Unser Jr.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Al Unser Jr., out of work since the Galles Racing team folded in November, signed a three-year contract Thursday to drive in the Indy Racing League for Kelley Racing.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time CART champion will take the spot of former IRL champion Greg Ray, who could not come up with a major sponsor.

"It's a dream come true. The last few months have been bleak at the brightest times," said Unser, who will team with veteran driver Scott Sharp.

Unser secured a commitment from Corteco, a supplier of automotive gaskets and seals, and took the package to team owner Tom Kelley. Rumors of an Unser-Kelley hookup began heating up last week, but the contracts were not completed until Thursday morning, he said.

"If anybody has ever been without a job, that's what I felt like. I didn't have a job," Unser said. "It was really frustrating. But I took the time to think about my situation: Where am I?"

After his second CART championship in 1994, when he drove for car owner Roger Penske, Unser did not win a race and was seldom in contention from 1995 through 1999. In 2000, he switched to the IRL with Galles, for whom he won the first of his two Indy 500 victories, and last season finished seventh in the IRL standings.

"The rumor mill is incredible in this industry," the 39-year-old driver said. "So I took the time to go see a trainer in Florida and I started out as a New Year's resolution to just prove everybody wrong. I can't come back with words. The only thing I can do is get in that race car and go win races. That's the way to turn the tables.

"I'm going to go do the best job I can and hopefully win a 10th Indy 500 for my family," said Unser, whose father, Al Sr., won at Indianapolis four times and whose uncle, Bobby, won three times.

Kelley did not rule out a third car at Indianapolis, but said it would likely happen only if "an appropriate opportunity" arose -- meaning another big sponsor.

Greg Gyllstrom, president of Corteco, said the commitment to Unser -- and through him to Kelley -- primarily was a business decision.

"We researched different venues and decided the demographics on the IRL are spectacular. ... This series has gone from a promise to the premier series. You can't do better than the Indianapolis 500 for exposure.

"And at the end of the day, we wanted a driver who is an absolute icon. As everybody knows, the Unser family itself is an icon, and Al Jr. represents the best of that," Gyllstrom said.