Aldo Andretti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aldo Andretti |
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Andretti in 2007
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| Nationality |  American |
| Born | February 28, 1940 Montona, Kingdom of Italy (now Motovun, Croatia) |
| Died | December 30, 2020 (aged 80) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Retired | 1969 |
| Related to | Mario Andretti (twin brother) Adam Andretti (son) John Andretti (son) Michael Andretti (nephew) Jeff Andretti (nephew) Marco Andretti (brother's grandson) Jarett Andretti (grandson) |
| USAC National Sprint Car Championship | |
| Years active | 1967–1969 |
| Starts | 16 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 51st in 1967 |
Aldo Andretti (born February 28, 1940 – died December 30, 2020) was an American race car driver and a businessman. He was the identical twin brother of famous racer Mario Andretti. Aldo was also the father of racers John Andretti and Adam Andretti. Many other family members, like Michael Andretti and Marco Andretti, are also well-known in racing.
Early Life and Family
Aldo Andretti and his twin brother, Mario, were born in Montona, Italy. This area is now called Motovun and is part of Croatia. Their father managed a large farm there.
After World War II, their family had to leave their home. They were among many Italian families who moved from that region. From 1948 to 1955, they lived in a refugee camp.
In 1954, Aldo and Mario became friends with Sergio Seggiolini and Beppe Biagini. These men ran a car repair shop. The boys helped out at the shop, even parking cars before they were old enough to drive legally.
That same year, Seggiolini and Biagini took the twins to a race at Monza. There, they saw the famous driver Alberto Ascari race. This trip sparked their love for motorsports.
In 1956, Aldo's family moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in the United States. They soon found an oval race track nearby. This helped them continue their interest in racing.
Racing Adventures
In 1959, Aldo and Mario worked together to rebuild a 1948 Hudson Commodore car. They turned it into a stock car for racing. They started racing without telling their parents.
They flipped a coin to decide who would race first. Aldo won the coin toss. He then won both the heat race and the main race! After four weeks, both brothers had won two races each.
Later that season, Aldo had a serious crash and broke his skull. He recovered and returned to racing the next year. He continued to race on different circuits, like USAC and IMCA.
In 1967, Aldo and Mario raced against each other for the only time at Oswego Speedway. Mario won that race. Aldo finished tenth because his brakes failed. Aldo competed in 16 USAC national sprint car races between 1967 and 1969.
In 1969, Aldo had another bad crash during a sprint car race. He suffered many injuries to his face. After recovering from surgery, Aldo decided to stop racing. His brother Mario had asked him to quit.
Life After Racing
After his racing career, Aldo Andretti became a successful businessman. In 1973, he opened a retail store called Andretti Firestone in Speedway, Indiana.
Later, in 1986, he started a company called Aldo Andretti Machine & Engineering. This company made special parts for hospital beds and tools.
Aldo Andretti was married and had five children. He also had eleven grandchildren. He passed away on December 30, 2020, in Indianapolis.
Images for kids
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Andretti in 2007
