Racing greats: Keep pressures outside car

Only five drivers have ever been in position to win three straight Indy 500s.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Al Unser may be the only person who understands the distractions that Helio Castroneves has endured this month.
In 1972, Unser was in the spotlight. He was the fan favorite, the media's most sought-after personality, and was questioned endlessly about his quest for an unprecedented third straight Indianapolis 500 win.
That was the last time anybody had a chance, and now that Castroneves is racing for history today, Unser offers some simple advice: Don't change a thing.
"I didn't think about it, I just wanted to win," said Unser, the race's last back-to-back winner.
Only five drivers have ever been in this position: Wilbur Shaw in 1941, Mauri Rose in 1949, Bill Vukovich in 1955, Unser and now Castroneves.
Track record
Shaw finished 18th in his bid, and Rose finished 13th. Vukovich was leading after 56 laps when he was killed in a crash. Unser just missed becoming the first to win three straight, placing second in '72.
Unser would like to see history made on the 2 1/2-mile oval this weekend, but family ties won't allow him to root exclusively for Castroneves. Unser's son, Al Jr., is the oldest starter in the 33-car field at age 41.
Those who know the track best -- Unser, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears -- insist that the only way to deal with such scrutiny is to ignore it.
"The pressures are outside the race car, hopefully," Mears said. "I always tried to approach this race as another race on another track, and that's it."
Mears won at Indy four times, three times from the pole, and now works as a consultant and driver coach for Roger Penske's team, which employs Castroneves.
Rapid success
For Castroneves, success has come quickly and seamlessly.
He won the race as a rookie. He won the race in his second start. He won the pole for his third start, and if he wins his third straight race today, he will remain the undefeated champion of America's best-known track.
It would be easy for Castroneves to get caught up in the hype, but the bubbly Brazilian is relishing the moment.
"The only thing I keep thinking about is how many drivers would like to be in my shoes," Castroneves said. "I'm enjoying every single moment of this. It's just an incredible opportunity."
Castroneves may actually be in better position than any previous back-to-back winner.
Unser, one of three four-time winners at Indy, acknowledged that racing has changed dramatically.
When Unser went for his third, drivers used newly designed cars and had to rely more on instincts and intuition to make adjustments instead of computer information.
Better technology
Foyt, another four-time winner, agrees that technology has made the quest for three straight more feasible.
In the old days, he said, "you couldn't look at a computer and tell what was wrong with the car."
Technology alone does not dictate success, and it certainly doesn't help deal with today's countless interview requests and appearances.
Andretti had to deal with that. He won the 1969 race and was a three-time polesitter, but his career at Indianapolis was marred by bad luck.
He believes that the only way Castroneves will win again is if he continues to drive his own race.
"You can create pressure for yourself or you can go about your business and do the best you can," Andretti said. "You can't go out and be so entrenched in this idea of winning three straight."