Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser today was named driver coach and consultant for the Indy Racing League.
The announcement was made at Walt Disney World Speedway, where IRL teams are preparing for Saturday's season-opening Indy 200.
Unser is one of two drivers to win the Indy 500 four times. He took the checkered flag at the Brickyard in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987. He competed at Indianapolis 27 times, led for 644 laps and completed 4,356 trips around the historic 2 1/2-mile oval. Unser retired in May 1994.
"During 1997, we will be dealing with new cars and engines, several new tracks and some exciting new drivers," said IRL executive director Leo Mehl. "Al has raced and tested and won on oval tracks throughout his career. His knowledge will be a tremendous asset, not only to the IRL and USAC, but to all the new teams and drivers who are entering our new oval series."
Unser, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, joins three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, who will drive the pace car at IRL events and handle other projects for the organization.
"Working with Leo is the key part," Unser said. "He's a heads-up man and that just makes it good. I'll be talking to the rookies and try to answer any questions they want to ask, use my experience to help them, whatever they want to know. I'll watch them, talk to them, make sure they make the right decisions. Usually, another racer has an easier way to talk to them than an official."
