1989 Indianapolis 500 Finish

Here is the last 7 laps of the race.

[@poorjf]

A nice postscript to this story: Unser was very gracious in the post-race interview. In so many words, he said that both drivers were both going for it & that the accident really wasn't avoidable. He also gave Emmo a "thumbs up" at trackside - a tremendous display of sportsmanship under the circumstances & one of the reasons that, despite all his problems off the track, Little Al was and will always be my favorite open-wheel driver.

[@racermac1988]

Love how Paul Page just sits back with the rest of us and occaisionally tells us what is going on. Pure emotion!

[@ptownblazer]

I was nine years old and this is one of my fondest memories. I was sitting just down from turn four, but not in the grandstands. Thank you for posting!!!

[@DiegoOspina86]

The awesome Indy 500 finish of all times!!!

[@gt40f]

Little Al showed his true good nature and sportsmanship by giving Emmo the thumbs up instead of the middle finger.

[@effend446]

Ironically, they would be teammates 5 years later.

[@pira11222]

Emerson Fittipaldi was really the best. He taught the americans how to drive in indianapolis

[@Sunoco]

when I was a kid emmo was my favorite driver and al was my second. awesome finish.

[@earlklinestub2167]

Back marker hell racing for 22nd place 22 laps down affecting the outcome of the biggest race in the world. Nice.

[@fishflake1209]

How surreal would it have been if Fittipaldi's car had been unable to continue, and the previously-six-laps-down Raul Boesel emerged as the winner?

[@BSNFabricating]

Interestingly, five years later when Emmo and Al Jr were teammates at Penske, Emmo again dominated the 500, only to crash near the end, and Little Al won the race.

[@SilentDanDisney]

1994.

[@ParagonB]

when they redid the walls at Indy, Al Jr. bought the section of the wall he hit. I believe it is now lining the driveway at the Unser racing Museum here in Albuquerque.

[@Lehmann108]

Man, i remember this race! AU Jr. was such a great driver and his career was destroyed by booze.

[@AndronicusRy]

This was a great race. I was 7 yrs. old at the time and remember leaving my seat crying. Emmo definitely came up the track on Al. He never should have tried the pass in turn 3. If not for lapped traffic, Al would have won. I've always thought that Al's thumbs up gesture was meant to be sarcastic. If you look at his body language, it doesn't seem sincere. In the end, it evened out though. Emmo put it in the wall in 94 when he was almost a full lap ahead. He wasn't half the driver Al was.

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

Interviewed about this event,F.talked about slightly sliding getting into the turbolence of a slower car ahead of his Penske- of course he was abs.determined to win not giving up at any risk but cornering at 220 mph in the stream of another car does induce sliding= He was lucky indeed (but what a control...)- P.S.due to a management mess up F.had had full tank refuelling and not just half as correctly did Al =

[@HighPlainsDrifter66]

Co-starring Ludwig Heimrath, Jr., in the role of a mobile chicane

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

As I'm not aware of Indy rules I wonder if Fitti move can be valued uncorrect or barely correct due to the finish rush contest- he starts sliding too,taking a huge risk so I wander if he did it on purpose- Thx=

[@ChrisPenta]

@allen2096 It quantifies the tension, or so they think. Can get annoying at times though.

[@FantasyFarmENT]

I can't wait to hear the new turbos next year!

[@TWRJagXJR]

@U3X6785 No, that was in '93.

[@ATDOINFERNO]

@1969captainron btw, slower traffic should only keep their line, on ovals. That helps leaders, also. =) In the end, Little Al recognized Emmo did deserve that win. He even gave the Brazilian thumbs up, during the caution. =)

[@SilentDanDisney]

They were going into the corner two wide then add lap traffic perfect storm for a accident in three. Basically like a drag strip. Track isn’t wide enough in the corner for two cars let alone three.

[@douglaschampion5395]

BEST Indy memory!

[@reprepF1]

this is the difference of a very good indycar driver. and a 2 times Formula 1 world champion

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

To poorif - thx so much for expl. - so fine hearing of such a gentlemen's style among Indy drivers = that's a good line also in everyday's life = HI!

[@poorjf]

I should correct myself: I've never heard of an open-wheel driver intentionally punting another on an oval. Such shenanigans do occasionally happen on road courses, however, where the speeds are lower and the risks much less (see, e.g., Senna v. Prost, Suzuka, 1989).

