Legendary race car driver Al Unser Jr. shares story of extraordinary success, profound failure in new book

“The gun felt heavy. … The tip of the barrel was cold on my skin. It was April 19, 2012. I decided to kill myself on my fiftieth birthday.” 

So reads part of the electrifying preface to legendary race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr.’s new book, “Al Unser Jr: A Checkered Past.” His life story is a tale of extraordinary success along with depths of failure, and it’s told by best-selling author Jade Gurss.

No name is more synonymous with the Indy 500 than Unser. The Unser family has won the historic race a record nine times!

Born into this most prominent of racing families, Al Unser Jr. had a natural talent for going fast, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1992 and 1994.

In his new book, Unser shares deeply personal stories about his well-publicized life away from the racetrack and struggles with mental health. His battle to climb out of the darkness is one of the great stories in motorsports.

Today, as Indianapolis counts down to the 106th running of the celebrated Indy 500, Al Unser Jr. proves to be a survivor and is striving for redemption as his life and faith take new paths.

He joined us on Wednesday on “Life. Style. Live!” to discuss the pressure that comes with his family name, hitting rock bottom, what Indy 500 week means to him and more.