Unser Jr.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Al Unser Jr., who had worked to put a racing slump and troubled personal life behind him, is accused by a girlfriend of hitting her after they left a strip club.

Jena L. Soto, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M, told police Unser struck her early Tuesday while she was driving him home because he was drunk. She accused him of hitting her in the face and leaving her on the side of a highway in the middle of the night.

The report dismayed Unser's uncle, Bobby, who said his nephew, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was having a positive year after some personal and professional struggles.

''He lost a lot of weight and seemed to be going good,'' Bobby said. ''He turned this year into a good year.''

Unser, who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1992 and 1994, posted a $30,000 bond on preliminary misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and domestic violence. He avoided reporters when he left the Marion County jail and could not be reached for comment.

Soto told police she hit Unser first to stop him from trying to shift the gears of the car, and that Unser responded by hitting her in the face. She also told police she pulled to the side of the highway after Unser hit her, got out of the vehicle, and that Unser then drove away.

She was found standing next to a guardrail on Interstate 465, which rings the city, at about 3:30 a.m.

Bobby Unser, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and brother of Al Unser Sr., a four-time Indy winner, said Soto was a stripper who met his nephew in Las Vegas.

He said her accusations seemed out of character for his nephew, but added that he had spoken to Al Jr. about his behavior off the track.

''I support him, but I don't support him for doing some of these things,'' Bobby said. ''He needs to get his life straightened out.''

The two-time CART champion's problem's began in 1995 when he failed to qualify after winning the Indianapolis 500 a year earlier. He later parted with team owner Roger Penske; divorced his first wife, Shelly; was overweight; and in 1999 his then-12-year-old daughter, Cody, was paralyzed from the chest down by a rare nerve disease.

Unser's career seemed to be on the rebound, however. He moved to Galles Racing in the IRL in 2000, and won in Las Vegas -- in just his third start -- to break a five-year victory drought.

Last year, Unser added a victory in Madison, Ill. He is sixth in IRL points this season, his first with Kelley racing, after finishing seventh last year and ninth in 2000.

The 40-year-old driver from Albuquerque was arrested Tuesday at his motor home on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield. A hearing is scheduled for July 19, sheriff's Col. Scott Minier said.

The preliminary charges against Unser are each punishable by up to a year in jail. The Marion County prosecutor's office will determine whether to file formal charges after a review, Minier said.

Team owner Tom Kelley said Unser had ''the unqualified support of everyone at Kelley Racing.''

Repeated telephone messages left for Unser's attorney, James Voyles, were not returned. Soto could not be reached for comment.

Unser first denied knowing Soto, police said. After being told of her accusations, Unser told police Soto had hit him first.

Unser was to play in a charity golf tournament Thursday at the speedway's course and then drive Saturday in an IROC race at Chicagoland Speedway, said Kelley Racing spokeswoman Nancy Miller.

IRL spokesman Ron Green said Unser could face suspension or other penalties if convicted, but said it was too early to determine if the league would take action.

''He's one of the most respected drivers and still one of the most popular drivers in all of motorsports,'' Green said.