'I'm a true outlaw': When Al Unser Jr. embraced the freedom to race on his own terms

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (1992 and 1994 editions), Al Unser Jr. is a well-known name in the world of American motorsports. His career gained steam in the 1980s and there was a time in 2006 when he specifically talked about his that year's Indy 500 adventure.

As a pleasant surprise to many of his fans, Al. Unser Jr. was able to complete the iconic race by finishing in the 24th position. Moreover, Al. Unser Jr. talked about his 2006 Indy 500 stint in detail and mentioned:

I was wondering if I was going to be excited, if I was going to enjoy it, or if I was going to go, ‘Nah, this is too fast'. But it was too slow. I wanted to go faster. My goal is to drive as many different race cars as I possibly can, I’m not under contract with anybody. I’m a true outlaw. I have a lot of opportunities. I’m not a car owner, I’m not an engineer, and I don’t want to be. I’m a driver. That’s what I spent my whole life doing, and I want to keep doing it. You walk away, enjoy watching it, but I learned different,” Al Unser Jr. said. (Via: East Bay Times)

Al Unser Jr competed in 56 IndyCar races throughout the course of his racing career. His best overall finish was sixth. During his whole career in the sport, he managed three wins and eight podiums.

Al Unser Jr. battled alcoholism for several years

While Al Unser Jr. considered himself an outlaw in 2006 for not being under contract with any team, he also talked about his alcoholism issues of the early 2000s. He specifically shed light on how it affected his family. He revealed that his wife urged him to quit alcohol.

“Near the end of last summer, I was yelling at the TV one day and she (his wife) came walking in and said, ‘You need to quit this and go get in the car.’ So that’s what we did," Unser was quoted as saying by East Bay Times.

Al Unser Jr. will always be remembered as one of the absolute greats of American motorsports. Other than his Indy 500 and IndyCar heroics, he also sparked his magic in the Champ Car competition.

He made his first appearance in the sport in 1982 with the AirCal 500 (Riverside) and went on to secure a whopping 273 outings over 19 years. Moreover, Unser Jr.'s career was full of several accolades, he managed 31 wins, 80 podiums, and seven pole positions.

Al Unser Jr. also amassed a victory in the 1990 Michigan 500 and the extremely tough 24 Hours of Daytona. Unser Jr. won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1986 and 1987. Lastly, he also managed a sole NASCAR Cup Series outing in 1993.