the street to say hello.

Look whos talking, ginny. ;)

Railbird
06-29-04, 11:12 PM
Jr was a hell of a shoe in his day.

One of the best in the concrete canyons.

Kinda screwed the pooch with too much partyin' but that's the way it goes.

Glad to see him walk away from a crap deal healthy.

Best wishes

Ziggy
06-29-04, 11:53 PM
Methonalandbrats, I thought that was very funny

Keep up the good work :D

indyfan31
06-30-04, 12:28 AM
That's really too bad, he'll always be my favorite driver. I've been to one IRL race throughout it's existence: Las Vegas, 2000. I went there for only one reason, to watch Jr run. After an ill-timed yellow left him a lap down, he put on an oval racing clinic. There were only about 5000 people there, when he passed the leader to get his lap back, every one of us jumped out of our seats. To watch him win that race in a Galles car was all I could ask for ... that, and the $80 I won on a $10 bet at Ceasar's :) .
I've been to Long Beach every year since '91, I've watched him win 5 times. In his prime he was as good as they get.
Unfortunately he hooked up with an inferior team this year and it showed, even though that's all he could get. Fortunately I no longer have any reason to watch another IRL race for the rest of my life.
Good luck Al, glad you got out of this in one piece, sorry it wasn't the way you wanted it to end.

In a typical show of stupidity, the lead story on the IRL page is about Taylor getting fired ... not a word about Unser Jr.

Michaelhatesfans
06-30-04, 01:01 AM
Look whos talking, ginny. ;)
:rofl:

Hey! I thought what happened on Seventh Gear stayed on Seventh Gear - kind of like Vegas?!

I owe you one, SeanO... :laugh:

Fio1
06-30-04, 01:34 AM
What ever you want to say about Little Al, the fact remains that he was the man in the late 80's to mid 90's. :cool:

The guy off the track is a complete plonker, but on the track he was one of the best the USA has ever seen. The guy was good, and he'll be missed. Too bad he couldn't win one more race.

BTW, I was there in Riverside 82, don't remeber much, just knew I was there.

Also, it would be cool if his kid makes it. He's a good kid. :)

and, Simmons is a great choice. I'm glad he's getting a shot at a full time gig. :thumbup:

TroyM1
06-30-04, 04:21 AM
I can truly say I'm not sad to see Al Unser Jr. gone from racing. This guy's career went from the penthouse to the outhouse so quick because he couldn't stay off of the booze and cigarettes and whatever else he took. His comments a few years back about younger drivers willing to "win at all costs" really showed he had lost it. At least Michael Andretti can say he was competitive until the end of his career.

Andrew Longman
06-30-04, 10:03 AM
I've never liked any Unser. I don't even remember why anymore, but it goes way back.

I think it was Big Als "Johnny Lightning Special" sponsorship. As a kid, everyone knew that Hot Wheels were way better and Johnny Lightning were just cheap knock offs. :)

4wheeldrifter
06-30-04, 10:19 AM
Little Al, pre-IRL: :thumbup: Salut.

Let's just hope he doesn't turn his father's "interview" with Jack Myroot (outside the Unser motorhome at Indy) into a duet. Buck up and stay clean Bud.

BNica
06-30-04, 11:07 AM
all I will say is that I saw him race at the peak of his powers, and he had considerable skills.

Michaelhatesfans
06-30-04, 11:17 AM
I've never liked any Unser. I don't even remember why anymore, but it goes way back.

I think it was Big Als "Johnny Lightning Special" sponsorship. As a kid, everyone knew that Hot Wheels were way better and Johnny Lightning were just cheap knock offs. :)
:)
I was just talking about that era with someone recently - he was too young to know about the metal badge that you would get with a Hotwheel. You know, the one that would cut you to ribbons if you held it wrong? :laugh: He just looked at me incredulously, insisting that they would never put something like that in a toy.

Brickman
06-30-04, 11:34 AM
As far as his stats, not a great qualifer, but a great racer. A big favorite in my book, from his almost Indy win crashing with Emmo (sportsmanship and class displayed more so than anywhere) to his domination of Long Beach.

Champ Car career:

CAREER STATS
Starts 273
Poles 7
Podiums 80
Wins 31

:thumbup:

B3RACER1a
06-30-04, 11:37 AM
I bet we'll see him at least once in a tin-top or ALMS or something like that.

Brickman
06-30-04, 11:48 AM
I bet we'll see him at least once in a tin-top or ALMS or something like that.

