Unser Jr.

ALBUQUERQUE -- Race car driver Al Unser Jr., a two-time Indy 500 winner, was hospitalized in satisfactory condition Tuesday after being injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident.

He was riding the ATV alone in the woods Sunday afternoon near his home in rural Chama, N.M., when he went over an embankment and broke his pelvis, his sister, Mary Unser Tanner, told The Associated Press on Monday. She said her brother called for help for about an hour before being found.

Tanner said Unser, 41, had "several fractures'' of the pelvic area but was not scheduled for surgery and was expected to be released from the University of New Mexico Hospital before the end of the week.

"He's in a lot of pain but he's going to be OK,'' she said.

Unser, known as "Little Al,'' is a member of Albuquerque's racing Unser family that includes his father, four-time Indy winner Al Unser Sr., and uncle, three-time Indy winner Bobby Unser.

The younger Unser made a comeback on the racing circuit this year after admitting to an alcohol problem in 2002. He finished sixth in points in the just-ended season.

His son, Albert Unser, said the injury won't keep his father down.

"He's thinking it'll be two months before he can drive again,'' Albert said. "This shouldn't affect him at all. He's planning to drive next year.''

In June, Little Al won his first race in nearly two years, the Indy Racing League's Bombardier 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He led 54 laps -- including the last-lap shootout after a late caution -- to take the victory. The previous year, he finished second at Texas.

The Kelley Racing Web site, in its "Race Report'' afterward, quoted Unser: "I'll definitely have an IndyCar ride. I just don't know where I'm going to land, but I'm sure it will be with a great team because I'm not doing anything that isn't a winning combination.''

Unser, who drove for Kelley Racing this past season, finished seventh in points in 2002 for Kelley despite missing two of 15 races. He ended that season with four top four finishes and seven top 10 finishes.

He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1992 and 1994 and was a two time CART champion, in 1990 and 1994. In 1994, he was named "ABC Wide World of Sports'' Athlete of the Year.

Unser was arrested in July 2002 in Indianapolis after his girlfriend, Jena L. Soto, 38, said he hit her in the face while drunk and left her on the side of the road.

Prosecutors did not file charges, deciding there was not enough evidence from the initial 911 call, statements and photographs for a conviction.

Unser entered a substance abuse center later that month for inpatient treatment and missed two races.

"My problem with drinking was off the race track,'' he said later. "(The alcohol) was making me do the insane things that got me into trouble with my girlfriend in Indianapolis. That was insane.''