Al Unser, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, dies at 82

Al Unser, one of only four drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 a record four times, died Thursday following years of health issues. He was 82.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway said early Friday that Unser died at his home in Chama, New Mexico. The Associated Press reports that he had been battling cancer for 17 years.

In a tweet, the speedway called Unser "a history-making and beloved member of the IMS family."

Unser was part of an elite club of four-time winners of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Unser won the Indy 500 in 1970, 1971, 1978 and 1987.

He's also the only driver with both a sibling and a child who also won the 500. His namesake son, Al Unser Jr., is a two-time winner.

Al Unser is the third member of one of the U.S.'s most famous racing families to die in 2021. His brother, Bobby Unser, died in May, and his nephew, Bobby Unser Jr., died just six weeks later.

The Unser family has combined for a record nine wins in the Indy 500.