Louis Unser
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
March 16, 1896
(Pikes Peak)
| Louis Unser | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Louis Unser Jr. March 16, 1896 Alton, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | October 18, 1979 (aged 83) | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Pikes Peak Hill Climb (1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1953) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 10 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 23rd (tie) (1947) | ||||||
| First race | 1947 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak) | ||||||
| Last race | 1965 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak) | ||||||
| First win | 1947 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak) | ||||||
| Last win | 1953 Pikes Peak Hill Climb (Pikes Peak) | ||||||
| |||||||
Louis Unser Jr. (March 16, 1896 – October 18, 1979) was an American racing driver.[1] He was the patriarch of the Unser family of American auto racers. He was renowned for his hill-climbing career, winning the Pikes Peak Hill Climb nine times between 1934 and 1953.
Unser is officially the oldest ever Indy car driver to have started a race. He raced the 1965 Pikes Peak Hill Climb at the age of 69 years 3 months and 19 days, however his record is often given to A. J. Foyt, who competed in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 at the age of 57 years 4 months and 8 days.
Unser is also the oldest Indy car winner. He won the 1953 Pikes Peak Hill Climb at the age of 57 years 5 months and 22 days,[2] however his record is often given to Mario Andretti, who won at Phoenix in 1993 at the age of 53 years 1 month and 7 days.
Burial
Unser is buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Awards and honors
- Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame (1997)[3]
- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2025)[4]