He ran in the Daytona 500 in 1993, IF I remember correctly he was doing quite well until Earnhardt gave him the bumper. Crashed out. I very much doubt he's going to Tin Tops. Saw him win in IROC at Watkins Glen in 1989.

JoeBob
06-30-04, 12:00 PM
He drove a Valvoline sponsored car for Rick Hendrick in that race.

Have no doubt, it was nothing personal. Dale was just protecting Southern pride.

Brickman
06-30-04, 12:16 PM
He drove a Valvoline sponsored car for Rick Hendrick in that race.

Have no doubt, it was nothing personal. Dale was just protecting Southern pride.

Found this.

"Another incident on lap 157 started when Al Unser Jr. clipped Earnhardt's bumper and began to spin damaged Kyle Petty's chances at a win when he was caught up in the aftermath."

They don't say which bumper. Maybe Al clipped Dale.... maybe.

JLMannin
06-30-04, 12:30 PM
Al Jr. was at the top of his game when he drove the '92 Galmer. He drove on the edge all the time.

Not being able to race at Indy is what broke him - he failed to qualify in 1995 and Penske didn't earl until 2000. We all make fun of Al for his "You don't know what Indy means" quote, but it really meant everything to him. It meant enough to him that he turned to alcohol, strippers, and possibly drugs and lost his family and his career in the process.

In the early 90's, he was a great racer, but not much of a qualifyer.

Madmaxfan2
06-30-04, 12:36 PM
Al Jr. was at the top of his game when he drove the '92 Galmer. He drove on the edge all the time.

Not being able to race at Indy is what broke him - he failed to qualify in 1995 and Penske didn't earl until 2000. We all make fun of Al for his "You don't know what Indy means" quote, but it really meant everything to him. It meant enough to him that he turned to alcohol, strippers, and possibly drugs and lost his family and his career in the process.

In the early 90's, he was a great racer, but not much of a qualifyer.

From some insiders who had visited the Penske Hospitality tent in the early 90's, Al was already on the road to ruin. I am sure after 1995 the decline was accelerated by his lack of Indy success

JLMannin
06-30-04, 12:41 PM
From some insiders who had visited the Penske Hospitality tent in the early 90's, Al was already on the road to ruin. I am sure after 1995 the decline was accelerated by his lack of Indy success

You are probably correct.

Chiphead_Dave
06-30-04, 12:46 PM
I loved Al Jr. when I was younger.
Hoped he would get it back when he
started to decline.

Then the whole cigarettes, booze, drugs, strippers thing
turned me off.

Sad that he left at the bottom.

People on ludes shouldn't drive.

theunions
06-30-04, 05:32 PM
Found this.

"Another incident on lap 157 started when Al Unser Jr. clipped Earnhardt's bumper and began to spin damaged Kyle Petty's chances at a win when he was caught up in the aftermath."

They don't say which bumper. Maybe Al clipped Dale.... maybe.

The top photo on page 84 of the '93 Daytona 500 Yearbook clearly shows the #3 rear-ending AUJ's #46, shoving Al into Hillin.

JoeBob
06-30-04, 05:36 PM
Interesting stats I compiled today on his career:
Oval Starts: 111
Oval Wins: 6
Road Course Starts: 68
Road Course Wins: 5
Street Circuit Starts: 95
Street Circuit Wins: 20

The track where he won most often was Long Beach, where he had 6 wins. Here's how he did over a 10 year period:
1986: 2nd
1987: 2nd
1988: Winner
1989: Winner
1990: Winner
1991: Winner
1992: 4th
1993: 21st (contact)
1994: Winner
1995: Winner

I think you could make the case that he was the greatest street racer of all time. (I'd have to look up Michael Andretti's record on the streets - he was a good one as well.) Street races are like street fights, and you need to be one tough cookie to dominate on them. For a time - Al did just that.

pchall
06-30-04, 07:56 PM
From some insiders who had visited the Penske Hospitality tent in the early 90's, Al was already on the road to ruin. I am sure after 1995 the decline was accelerated by his lack of Indy success

He must have been far along. He was a wreck at the M-O open test in June 1997.

Brickman
07-01-04, 02:50 AM
The top photo on page 84 of the '93 Daytona 500 Yearbook clearly shows the #3 rear-ending AUJ's #46, shoving Al into Hillin.

Well... that's how I remembered it too. Was running in the top 5 at the time. Started way back in the field.

