INDIANAPOLIS - The race on Friday might seems more like the Indianapolis 500 than the real thing.

Andretti vs. Unser.

Ahh, just like the good ol' days.

Only this time it's Marco Andretti - not Michael or Mario - who will take on another Unser named Al, this one going by "Just Al" to separate himself from the father and grandfather who carried that same name to such heights at the Brickyard.

They're not quite ready for the Indy 500, but they'll provide a tantalizing glimpse of what the future might hold when they take part in an 100-mile Infiniti Pro Series race two days ahead of Sunday's main event.

"I consider it a family rivalry," Al Unser III said. "Between Marco and me, it's really not a rivalry. It's more the Andretti-Unser thing."

Indeed, the two names have been intertwined at this 2½-mile oval for more than three decades.

Al Unser Sr. (a.k.a. "Big Al") won the 500 a record-tying four times, while his son ("Little Al") took the checkered flag twice. And don't forget Big Al's big brother, Bobby, a three-time 500 champion.

The Andrettis are known more for their heart-wrenching failures - "Andretti Luck" is part of any Indy dictionary - than their successes at the Speedway. Mario won the race in 1969, then spent the next quarter-century trying to win another one, always done in by the saddest words in racing: "Andretti is slowing down."

His son Michael led more laps than any driver who never took a swig of milk in Victory Lane, his quest undermined by mechanical failures, wrecks, better cars and even a few lapses behind the wheel. He finally gave up after the 2003 race, retiring to become a full-time car owner.

"I just remember at the Speedway Motel and listening to the announcer say my dad's and grandfather's names," Marco said. "I know we have a lot of bad memories here. I wasn't around for the '69 victory."

Wasn't around? Heck, Marco wasn't even born until 1987, as his grandfather's storied career was winding down. The 18-year-old high school senior is scheduled to graduate in less than two weeks, then put his racing career in high gear.

The latest Andretti already has made quite an impact, winning his Pro Series debut at St. Petersburg, Fla., in April. Just Al finished fourth in the first head-to-head meeting between the third-generation drivers.

May is reserved for Indy, of course, and Marco would like get started on winning his first 500 as soon as next year.

"There's no rush," he said. "But the earlier you get here, the more you get here. When I get here, I want to run up front. I don't want to be in the race to finish in the top 10. That's what I tell myself. Any race I enter, I want to win."

With Big and Little already taken, the next Unser was known as "Mini Al" when he was younger. At 22 he's left that nickname in the dust, even tagging his Web site "justalracing.com" to drive the point home.

Marco wasn't even old enough to get in the pits until last year, but it's clear this is where he belongs. His dark, narrow face looks a lot like grandfather "Nono" in his younger days. The two also share the warm demeanor and dry sense of humor that eluded the more reserved Michael.

In fact, Mario longs for the day when he can race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - the only major event he hasn't won - with his son and grandson.

Michael runs the most dominant team in the Indy Racing League. He'll have four drivers in Sunday's race, including defending series champion and polesitter Tony Kanaan.

Nono is focusing on Marco, who will be racing on an oval for the first time in Friday's Futaba Freedom 100, one of the events in the IRL's developmental series.

"I don't know what to expect," Marco said. "In these cars, you're fine by yourself, but when you get in traffic, it moves around a little more, and I'm not used to that."

That's where his grandfather can help out.

"He's in the middle of it all," Marco said. "He wants to know every detail, and he helps us out a lot. He gives me little pointers here and there, but only if I have questions."

Little Al, who retired from racing last year, is back in New Mexico for his daughter's high school graduation. Big Al, now a driver coach for the IRL, is on hand at Indy to keep an eye on Just Al.

Once he's strapped into the seat, though, it really does come down to just Al.

"We get little pointers and stuff, but ultimately I'm the only one in the car," Unser said. "They're not going to turn the steering wheel or feel any of the car movements."

Out on the track, it's Unser vs. Andretti.

Ahh, just like the good ol' days.