A.J. Foyt Volume 1 and Al Unser Jr.: A Checkered Past
Al Unser Jr.: A Checkered Past
Two Indy Legends, Two Roads to Victory, Two Fantastic Stories
A.J. Foyt: The Greatest Racer of All Time
When A.J. Foyt was five years old, he challenged a professional racer to an impromptu match race . . . and won. From that moment on victory was expected, excellence assumed.
Anthony Joseph “A.J.” Foyt Jr. is one of the greatest race car drivers in history—some would argue the best—and he has the statistics to back it up. He was the first to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, he has the most wins in Indy car races and championships of any driver, and he still holds the world closed-course speed record that he set more than thirty-five years ago.
Numbers alone can’t begin to tell Foyt’s story. Through tireless research and extensive interviews with the biggest names in motorsports, author Art Garner has compiled an unprecedented look at the life and career of one of America’s most popular sports heroes.
The AJ Foyt book captures Foyt’s journey from a cocky five-year-old to a brash competitor and offers fresh insight and details about the battles off and on the track that defined one of America’s biggest personalities. Every moment is captured, from Foyt’s unbridled comments about what it truly takes to be at the top of your game, his propensity to stuff journalists he didn’t like into garbage cans, and the long list of people he simply punched in the mouth.
Praise for A.J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend
"This biography lives up to any expectations or hopes you might have had for the ultimate A.J. Foyt bio."
"Fans will love this AJ Foyt book. And if anywhere in these pages it says A.J. hates me, I know he doesn’t anymore. That was a few decades ago. Today we’re BFFs."
—Mario Andretti
"Garner is one of automotive journalism’s most gifted storytellers . . . An effort this comprehensive to tell [Foyt's] story is both overdue and much welcomed."
"As someone who has spent a lot of time studying A.J. and Indy car racing, I give this book my highest recommendation."
—John Oreovicz, author of Indy Split
Al Unser Jr.: A Troubled Racing Legend and His Path to Triumph, Tragedy, and Recovery
Winning came naturally to Al Unser Jr. Born into a racing family, he had a gift for finding the fast line on the track. By the time he was nine years old, he could draw the quickest way through the corner on paper and intuitively apply his sketch while on the go kart track. By his teen years, the innate sense for the fast way made him unstoppably quick when he was racing through the woods on a snowmobile.
As his career progressed from the kart track victories to following in the footsteps of his famed uncle, Bobby, and father, Al, the wins grew in stature from junior titles to the very top echelon of his sport. Two Indy 500 victories. An IndyCar championship. Sportsman of the Year.
In addition, Unser was not just a winning driver—he also possessed a boisterous and lovable personality. The fans and the press adored him.
Al Unser Jr. was on the top of world.
A Checkered Past tells that story—but it doesn’t stop there.
His gifts as a driver and his easy affability were the public persona. Behind the scenes, his appetite for drugs and alcohol were destroying his private life. Spurred on by his spiraling substance abuse problem, his marriage turned volatile. When he retired as a driver, the trouble amplified. Domestic violence arrests. Multiple DUIs. Repeated visits to rehab centers. Divorce. Financial ruin. A dark dive into depression and isolation that led to a suicide attempt.
Unser’s battle to climb out of that cave is one of the great stories in motorsports. A Checkered Past is an unblinking look at how even our most celebrated sports heroes struggle with human frailty.
Turn the page, and you’ll discover an inspirational story of triumph, tragedy, and the road to recovery.
Praise for Al Unser Jr.: A Checkered Past
"2-time Indy 500 winner pulls no punches, whether it's talking racing or discussing the substance abuse issues that took their toll on his personal life."
–Mike Pryson, Autoweek
"It's two stories tightly wound around each other like a double helix. One, his racing story. The other, his addiction story."
—Russell Jaslow, Auto Racing History
"A fine, insightful, enlightening book."
—Sabu Advani, speedreaders.info
"It's a brave and astonishing piece of work in its unflinching, brutal honesty."
—Damien Smith, Motor Sports Magazine