Seadog
07-01-04, 09:00 AM
Dale Earnhardt and Little Al were actually pretty good friends. Back in the early '90s when Dale was thinking of starting his own team he tried to hire Al Unser Jr. away. I don't recall the circumstances of Little Al getting punted, but I doubt it was personal.

Little Al was my first favorite driver and he remained so until I went to the Motorola 300 in '97 and I heard the rumblings about the women and the drugs. It's too bad about this guy, I hope he keeps his act together.

Andrew Longman
07-01-04, 11:05 AM
:)
I was just talking about that era with someone recently - he was too young to know about the metal badge that you would get with a Hotwheel. You know, the one that would cut you to ribbons if you held it wrong? :laugh: He just looked at me incredulously, insisting that they would never put something like that in a toy.

I forgot about those "badges". They looked like tires with a picture of the car in the wheel. They didn't have pins, no doubt a cost savings not a safety issue, but they had this little tab you bent to hook it on the collar. Made you look really stupid.

No doubt lil Al had talent, but I never rooted for him. Simply an association with his dad and especially his uncle. The Unsers and Foyt always seem too boastful and beat my man Mario more than my liking.

Then there was the 1980(?) 500 and Bobby passing under yellow and that whole mess. I saw an interview with him earlier this year and he still has no humility or perspective at all about it. And he still blames Mario for the controversy, not USACs inability to run a race or his own questionable actions.

And when lil Al went to the IRL, talked that crap, wore the vampire suit, and the rest I saw it only as a validation that the IRL was crap and lil Al was indeed an Unser.

I know my dislike is somewhat irrational but Unsers and Foyt have always been my "bad guys".

I will give him huge credit for one thing: The way he handled wrecking with Emmo at Indy. That was class and great for the sport. A bit different than Cale and Bobby Allison (?) at the Daytona 500 a few years earlier.

nrc
07-01-04, 02:33 PM
I'm sure the other side will appreciate ChampCar's story on his retirement:


One of the top competitors ever to grace a Champ Car grid called it a career Wednesday when two-time Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford champion Al Unser Jr. announced his retirement for open-wheel racing in Indianapolis.

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7941


Al won a record six times at Long Beach, four times at Vancouver, and three times in Cleveland and Portland including his first-ever Champ Car win in 1984 in a race where he climbed from 10th to take the victory. He made the last of his 273 Champ Car starts in 1999 with a seventh-place run at Fontana and scored his final Champ Car victory in 1995 in typical fashion, charging from his ninth-place starting spot to win in Vancouver.
He may have won some other race in there a few times, we're not sure. :)

Michaelhatesfans
07-01-04, 05:28 PM
I forgot about those "badges". They looked like tires with a picture of the car in the wheel. They didn't have pins, no doubt a cost savings not a safety issue, but they had this little tab you bent to hook it on the collar. Made you look really stupid.

Yeah, it was that little tab - you could move it about twice before it snapped off, and then it left a tear that was as sharp as any razor blade! :eek: It's a miracle I made it to my 8th birthday with all my fingers intact. :laugh:

Michaelhatesfans
07-01-04, 05:31 PM
Street races are like street fights, and you need to be one tough cookie to dominate on them. For a time - Al did just that.
True, but sadly this isn't the type of street fighting that I'll remember him for.

Peter Venkman
07-01-04, 08:31 PM
Brickman,

I remember when Al Jr. and Emmo touched and blew Al into the wall, and I think I saw it differently.

It looked to me like Al was going out to the edge of the track; heatedly shoving off the track worker trying to get him into an ambulance, and giving Emmo the finger, but thought better of it after the twenty or so seconds that it took Emmo to round the track.

I wish Unser well, but I do believe the thumbs up was a quickly devised second thought.

Sean O'Gorman
07-01-04, 08:38 PM
Brickman,

I remember when Al Jr. and Emmo touched and blew Al into the wall, and I think I saw it differently.

It looked to me like Al was going out to the edge of the track; heatedly shoving off the track worker trying to get him into an ambulance, and giving Emmo the finger, but thought better of it after the twenty or so seconds that it took Emmo to round the track.

I wish Unser well, but I do believe the thumbs up was a quickly devised second thought.

Wasn't it said that the thumbs up is actually an obsenity in Brazilian culture?

Peter Venkman
07-01-04, 08:44 PM
Wasn't it said that the thumbs up is actually an obsenity in Brazilian culture?


I think you may be right, although I would doubt that Al knew Spanish gestures that well....

