Mario Andretti Biography

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Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940 in Montona d'Istria, Italy, now Motovun, Croatia) is an Italian American racing driver, and one of the most successful Americans in the history of auto racing.

During his career, Andretti won four IndyCar titles, the 1978 Formula One World Championship, and the 1979 IROC championship. To date, he remains the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula One World Championship.

In the USA, the name Mario Andretti has become synonymous with speed, similar to Barney Oldfield in the early twentieth century and Stirling Moss in the United Kingdom. On October 23, 2006, at the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York, Andretti was awarded the highest civilian honor given by the Italian government, the Commendatore dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (known as the Commendatore), in honor of his racing career, public service, and enduring commitment to his Italian heritage. In receiving this award, he joins Enzo Ferrari as the other recipient of the Commendatore from the world of automobile racing.

Early life

Mario Andretti was born in the town of Montona d'Istria in then Italian Istria. He was born with a twin brother, Aldo Andretti. After World War II Istria (which is part of Croatia) passed to Yugoslavia and his family, like many other Italian Istrians, fled in 1948 and spent the next seven years in a displaced persons camp.

The Andretti family eventually resettled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.

Racing debut

Andretti began racing cars in 1959, just after his family had moved to the United States, on dirt oval tracks near Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in an old Hudson. His twin brother, Aldo Andretti, raced on the same tracks in the same car (at different times), but quit after an accident. Andretti placed 3rd in the Indianapolis 500 in his first year.

Mario made his debut in the USAC series in 1964, and won the championship the very next season. He took part in many different categories of racing including drag racing, and by 1969, he had won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Formula One career

Andretti also started driving in Formula One, taking the pole for his first race at Watkins Glen in 1968, and winning his first race in 1971 for Ferrari. He later won the non-championship Questor Grand Prix in Ontario from the back of the grid, beating more established names like Rindt, Stewart and Hill. By the mid-1970s, Andretti started to focus on Formula One, driving for Parnelli Jones's fledgling Parnelli Formula One team and Colin Chapman's famous Lotus outfit. His ability at developing a racing car soon progressed the Lotus towards the front end of the Formula One grid, culminating in a spectacular victory at the season's concluding race at the Mount Fuji circuit in Japan where Mario was a lap clear of his nearest challenger. In 1977, at Long Beach, he became the only American to win the United States Grand Prix West, in the Lotus 78 "wing car". Andretti's development work at Lotus was to result in the revolutionary "ground effect" Lotus 79 of 1978, a season in which he won six races and took the title â?? a bitter-sweet victory in the light of the death of his teammate Ronnie Peterson, whom Andretti had grown to regard as a close friend. However, Andretti would find little success after 1978 in Formula One, failing to win another race in that series. In the following year, 1979, he had a torrid time as the new car introduced by Lotus failed to deliver its' promise and the team had thus to rely on the Lotus 79 which by now was showing its' age. In 1980, he was paired with Italian ace Elio de Angelis but once again, good fortune was to prove elusive. Mario drove well in 1981, very well indeed according to Nigel Roebuck of Autosport in his season-end review. However as a closing note to his F1 career nearly two years later, Mario was hired by Ferrari to enter the final two races of the 1982 season. He took an impressive pole position at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza (the Italian-born Andretti's success causing what Roebuck said was the loudest roar the famous circuit had ever seen), just as he did at Watkins Glen in his debut race in 1968.

IndyCar career

He returned to IndyCars in the 1980's, and won his fourth title in 1984, the first series title for IndyCar owner, sports car driver, and actor Paul Newman. His last victory in that class came in 1993. Andretti kept racing to try to win the only important missing awardâ??the 24 hours of Le Mans, but failed to do so. His best finish is 2nd in 1995, and 3rd in 1983 (Porsche 956), both with his son Michael.

NASCAR career

Mario ran only a few NASCAR races, but he captured the crown jewel in the series by winning the 1967 Daytona 500 for legendary car owners Holman-Moody.

