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Family Feud at Indy

Tale of the tape among three great racing families

Posted: Wednesday May 24, 2006 3:48PM; Updated: Wednesday May 24, 2006 3:48PM
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Andretti. Foyt. Unser. Hear those names and you think of three of the greatest dynasties in motor sports. The Indy 500 has held a special place for each family (and in the case of the Andrettis, Indy has also been a very frustrating place). Each family will again have a representative behind the wheel when the green flag drops Sunday at the Indianpolis Motor Speedway. Here's a breakdown on how the families stack up against each other at Indy:

Family ANDRETTI FOYT UNSER
Patriarch(s) Mario Andretti A.J. Foyt Al Unser Sr. (above) and brothers Bobby and Jerry
Second generation Michael Andretti, Jeff Andretti, nephew John Andretti Larry Foyt Al Unser Jr. (son of Al Sr.); Robby Unser (son of Bobby); Johnny (son of Jerry)
Third generation Marco Andretti A.J. Foyt IV Al Unser III
Indy 500 starts Four Andrettis have made a combined 53 starts. Mario made 29, second on the all-time list. Three Foyts have made a combined 40 starts. A.J. made 35 starts, most in Indy 500 history. Six Unsers have made a combined 71 starts. Al Unser Sr. made 27, third on the all-time list
Indy 500 wins 1 (Mario) 4 (A.J.) 9 (Al Sr. - 4; Bobby - 3; Al Jr. - 2)
Success on other circuits Mario and Michael both raced Formula One. Mario not only won a Formula One season title, he also won the Daytona 500. John Andretti raced in NASCAR for a decade and competed in a Top Fuel dragster. A.J. not only won the Daytona 500, he also won the 24 Hours of LeMans. A.J. IV will miss this Indy 500 as he is racing full-time on the NASCAR Busch Series. The Unsers have had multiple winners at Pikes Peak, an annual series of races to the top of the mountain. Several family members have competed in NASCAR events. Johnny also worked as a stunt driver.
Family feud While not overt, the Unsers and Andrettis have battled for decades. In 1981, Mario was awarded first place at Indy when winner Bobby Unser was penalized one lap for passing cars during a caution. More than four months later, Mario lost his title when Unser won an appeal. A.J. feuds with just about everybody, especially if it has anything to do with his boys. See the Andrettis.
Family reunion Father Mario raced against sons Michael and Jeff, plus nephew John in 1991, to make the Andrettis the only family to have four members in the same race. Larry Foyt and A.J IV both raced in 2004 and 2005. Al Unser Sr. and Jr. became the first father and son to drive in the same Indy 500 in 1983.
Family picture A scowling Andretti dismayed about The Curse, a 25-year jinx of mechanical problems, unlikely crashes and even improbably rulings off the track that has befallen the family. A cantankerous A.J. Foyt battling everyone and everything in his way. A smiling Unser donning a wreath and drinking the milk.
Family secret Mario (1965), Michael (1984) and Jeff (1991) were all Indy 500 Rookie of the Year winners. A.J. Foyt and Larry Foyt have also competed in the Brickyard 400, NASCAR's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Louis Unser, the uncle of Al Sr., Bobby and Jerry, passed his drivers test at Indy in 1940 but never competed in the Indy 500.
Indy negative Michael has led 426 laps in Indy 500 competition, more than any driver who hasn't won. In 1991 and 1992, Michael led with 13 or less laps to go and still couldn't take the checkered flag. Other than A.J., the other Foyts; best finish in five starts is 18th. Three different Unsers have lost leads late in the Indy 500. In 1979, Bobby Unser was leading on lap 181 of 200 when he lost a gear. In 1983, Al Unser finished second after leading on lap 190. And Al Jr. was leading with two laps to go when he crashed in Turn 3.
Racing in Sunday's Indy 500 Michael, Marco Larry Al Jr.
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