INDY RACING LEAGUE Al Unser Jr. is optimistic about his comeback

He suffered three fractures in the pelvis when thrown from an all-terrain vehicle.
By MIKE HARRIS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A fractured pelvis? It'll take a lot more than that to stop the irrepressible Al Unser Jr.
The second-generation IndyCar driver has come back from broken bones, alcohol abuse and depression over marital problems, so he considers his latest trouble just another obstacle to overcome.
"It's actually three fractures in the pelvis, but only one of them went all the way through the bone," Unser said, referring to the injury Oct. 19 when he was thrown from an all-terrain vehicle in woods near his home in Chama, N.M. "The doctors say I don't need any surgery and it's going to heal up just fine."
Asked how the accident happened, Unser sounded a little embarrassed.
"I was chasing a coyote," Unser said, chuckling. "I hit a rock and it pitched me on my backside. I stood up, but I knew right away that something was wrong because I couldn't put any pressure on my left leg."
Hunter found him
Unser lay back down, and it was about an hour before a hunter found him and called for help.
"I was laying there wondering what was wrong with me, but I was already thinking about getting back in the race car."
Unser is out of work, for now. His contract with the IRL's Kelley Racing ended Oct. 12 with the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway.
At 41, with a debilitating injury and no ride, the future would appear bleak to most people. Not the upbeat Unser.
He's about to start physical therapy, with water aerobics and some weight training for his upper body.
"I'm going to get on it hard for the next four to six weeks," he said. "Then I'm going to be ready to race."
And as long as he can get back to top physical condition, he should be able to find a ride. He's coming off a good year in which he won a race and finished sixth in the season points.
"I've been talking with Kelley and with Patrick Racing, and I consider both of them 'A' teams," Unser said. "But I don't think anything is going to come together until after we get down the road a little."
Would re-sign Unser
Jim Freudenberg, Kelley vice president of operations, said the team would gladly re-sign Unser as Scott Sharp's teammate if a primary sponsor for Unser's car can be found to replace Corteco, which left at the end of the season.
"We are currently working on a number of scenarios to make that happen," Freudenberg said.
Patrick, one of the rival CART series' original teams, has been rumored to be moving to the IRL in 2004. Team owner U.E. Patrick, who fields cars for Spaniard Oriol Servia in CART, said the team is exploring options for next season.
But the team owner acknowledged he has talked with Unser and several other drivers about 2004, and said he would not hesitate to hire the former CART champion.
Speculation about Unser's racing future has been rampant since longtime competitor and friend Michael Andretti retired last May to focus on his new job as a team owner. But the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner said it's not his time yet.
"Mikey had something else he wanted to do," Unser said. "I'm still definitely competitive and definitely enjoying it way too much to leave."