Legacy

Many people, particularly Americans, still consider him to be the finest all-around driver ever, and in 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine named him "Driver of the Century." The same year, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the United States National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990.

Legacy at Indianapolis

Andretti also made the saying "Mario is slowing down!" famous at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While no one doubts his credentials as one of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti's futility at Indy is also, unfortunately, legendary.

In the 1985 Indianapolis 500, he was passed by Danny Sullivan who then spun in front of him, pitted on his own caution, and then passed Mario again to go on for the win. His frustration came to a head in the 1987 Indianapolis 500 when he dominated the entire month of May and led for 170 of the first 177 laps, but was taken out by an electrical failure.

Mario finished all 500 miles just five times with the 1969 Indianapolis 500 victory included. Andretti suffered broken ankles in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 crashing hard in turn four during the race. His last race at Indy was the 1994 Indianapolis 500.

While shaking down a car for his son in tire testing at Indianapolis before the month of May in 2003, Andretti survived a horrifying accident. His car hit a piece of debris left on the track by another car and went flying end over end between turns one and two. The crash was captured by a local television station helicopter. Luckily, the car landed right side up and Andretti walked away from the crash with very minor injuries.

For all his greatness and legendary skill, Andretti, and, by extension, the Andretti family, will long be associated with what many consider to be simply bad luck at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.

Racing family

Both of Mario Andretti's sons, Michael and Jeff, are also involved in auto racing, and Michael has won the IndyCar title as well. As of 2003, he was IndyCars' winningest driver. Mario's nephew, John, has had success in both IndyCar and NASCAR, winning races in both series. His grandson, Marco, won a championship in IndyCars' "Stars of Tomorrow" kart racing series, before moving into the Star Mazda single-seater series. Marco completed his first full season in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 2006, driving for his father Michael's Andretti-Green Racing Team, and upon finishing second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500, became the first third-generation-recipient of the race's Rookie of the Year Award, following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather.

Mario Andretti and son Michael Andretti both reside today in their respective close sitting mansions overlooking the town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, from the north side of the town, home to Mario Andretti and his family since the 1950's.
Andretti continues day-to-day work as a spokesman for Texaco and Firestone (his longtime sponsors). He is also something of a spokesman for CART, although he has been spotted at IndyCar races throughout the 2006 season as he watches over his grandson Marco.

Trivia

• There is a movie about Mario and Michael Andretti and the making of the Newman/Haas Racing cars, called Super Speedway, available in DVD and Imax.
  
• In the Pixar Animation Studios film Cars, Mario Andretti does a cameo, playing himself as the 1967 Ford Fairlane on which he won the Daytona 500.
  
• Andretti is mentioned in the Beastie Boys song Shadrach with the line "You love Mario Andretti cause he always drives his car well."
  
• In her song Crash, Gwen Stefani sings "I picture you driving just like Mario Andretti."
  
• The Charlie Daniels Band paid tribute in the song Uneasy Rider with the line, â??Mario Andretti wouldâ??da sure been proud of the way I was movinâ?? when I passed that crowdâ?¦â??
  
• Amy Grant sings "You like to drive like Mario Andretti, I like it taking my time" in her song Good For Me.
  
• Alan Jackson mentions Andretti in his song Drive (for Daddy Gene), singing "Just a dirt road with trash on each side, but I was Mario Andretti when daddy let me drive"
  
• Andretti is mentioned in "Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest with the line, "Lyrically I'm Mario Andretti on the MOMO, ludicrously speedy or infectious with the slow-mo."
  
• In the movie Beverly Hills Cop II, after crashing the Ferrari, Inspector Todd calls Jeffrey "Mario Andretti Freidman."
  
• Andretti is Vice Chairman a winery bearing his name in Napa Valley, California. Andretti Winery.
  
• Andretti is mentioned in a House of Pain song, "Top o' the Morning to You."
  

Complete F1 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Indy 500 results

External links

• Andretti Family Official Web Site.
  
• Super Speedway at the Internet Movie Database.
  

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