Ziggy
07-01-04, 09:13 PM
Thanks for posting that Peter. Little Al came to rest right across from my seat, and he was not happy. All the crap you have read for years is just that, legend. He did flip the bird... and changed gestures. He was pissed (and so was I) while a fan of Emmo's, at that speed I did not see what happened until the race was shown later that night. It was "one of them racing deals" before that phrase became part of the gomer lexicon.

Emmo came within a whisker of crashing that day as well. The racing Gods took payment for the '89 win in '94 when Emmo crashed out while trying to lap Al.

On the Daytona schmozzel. Dale E clipped Jr. in heavy lapped traffic right under the flag stand. My memory is a bit fuzzy and I think I know what happened, but wont post due to the nature of the Internet. Junior had a fast car that day, and all those hillbillys knew it.

Unser Jr. was a really good Indycar driver, make no mistake. His life sort of got away from him, a situation that would happen to many if they attained that celebrity.

Im afraid he will not go away quietly. A long term shill he will no doubt become. Tony having all that infield parking and all... his kid is a not ready for prime time player. Why they are pushing his so hard is beyond me.

One other stat you whiz bangs forgot
February 28th, Imperial California. 1/2 mile dirt. 20 lap feature which was the season opener for the very strong CRA sprint car club . Winner?????

Al Unser Junior, driving the Gary Stanton Chevy

Ziggy

Robstar
07-01-04, 09:26 PM
I think you may be right, although I would doubt that Al knew Spanish gestures that well....

You mean Portugese ? ;)

RHR_Fan
07-01-04, 09:56 PM
Al Jr. was my first favourite driver. And Road America '96 was my first CART race. Even though I followed him less and less throughout the years, RA '96 is still a heartbreak for me.

~Nicole

Ziggy
07-01-04, 10:16 PM
You should have seen the one at Elkhart Lake that got away when Rebaque won

He did lose some races as well, overall, he had ONE HELL OF A CAREER and never got hurt too bad. In a Crapwagon Environment, that's saying something

youdontknowwhatindymeans....................

JohnHKart
07-02-04, 06:29 AM
I've been thinking about this, driving those crapwagons must be real awe inspiring, because a few years after getting in them, it's causing many drivers to retire way earlier than they normally would !!! Anybody else notice this?

John

JohnHKart
07-02-04, 07:15 AM
This 2002 Robin Miller post drunk driving article blew me away, here it is again in case you missed it. It's definitely the first time I ever heard of an open wheel star being involved in dope and drink. When I'm so used to reading about Cart and F1 guys fitness programs, and how they don't normally even have a glass of wine, this story for me was a huge shock. I always thought only stick and ball players drank and did drugs. I'm glad Al got help, and I hope he is fine now, I like to remember him for the good times, although I can't forget the shock of this article.

http://espn.go.com/rpm/irl/2002/0709/1403741.html

JH

Turn7
07-02-04, 08:06 AM
....Im afraid he will not go away quietly. A long term shill he will no doubt become. Tony having all that infield parking and all... his kid is a not ready for prime time player. Why they are pushing his so hard is beyond me.


It is a feeble attempt to retain the only thing left in the IRL that can try and maintain from its original intent. A place for the Foyts, Andrettis and Unsers to race. They think that having those names will keep the IRL appealing to scuderia gommerwagon. They have migrated to engine leases, accelerated costs, instability in chassis and engine rules, ride buying, and owners/engine mfg. beginning to call the shots. American icon names are all that Tony has left of his purported purpose.

Plus, AUJ has probably signed some sort of personal contract with IMS when they paid for his ride the last two years. He is probably still required to provide an on track appearance but, due to some sort of problem with his abilities or reoccurance with his battle with substance abuse isn't able to fulfill it. He probably had to pay back a portion that he doesn't have and bargained his son as a replacement. That is just a WAG.

Joe in LA
07-02-04, 11:55 AM
One easy way to judge the desparate situation of open wheel is the fixation with promoting younger unproven generations of familiar names, and on female drivers. If open wheel weren't in bad straights, "Just Al" would be in the same boat as Robby and Johnny Unser were pre-IRL--a famous name with a limited track record that no one seemed to be worried about promoting to the big leagues. Sarah Fisher would have been a curiousity that passed a couple of years ago, and we would all be telling Danica Patrick to "prove it" on the track then we'll be interested in seeing her step up. Right now both series are so desparate for publicity that drivers like Foyt IV and Fisher are PR mainstays of the IRL, and there is a huge amount of attention on Unser, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and even Arie Luyendyk, Jr. (who has gone out of his way not to succeed in MIPS) that would probably not be there yet. Would Unser or Arie, Jr. be in a MIPS ride without the last name?

