When a Williams found its way on to the grid of the Indy 500

The 65th running of the Indy 500 held back in 1981 saw an interesting and somewhat familiar-looking car line up on the event's 33-car grid.

A four-time winner at the Brickyard, Al Unser Sr was at the wheel of a Cosworth DFX-powered Longhorn which was actually a reconditioned Williams FW07 updated to IndyCar specs, a car Alan Jones had originally driven to the F1 world championship title in 1980.

Despite the #88 car's prestigious pedigree, it wasn't of much help to Unser who was classified 17th at the end of the day, 34 laps down.

There was a reason to rejoice however for the Unser family, as Big Al's brother, the late Bobby Unser who passed away last week, took his third Indy 500 win on the day driving for Team Penske.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.