At the Brickyard Invitational: Unser family reunion

The final afternoon of the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association’s Brickyard Invitational was an homage to the great history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Several hours of high-speed oval exhibition runs were kicked off by the highlight of the day – an Unser family reunion.

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All five of the living Unser Indianapolis 500 veterans were on hand and driving cars relevant to their great careers. Three of the drivers – Al Sr., his son Al Jr. and Uncle Bobby combined for an almost unfathomable nine victories in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Fans pressed against the pit wall and the temporary fencing erected for their safety. There was an air of reverence as the champion drivers fired up their cars. Four-time “500” winner Al Sr. was in this 1971 winning P.J. Colt, three-time champion Bobby in his ’81 winner Penske and “Little” Al, who won two “500s,” was in his 1983 Rick Galles Eagle rookie year car.

Bobby’s son Robby drove his father’s 1968 “500” winning Eagle. Johnny, the son of the late Jerry Unser who lost his life at the Speedway in 1959, drove an ex-Eddie Sachs Watson roadster – the same car that tied the previous day for the SVRA’s A.J. Watson Trophy. Johnny wore a special helmet honoring his father’s memory that was presented to him in a touching moment the previous day by the Bell Helmet Company.

The Unsers roared down the front stretch at measured speed and held a respectful distance from each other. In perhaps a tip of the hat to seniority Bobby cross the yard of bricks first after four laps.

“I think I speak for the entire family when I say all of our hearts are touched by this moment,” said Bobby afterward. “This place means a lot to me. It means a lot to my family. We lived our lives for the Indianapolis 500 and the Speedway.”

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.

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