From: Michael Powell 

AL UNSER JUMP-STARTS MUSEUM DRIVE WITH PURCHASE OF INDY 500 CAR

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003 – Al Unser has found another
prominent race car for his museum.

Now all he needs is the money to build the Children’s Discovery Museum on a
parcel of land from his Albuquerque, N.M., property he has donated for the
project.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Unser, the driving coach for the Indy
Racing League® IndyCar® Series, was one of the few racers among 320 people
who attended an auction Nov. 15 in Phoenix as Vince Granatelli, son of
Speedway Hall of Famer Andy Granatelli, sold all of his racing equipment
and his 38,500 square-foot shop and private jet. Vince retired as a car
owner in CART after the 1991 season yet maintained his equipment in
spotless condition for the past 12 years.

The prize among the four Indy-type cars available was the 1991 Lola that
Arie Luyendyk drove to third place in the 1991 Indianapolis 500. The car
also won at Nazareth, Pa., and finished second at Michigan. Unser purchased
that car. He also bought benches, shelves and other equipment and hauled
them back to Albuquerque.

“All the cars were sold,” Granatelli said. “I have offers on the building and jet.

“I’m out of the racing business. Everything was sold. I have mixed
emotions. Al said, ‘I know how you feel.’”

When Unser was asked what he paid for his car, he laughed and said, “Too
much.” Then he laughed again and added, “More than a dollar.”

The Kruse International auctioneering firm of Auburn, Ind., handled the
sale. Greg Weld, who drove in the 1970 Indianapolis 500, purchased a 1991
Lola backup car without an engine. Dean Kruse of Kruse International bought
the other two cars, the 1987 March that Roberto Guerrero drove to second in
the 1987 Indianapolis 500 and won with at Phoenix and the 1991 Lola that
Luyendyk won in at Phoenix and finished second in at Detroit.

Roger Penske sent some representatives, but mostly the crowd was comprised
of people seeking memorabilia. Granatelli said many people thanked him for
keeping every piece in such immaculate condition.

The live auction started at 10 a.m., and a picture of each numbered item of
some 900 was displayed on a 60-inch television screen. The auction also was
carried live on Internet auction site eBay. The auction was stopped at
noon, and bids were taken on the building and jet. The cars were sold in
mid-afternoon.

The Luyendyk car joins about 30 that Unser and son, two-time Indianapolis
500 winner Al Unser Jr., have in their shop ready to place in the museum
when it is constructed.

Al Unser is finishing restoration of the 1971 Johnny Lightning car that he
drove to his second straight Indianapolis 500 victory that year. He also
has built a copy of the Johnny Lightning dirt car he drove in 1970.

The younger Unser has among others, his 1983 Indianapolis 500 rookie car,
an IROC car and one of the first sprint cars he drove as a teen-ager
awaiting display.

Al Unser is enthusiastic about his museum project.

“It’s for kids and grown-ups to let them see what we did and see what cars
are all about,” he said. “I’d like to create something for the kids.”

Unser is dismayed that auto mechanics has been dropped from the curriculum
of most high schools. He wants his museum to be open to all young people so
they can get a hands-on feel for working with cars, both passenger and race
vehicles.

“I want to get the kids interested and get them off the street,” he said.

Now the tough part of the project is underway – finding funding.

“I thought racing was hard,” Unser said, “but raising money is really hard.

“I’ve just now started raising some money. We’re talking large dollars.”

The museum will be housed in an already planned and designed 50,000
square-foot building.

“It’s a good project,” he said.




--- Internet Rex 2.29