JACKSON, MI - Open-wheel cars haven't raced at Michigan International Speedway since 2007, but legendary racer Al Unser Jr. thinks it's time they come back.

Unser Jr., flanked by honorary pace car driver and Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace, told media members Sunday at MIS he thinks the IndyCar Series should return to the Irish Hills.

"I don't miss driving the car at all. But I would definitely like to see Indy cars come back to MIS," Unser Jr. said. ""I think today's IndyCar would go well around here and it would put on one heck of a show."

Next to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Unser Jr. said MIS ranks as No. 2 in his books.

While IMS has the pageantry of the Indy 500, MIS is unique in having such a wide racing surface for multiple grooves of racing, he added.

In the 2000s, IndyCar drivers averaged speeds as high as 222 mph in qualifying - roughly 20 mph quicker than NASCAR vehicles. Despite the high speeds, Unser Jr. said he doesn't think MIS is too dangerous for the brand of racing.

Unser Jr. has one open-wheel win at MIS, taking the 1990 Marlboro 500 CART race over his teammate Bobby Rahal. With an average race speed of 189.727 mph, it was the fastest 500-mile race in history, for the time.

"The race went by pretty quick, to be honest," Unser Jr. said. "But those last few laps, with Bobby Rahal right on my tail, we had a heck of a race that day."

Attending MIS as a kid to watch his father and uncle - Al and Bobby Unser - Unser Jr. has been watching races at the track for decades.

"I don't remember the races very much, because I was more interested in the ice cream parlor down the street, at that time," Unser Jr. said.

Unser Jr. also has four MIS victories in the International Race of Champions series.

Big Ben endorses Billups

Sunday is Wallace's first NASCAR race, and he'll be in the spotlight driving the pace car to the green flag of the Consumers Energy 400. He went out on the track early Sunday morning for some practice.

The corners at MIS are angled in with 18 degrees of banking, something that surprised Wallace a bit.

"I thought I was prepared for the banking," Wallace said. "It was amazing to be out there on the track. The banking was a little bit steeper than I thought. The first time, I thought the car was about to tip over, a little bit."

Co-Owner of the Grand Rapids Drive, Wallace was asked how his former teammate Chauncey Billups would to in a front office.

"I think the city itself would love to see Chauncey here getting it done in the front office," Wallace said. "As a teammate, I know he's more than capable. I've been in the locker room with him, I've been in the trenches with him.

"He was able to keep me and Rasheed in line, so I know he can run a front office."