From the vault: Bringing back Al’s original

It’s one thing to look at a vintage racecar and appreciate its history – to marvel at the ingenuity, or perhaps to scratch your head at a problem so easily solved today. It’s an entirely different matter to look at a car and feel a deep and resounding connection. That’s something not easily explained or even understood.

For Scott Borchetta, longtime racer and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, sitting behind the wheel of his revived 1964 Arciero Brothers Maserati Indy car, his appreciation of the machine and its unique history is very apparent. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

"The very first race I attended was the 1970 California 500, the inaugural event [at the Ontario Motor Speedway]. That’s where I first saw Al and Bobby Unser," Borchetta recalls, noting that "Big Al" led 166 laps of the 200-lap race until a transmission failure with 14 to go. "That was the Johnny Lightning car, and to this day there’s still a lightning bolt in my race logo because it just imprinted on me as a young boy."

Since then, Borchetta has amassed an impressive array of racecars and memorabilia, much of which relates to the Unsers.

When his longtime friend, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham, came across Al’s first asphalt Indy car – the Pete Weissman-built machine he drove at Milwaukee in August 1964, then used to attempt to qualify for the ’65 Indy 500 – he knew who to call. And there wasn’t a second thought for Borchetta.

Trevor Mischik of Ray Evernham Enterprises recalls two major considerations when starting the restoration: originality and track worthiness. Significant care was taken to ensure that every original component that could be used (and would be safe on track) would stay on the car. "He’ll [Evernham] want to reuse as much as possible and it makes my job tough sometimes, but I really respect that," Mischik notes.

Ray Evernham Enterprises’ Dan Baker rebuilt the original body, restoring its sleek lines. Ray Evernham Enterprises

A major missing piece was the original Maserati V8 engine. Unser had run with an Offy at Milwaukee ‘64, but the car was powered by the Maserati for his ’65 Indy attempt. Al recalled being unable to get the car to lap faster than 151mph and that brother Louie, trying to squeeze out more speed, added nitro to their final engine and blew it up…

A comparable Trident engine was found for the restoration, but it was imperative to match the look and the mechanics of the original.

"We made our own intake manifold for it with the individual runners. Then Kinsler [Fuel Injection] did the top portion," Mischik explains. "That’s where we had some detailed photos, and we took a lot of care making sure that it was as close as we could get it. The way that the throttle shafts went into the throttle bodies… it’s not really the best way to do it, but it’s how they did it back then."

Intake and exhaust give an unmistakable look. Ray Evernham Enterprises

The result is a stunning racecar with a unique story to tell, and putting it back on track and sharing it with the world has been an incredible experience for Borchetta.

"The Unser family is still imprinted on my racing program," he says. "To know that I have the first car Al ever drove at Indy…that means something to me."