1978 - Sat on two phone books to race sprint cars.
Racing Career:
Began racing at the age of nine in Karts.
1978 - Sat on two phone books to race sprint cars.
1979 to 1980 - Competed in World of Outlaws sprint series.
1980 - Finished fourth in first Super Vee race at Michigan. Started on pole and
won second Super Vee race at Phoenix.
1981 - Moved to Super Vees full time with Rick Galles Racing and captured
championship with wins at Charlotte, Milwaukee (2) and Brainerd. Took top-three finishes
in eight of nine races and set six track records. Named SCCA Rookie of the Year.
1982 - Won second consecutive title for Rick Galles, this time competing in Can-
Am series. Made PPG Cup debut with fifth in California 500.
1983 - First full season with thirteen starts finishing seventh in PPG points in
year of father's national championship. Became youngest driver to pass 200 mph barrier at
Indy. Season bests were second-place finishes at Pocono and Elkhart Lake.
1984 - Won first PPG Cup event on Father's Day at Portland. Placed sixth in
PPG point standings.
1985 - Joined Sheirson Racing. Lost closest points battle in IndyCar history (150
to 151) to father Al Unser. Captured back-to-back wins at the Marlboro Grand Prix at the
Meadowlands and Cleveland. Won IMSA Daytona three-hour event with Al Holbert.
1986 - Earned fourth in driver standings. Led all drivers in laps and miles
completed. Took seven Top Five and a series leading thirteen Top Ten finishes. Became
youngest IROC champion in history of series with wins in two of four events. Won IMSA
Road America race with Al Holbert and 24 Hours of Daytona with Holbert and Derek
Bell. Also drove in off-road series during the winter.
1987 - In final season with Domino's Pizza/Team Shierson finished third in PPG
points. Failed to post a win for first time since 1983 but scored seven Top Five finishes.
Finished fifth in inaugural Marlboro Challenge. Finished second in IROC to Geoff Bodine
with win at Michigan. Won second consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona Holbert, Bell and
Chip Robinson.
1988 - Won four races, Long Beach, Toronto, Meadowlands and Miami to
finish second in year end total points with Galles Racing. Scored eight Top Five and ten
Top Ten finishes. Finished second at Pocono 500. Again won IROC championship.
1989 - Scored first pole of career as well as only PPG Cup win of the year at
Long Beach. Made contact with Emerson Fittipaldi in final laps of Indianapolis 500 giving
win to Fittipaldi. Won all-star Marlboro Challenge at Laguna Seca. Finished fifth in points.
Second in IROC pontes with win at Watkins Glen.
1990 - Scored first PPG Indy Car World Series championship, earning six wins
in sixteen races. Scored first oval win, at Milwaukee, became first driver in Championship
Auto Racing Teams- governed history to score four consecutive wins, won first super
speedway and 500 mile event at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan. At a race average of
189.727 mph Unser's win in the Marlboro 500 at Michigan was the fastest 500-mile auto
race in history and fastest IndyCar event ever. Became first second-generation series
champion father Al Unser. Named Driver of the Year.
1991 - Relinquished PPG Cup title to Michael Andretti. Earned thirteen Top
Five finishes in seventeen races to finish third in championship points. Win at Long Beach
was his fourth consecutive there. Won second year in a row at Denver. Second in laps
(277 of 2,107).
1992 - Started year strong with pole at Australia. Won first Indy 500 by history's
closest margin 0.043 seconds over Scott Goodyear. Scored six podium finishes and an
IndyCar record of twenty three consecutive point paying finishes. Also competed in IROC
for seventh consecutive season, winning at Michigan and becoming the series winningest
driver with six victories.
1993 - Raced for sixth consecutive season with Rick Galles winning at
Vancouver and scoring five Top Five finishes and eleven Top Tens. Competed in his first
Daytona 500 for Hendricks Racing starting fourtieth and running as high as fifth before
being eliminated in an accident on lap 158. Raced in IROC for eighth consecutive year
finishing second overall. Signed with Marlboro Team Penske for 1994 season.
1994 - Started all sixteen races for Penske Racing. Won his second Indy 500 and
PPG Cup. In all won eight races which came at Long Beach, Indianapolis, Milwaukee,
Portland, Cleveland, Mid-Ohio, New Hampshire and Vancouver. Gave Mercedes Benz its
first Indy victory in the modern era. Scored poles at Indianapolis, Portland, Cleveland and
Mid-Ohio. Clinched the PPG Cup at Road America with two races yet remaining on the
schedule. Led the most laps (677 of 2,083). Won more than US$3,500,000 for his efforts.
Competed in the International Race of Champions finishing second overall. Named ABC
Wide World of Sports "Athlete of the Year."
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