An awesome new show at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum celebrates the lives and times of the Unsers, Indy’s most successful racing family.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is one of our favorite gearhead destinations all year around, but if you only get to go once, the best time to visit might be in the spring. That’s when a new exhibit is unveiled in preparation for the month of May and the annual Indianapolis 500. This year’s show, The Amazing Unsers: From Albuquerque to Indianapolis, honors the Speedway’s most celebrated family. Bobby, Al Sr., and Al Jr. have together amassed nine Indy 500 victories, seven IndyCar championships, and 108 IndyCar wins. Actually, these stats barely scratch the surface of the family’s incredible accomplishments, which now span four generations.

As they do for their shows each year, the museum staffers have gathered together a stellar collection of cars and memorabilia from all over the country to tell their story. From the dozens of race cars and other artifacts in the exhibit, here is a tiny sample.

On their way to fame at Indianapolis, the Unsers also became known for their  dominance of the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, winning so frequently that the venue became known as “Unser’s Mountain.” First generation Unsers Jerry, Louis, and Joe all ran at Pikes Peak, and second-generation driver Bobby scored his first win there (one of 10 in all) in 1956 driving this wild homebrew racer powered by a Jaguar DOHC six. You can watch Bobby claim his first PPIHC win here. 

At only 19, Al Unser Jr. (son of Al Sr. and nephew of Bobby) introduced himself to the racing world by winning the 1982 Can-Am championship. Mastering this Frisbee-Chevrolet ground-effects monster, Al Jr. won four of the nine races, outrunning Al Holbert and Danny Sullivan for the season crown. Little Al, as he was soon tagged, went on to earn two CART season titles, two IROC championships, and two Indy 500 victories.  Without equal on the tricky Long Beach street circuit, Al Jr. won there six times, including four years in a row from 1988 through 1991.

One of only three drivers to win the Indy 500 four times, Al Unser Sr. took his final victory in 1987 as something like an underdog, serving as a last-moment substitute for the injured Danny Ongais and driving a year-old March 86C-Cosworth for Roger Penske. Al Sr. used speed, stealth, and cunning to take the victory—he also happens to be the all-time Indy 500 lap leader at 644.

Uncle Bobby Under won the 500 three times: in 1968, 1975, and 1981, with the final victory earned driving a Penske PC9B-Cosworth for Roger Penske. (Bobby, Al, and Little Al all won at Indy for the captain.) Unser was not awarded the official victory until October due to a bitter protest and appeals battle with Patrick Racing and Mario Andretti—the dispute was over passing during the caution periods. After retiring in 1981, Bobby became one of the sport’s more memorable television announcers.

Al Jr.’s pair of Indianapolis 500 victories (below) happen to be two of the most memorable races in Speedway history. In 1992, he just barely beat Scott Goodyear to the yard of bricks in his Valvoline Galmer G92-Chevrolet, winning by .043 seconds, the closest margin in 500 history. For his second win in 1994, Al Jr. was driving the  world-conquering Marlboro-Penske PC23 with a rulebook-bending Ilmor-Mercedes pushrod V8 under the engine cover. To this day, the pushrod Ilmor is one of the great stories in Indy racing lore.

The Amazing Unsers: From Albuquerque to Indianapolis runs now through October 28. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 6-15, children under 6 free. Open 9 to 5 seven days. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum;  (317) 492-6784.