"Little Al" pulled no punches when he sat down with me to discuss his rehab treatment for alcohol abuse.

"I am an alcoholic and I am a grateful alcoholic," was the way he started. He never wavered. Instead, he openly discussed his disease.

Al Unser Jr. attacked his disease -- once he discovered that it was a disease and one that only he can control -- with the same single-mindedness that earned him two Indianapolis 500 crowns.

Like so many alcoholics, Unser keeps track of his sobriety time.

"My sobriety date was July 9, " he said with a broad smile. "When I got thrown in jail that was the end of my drinking. So, if you're counting days, I'm pushing 28."

Unser's decision to confront alcoholism is a personal one. His decision to openly acknowledge it the way he has is a very public display of courage.

Through the years, we have seen sports heroes, politicians and Hollywood stars rotate through rehab centers, declare sobriety and then pick up their lifestyles -- and the bottle -- again and again. It has numbed us to post-rehab declarations and has left us wary of people claiming change in their behavior.

Don't put Unser in that category.

Throughout the course of our visit at car owner Tom Kelley's house in Ft. Wayne, Ind., Unser was like a kid. He could not stop talking about the discoveries he made while in rehab.

When I asked him about how he squared his past, you could tell the mix of good and, as he calls it, alcohol-induced "insane acts" disturbed him. His pride in his kids, his Indy 500 wins or his championships don't sufficiently offset his alcohol-induced actions, but they have helped him to deal with it.

By coming out, though, Unser faces the toughest part of his rehab. His every action will be scrutinized. He knows that. He says his time with doctors and therapists equipped him with the tools he needs to deal with his disease. He also knows what he needs is a close circle of people who have walked the same path.

"That's why AA says you need a sponsor," he said. "You need someone who knows what you are going through."

Unser has additional help. The way Kelley and Unser's sponsors stepped up in support is seldom seen. Instead of shedding him, they embraced him and offered their unequivocal support both on and off the track.

"It was the right thing to do," Kelley said.

Yes, Tom, you're right about that, but it remains an isolated display of humanity in an ever-increasing world where business takes precedence over "the right thing."

Unser knows the best part of his journey lies ahead of him. Countless times he referenced the fact he was talking about his very life, not his racing career. He also alluded to the responsibility he felt to try and help others similarly afflicted with his disease.

"I can only do that through example," he said. "I hope that when my fans and family see me walking the walk, that they will understand that help is out there for them."

Unser will meet the rest of the media Thursday at a news conference in Kentucky. He will answer many of the same questions I posed to him in our interview. They will sit like a jury and deliberate on his sincerity.

The jury will eventually issue its verdict, but I for one have already decided.

Unser is no longer "Little Al." His confrontation with alcoholism makes him the Biggest Al of all.