Unser gains confidence as Indy 500 draws near

Thursday, May 25, 2006 | 7:17 a.m.

The closer it gets to the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500, the more the competitor in Al Unser Jr. emerges.

Unser, a two-time Indy 500 winner and Henderson resident, told the Sun three weeks ago that finishing the 500-mile race would be a realistic goal for him and his Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team. Three days removed from qualifying his A1 Team USA / Geico entry on the outside of the ninth row, however, Unser was sounding a bit more optimistic.

"We're attacking it just like, basically, we always have," Unser said of the race that made his family famous. His father, Al Sr., won four times at Indy and his uncle Bobby is a three-time winner of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Unser, 44 and coming out of a 20-month retirement to run Sunday's race, said he would approach the 500 with the same strategy he always has.

"It was a bit disappointing where we're starting because we've got a lot of cars in front of us," Unser said. "We're just going to have to really, really be careful the first opening laps and then once we get single file, start doing everything we can to pass them and get to the front, don't get a lap down, have good, clean stops - that's all the same from all the previous years."

Unser qualified his No. 31 Honda-powered Dallara at a four-lap average speed of 219.388 mph and will start 27th in the 33-car field. Although it will be his worst starting position in 18 races at the Brickyard, Unser said he wasn't dwelling on his team's inability to find more speed this month.

"It's a 500-mile race, and we just have to be patient with what we have," he said. "It's not always the fastest car that wins the race here."

NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kurt Busch, a Las Vegas native, will not have a lot of free time this weekend. In addition to racing in Saturday night's NASCAR Busch Series race and Sunday evening's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina, Busch plans to fly to Indianapolis on Sunday morning to watch the Indianapolis 500.

Busch drives for Roger Penske, who also fields the cars driven by polesitter Sam Hornish Jr. and two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves in Sunday's 90th running of the Indianapolis 500.

"I've never been to the Indy 500 and really want to be there Sunday morning to show my support to Roger, Helio, Sam and their teams," Busch said. "They're off to a great start with their qualifying efforts and I plan on being there - at least for the start of the race.

"It would be a great day in the history of Penske Racing if Sam or Helio can win up there and Ryan (Newman) or our team win the 600."

Also noted:

Indianapolis 500 victories for team owner Roger Penske

Best finish in six Indianapolis 500 races for polesitter Sam Hornish Jr.