Racing drivers, for all their other talents and skills, are often a rather dramatic bunch. Sometimes, that drama extends throughout their personal lives, as has been the case with Al Unser Jr. The latest of his escapades involves street racing his Suburban while allegedly intoxicated.

Unser Jr. has had problems with alcohol for years, as chronicled by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was, even at the height of his racing career, an alcoholic. Just weeks before his latest incident, the Review-Journal noted that Unser Jr. seemed to be sober and healthy.

Whatever his condition earlier this month, however, the two-time Indy 500 winner apparently was off the rails early this morning. Bernalillo County, New Mexico Sheriffs arrested him for driving at 101 mph while street racing and intoxicated, according to the AP. The Sheriff's department stated his blood alcohol level as twice the state's 0.08 limit.

Unser Jr. was released on his own recognizance, but he faces potential heavy fines, a loss of his license, and possibly evenjail time, though that may be turned into community service as has been the case in the past.

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Royalbroil under Creative Commons 2.0.