Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.

Dismiss

Unser Family Still Rides High

4 views

Skip to first unread message

Bruce Watson

unread,

Sep 12, 1997, 3:00:00 AM9/12/97

Unser Family Still Rides High
IndyCar great Al Jr. to race at Laguna Seca
Jonathan Curiel, Chronicle Staff Writer

He smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and is used to lighting up in
public, which is why Al Unser Jr. was shocked yesterday morning when a
restaurant waiter told him to put out his cigarette.

"What's next?" Unser joked. "I can't drink coffee because it's bad for my
health?"

One of the most famous names in IndyCar racing, Unser Jr. is not very
health conscious. He eschews such trendy beverages as seaweed juice
(which Emerson Fittipaldi drinks), preferring coffee that's strong and
black and doughnuts that are sweet and filling. Not very well-read when
it comes to health matters, Unser Jr. didn't know that it's now illegal
to smoke in California restaurants, even in a restaurant's patio.

"Can you believe it?" he asked.

Unser Jr. is 35 now, a father of four kids. For years, he was known
primarily as the the son of Al Unser Sr., but his father has been retired
for three years, and so it's Unser Jr. who carries the weight of the
family name. He looks just like his father, and wins just like him, too.
With 31 IndyCar victories, Unser Jr. is second among active drivers,
behind only Michael Andretti (36). (On the all-time list, Unser Sr. is
No. 3 with 39 wins, while Bobby Unser--Al Unser Sr.'s brother--is No. 5
with 35.)

Unser is a wealthy man and among the elite in his field. He could--if he
wanted to draw on his heritage and success--be a braggart, but he is
friendly and almost unassuming. When the restaurant waiter told him to
put out his cigarette yesterday, Unser didn't castigate him or complain.
Instead, he turned it into a funny conversation about the plight of
smokers; the waiter probably didn't even know who Unser was, though there
are millions of people who would recognize him. Rock star Billy Corgan of
the Smashing Pumpkins is a fan of Unser's, and Ronald Reagan was
captivated enough to invite him and his father to the White House. Last
night, he threw out the first pitch at the A's-Giants game.

0 new messages