If you ever drive across the country, from west to east, you’ll likely find yourself on Interstate 40, the nation’s modern arterial highway.
But for those with a taste for nostalgia, for a time long gone, for an era when the automobile was the undisputed king of long-distance travel, ditch the I-40 about halfway through New Mexico and rumble along its predecessor:
Historic Route 66.
This iconic slice of Americana overlaps with the I-40 for long stretches. But just west of Albuquerque, father and progeny part ways, separating, at least for a bit, across the desertscape.
Drive eastward on Route 66, officially Central Avenue along this portion, through the beige expanse for about four miles. You’ll pass Unser Boulevard. And then you’ll want to slow down – lest you miss it.
Lest you miss Unserville.
The place where, for one legendary racing clan, it all began. The place where the Unser family seized the American dream, rising from simple gas merchants to rulers of open-wheel racing. The place where the story of Al Unser Jr. started.
Unser Jr. is one of his family’s greatest champions. And its most-puzzling enigma. He twice claimed the Indianapolis 500. He’s been charged with driving under the influence and driving recklessly. He won the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which returns Friday, a record six times. He’s struggled with sobriety and faced financial ruin.
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He’s risen and he’s fallen – and, at 60 years old, he’s trying to rise again.
His story, and his family’s, is one of triumph and tragedy. Like Route 66, Unser Jr’s life has been expansive; like Route 66, he has been weathered and beaten. But also like Route 66, his and the Unser family’s legacy remains a quintessential part of Americana.
And it all began at Unserville.
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As a Long Beach native and a lifelong fan of my local grand prix, I had long been curious about the man nicknamed…
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