Second one for Big Al

Peter Revson (McLaren-Offenhauser) took a convincing pole for the 1971 Indianapolis 500 with a speed of over 178 miles per hour. Next to him on the front row (picture above), Mark Donohue in the Penske-entered Sunoco McLaren and Bobby Unser (Eagle), always fast on the Brickyard.

The race was won by Al Unser (Bobby’s brother) in a Colt-Ford. Starting on the second row he stayed within reach of the leaders and took the lead when mechanical problems hit Mark Donohue’s car. Al Unser then led for the final 83 laps, giving him a win for the second year in a row.

Big Al, because he’s the father of Al Unser Jr., already a winner in 1970 and 1971 (picture below) added another two victories to his tally with wins in 1978 and… 1987, seventeen years (!) after his first victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and joined in the record books the likes of A.J.Foyt and Rick Mears.

Hélio Castroneves succeeded to join these three legends in the history books, when in 2021 he won the 500 Miles for the fourth time.