Indy 500 Fatality Did Not Occur ‘on the Track’

Jim Murray’s characterization of Al Unser Sr. as a sad old loser who got lucky does a disservice to a great driver. Murray says Al didn’t have a ride because he was overlooked. Romantic but untrue. It was because he was unable to make a matchup with the type of car he wanted.

Murray says Al had to settle for a down-at-the-heels year-old car. Romantic, but untrue. It’s widely known that the new radial tires had compatibility problems with the ’87 Marches, and thus more than half the March teams switched back to the ’86 models for reasons of superior handling. Thus Al was driving the right car for the race, not a used-up old buggy.

MICHAEL AHNEMANN

North Hollywood