[@poorjf]

Does anyone know why all but the top two cars were so many laps down in this race? Mario is definitely slower than the leaders in that shot, but not seven laps slower & he was running 4th! The third place driver, Raul Boesel, finished six laps down. I know that cars with Chevy engines had a big advantage during that era, but Mario was running a Chevy & I'm assuming that there were others in the field as well. Why the big spread?

[@OWfan]

Thanks again. Sucks about the sound though.

[@earlklinestub2167]

Al Unser Jr. Was so good at Indy. I believe that is the only time he ever hit the wall at Indy

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

I understand - due to the terrifying effects of crashing at 200 mph and over,I see quite a common correct line among drivers racing in ovals = Thx - P.S.:Unser's got something to talk about with Fitti!

[@champcar4ever]

Yes we only turn left. That's why it takes a long time for us to get anywhere driving.

[@VictorCampos87]

6:41 Look how strong the front left tyre was throwed out of the track. Lucky that nobody got hurt.

[@BeanDip96_]

The catch fence did its job, the wheel never left the track. Watch the view from the front of the crash.

[@fliptis1]

Lil' Al will be remembered as #2!!!

[@U3X6785]

If I am not mistaken this is where he didn't drink the milk??

[@effend446]

That was after Emmo won the '93 500

[@qwasd0r]

omg, that must've been so frustrating.

[@Keeper1st]

...and there would be four laps to go. Two laps later, he would have passed the two stationary cars and taken the lead and won the race as the first car to complete 200 laps.

[@bonniemilliard2408]

It's too bad that perhaps the stupidest question ever asked isn't part of this video when Jerry Punch asked Little Al how much of a disappointment it was that he didn't win. If you can kind it, watch it. even Al's wife looks at Jerry with a look like "are you really that stupid?"

[@douglaschampion5395]

Fitta STAR!

[@JumboFig24]

Al Unser Jr should have been mad he did that really ruthless.

[@luy90]

It was the left front and no it didn't. The fence caught it.

[@ricknelson2388]

Hmm... maybe a slight bump... but that's the way the greatest driver's play the game... always next week

[@costalucas98]

Al's crash was not much different from Scott Brayton's fatal crash in 1996.

[@e521soediv]

wtf with the sound

[@fernandofreibergerr]

Tentou fechar a porta do Emerson mas se deu mau..

[@chriswright95]

Great action. Pity the tv boys seem more interested in the wives on the sidelines than the action itself.

[@douglaschampion5395]

FittaSTAR!

[@AltoxKun]

Emmerson Wins! Al Unser loses!

[@therrydicule]

I do not call this a punishment as a clear domination in performance.

O áudio tá picotado... Tá péssimo!!!

[@poorjf]

No, I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. Remember: These are open-wheel cars, and if they touch at that speed, either car can literally go flying. I've NEVER heard of an open-wheel driver intentionally punting another driver. It's the Indy 500, the white flag is waiting around the next turn, and they're both going for it, caution be damned. That's all.

[@bBersZ]

agreed

[@ATDOINFERNO]

@1969captainron Slower cars, even though they are shown the blue flag, aren't forced to slow down and let the leaders go by, as in F1. There is, however, a common sense, that in R/S courses they should let leaders pass, if they're not fighting for position. On ovals, though, rules are such that if you make a move on another driver behind you, and you're not attacking, that's called blocking and you get black flagged.

[@alainbelanger2066]

they were cool car

[@josephdupont]

I love fittipaldi but he has a habit of doing fine what it What was the first thing finessing a contact at just the right time I think is Formula 1 credentials help them do that the poor Al but I'll did win eventually

[@KColleyTV]

Hey, renanlombigous watch your mouth. Champcar4ever, good one, that'll shut renanlombigous up.

[@bduddy55555]

Not that different from yesterday's finish (2012)...

[@STP43FAN1]

I swear it's Teresa who steals this entire spectacle.

[@maddog76]

He still would have been 4 laps down.

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

.....sorry, I wonder if he did it on purpose..

[@Aaron11579]

the backmarkers were terrible this race

[@flintonski]

Horrible Directing! We're we suppose to be watching the wives or the race?

[@MLGPro17]

Thats what you call bad luck

[@Clarotus]

OUCH

[@fliptis1]

If you really really look at this CAREFULLY LIL'Al coused his own demize

[@erwinr9328]

Got to agree with those wives thing, F1 is picking the same thing up with almost the whole of the family of the driver! So lame, any other way Indycar rules.

[@fatriani]

it has to be a fucking soap-opera. in america its all about fans. but if they knew anything about motorsport fans, especially in america, theyd stop the bullshit and get to racing, if they did that, then american racing may get back to the awesomeness it used to be