Contrast this with NASCAR. A female driver gets some press, has a few wrecks and fades off the map. Kerry Earnhardt can't get a cup ride, and there are a ton of "sons of" in the lower leagues who haven't progressed. NASCAR has its problems, but it can at least promote talent and pass on drivers that are more PR than substance (unless they've been in a CUP car for decades already).

This is not to suggest Unser, Andretti and Patrick--maybe even Foyt if he gets out of the family team and we can find out if there is any talent there-- won't make it someday, but the PR is way ahead of the career curve. FWIW, if I were a betting man, Marco will make it.

theunions
07-02-04, 01:10 PM
You should have seen the one at Elkhart Lake that got away when Rebaque won.

It was Senior who lost that one...Junior had made his series debut at Riverside the previous race as Rebaque's teammate (in the #33 Sullivan ran earlier in the year), with matching Carta Blanca sponsorship, but Junior would not reappear until next season, and I don't believe the #33 ran at Elkhart.

mapguy
07-02-04, 04:03 PM
scuderia gommerwagon.

Too effin' funny! :rofl: :D :thumbup:

Ziggy
07-02-04, 05:00 PM
Yeah, it was the race Jacques Villenuve (the uncle) won. Little Al stuffed it and broke his ankle. I got my hobo's mixed up :D

pchall
07-02-04, 08:16 PM
This 2002 Robin Miller post drunk driving article blew me away, here it is again in case you missed it. It's definitely the first time I ever heard of an open wheel star being involved in dope and drink. When I'm so used to reading about Cart and F1 guys fitness programs, and how they don't normally even have a glass of wine, this story for me was a huge shock. I always thought only stick and ball players drank and did drugs. I'm glad Al got help, and I hope he is fine now, I like to remember him for the good times, although I can't forget the shock of this article.

http://espn.go.com/rpm/irl/2002/0709/1403741.html

JH

The Scott Harrington reports in the local papers the years before make Al look like a temperance worker.

Peter Venkman
07-02-04, 08:24 PM
You mean Portugese ? ;)


Yup, I should have said Portugese.

I honestly wrote Protgugese first, and then thought Brazil?... wouldn't that be Spanish?.

Railbird
07-02-04, 09:28 PM
It's definitely the first time I ever heard of an open wheel star being involved in dope and drink.

Aw come on

Ever here of Achille Varzi?

This health and fitness deal is relatively new amongst racers.

Signed

Bobby Unser

Al Unser

Dick Rathmann

Graham Hill

Jud Larson

Jerry Grant

ps

Do some reading on Fangio and try to figure out what type prescriptions he used

theunions
07-02-04, 09:37 PM
Don't forget Troy Ruttman and Bud Tinglestad.

Sean O'Gorman
07-02-04, 09:41 PM
Aw come on

Ever here of Achille Varzi?

This health and fitness deal is relatively new amongst racers.

Signed

Bobby Unser

Al Unser

Dick Rathmann

Graham Hill

Jud Larson

Jerry Grant

ps

Do some reading on Fangio and try to figure out what type prescriptions he used

Good point. JohnHKart, where have you been?

Railbird
07-02-04, 09:48 PM
Don't forget Troy Ruttman and Bud Tinglestad.

Wow

Nice catch unions

I had a few drinks with Bud while he was making his decision to quit racing and start driving in a bizarr form of ramp to ramp thrill show stuff.

Hard *** racer just looking for an easy payday.

He could definately do some drinking.

Ruttman's story is well documented

JoeBob
07-02-04, 10:50 PM
The Whittingtons did some open wheel racing as well - and their exploits in the uh... import/export business are legendary.

Railbird
07-02-04, 11:12 PM
Well damn JoeBob

Let's not leave Randy Lanier out of the discussion.

or Tim Richmond

James Hunt anyone?

JohnHKart
07-03-04, 06:36 AM
Yeah what I'm referring to is from 92-2002...I've certainly read my share of stories about Tim Richmond and James Hunt and how Mario Andretti would party (drink) all night and then go out and win the race the next day. Oh and what's that 50's or early sixties story about the Nascar driver drinking at Darlington? It's one of my favorite quotes, "I can get down the straigtaway, but I need Jack Daniels to get me through the turns."

John