Marco Andretti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marco Andretti |
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Andretti at Sonoma Raceway in 2024
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| Nationality | American | ||||||
| Born | Marco Michael Andretti March 13, 1987 Nazareth, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 252 races run over 19 years | |||||||
| Team(s) | No. 98 (Andretti Herta Autosport) | ||||||
| Best finish | 5th (2013) | ||||||
| First race | 2006 Toyota Indy 300 (Homestead) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 2006 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma (Sonoma) | ||||||
| Last win | 2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 (Iowa) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| 2022 position | 72nd | ||||||
| Best finish | 72nd (2022) | ||||||
| First race | 2022 Drive for the Cure 250 (Charlotte Roval) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career | |||||||
| 8 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Truck no., team | No. 04 (Roper Racing) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 46th | ||||||
| Best finish | 42nd (2023) | ||||||
| First race | 2023 O'Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio (Mid-Ohio) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead) | ||||||
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| Previous series | |||||||
| 2014–15 2012 2008–09 2008 2005 2005 |
Formula E International V8 Supercars Championship A1 Grand Prix American Le Mans Series Infiniti Pro Series Star Mazda Championship |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2022 | Camping World SRX Series Champion | ||||||
| Awards | |||||||
| 2006 2006 |
Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year |
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| Statistics current as of November 15, 2024. | |||||||
Marco Michael Andretti (born March 13, 1987) is an American professional auto racing driver. He comes from a famous racing family. Marco currently races part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He drives the No. 04 Chevrolet Silverado for Roper Racing. He also races part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. For this series, he drives the No. 17 Chevrolet SS for Cook Racing Technologies.
Marco used to race full-time in the IndyCar Series for 15 years. He was part of his family's team, Andretti Herta Autosport. During his time in IndyCar, he won two races. His best finish in the points standings was fifth place in 2013. He was also named the 2006 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year. Besides IndyCar, he has competed in other racing series. These include the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Formula E, and IMSA SportsCar Championship. He also raced in the famous 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Even though he doesn't race full-time anymore, he still competes in the Indianapolis 500.
From 2021 to 2023, Andretti raced in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). He became the champion of the 2022 SRX Series.
Marco Andretti is part of a legendary racing family. His grandfather is the famous driver Mario Andretti. His father, Michael Andretti, was also a CART champion.
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Early Life and Racing Start
Marco was born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, on March 13, 1987. His parents are Sandra Spinozzi and Michael Andretti. Michael later became an IndyCar champion. Marco's grandfather is Mario Andretti, a very successful racing driver. Mario raced for four decades and won the Formula One Drivers' Championship in 1978. Many other members of the Andretti family have also been successful in different types of racing.
Marco went to Notre Dame High School in Easton, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 2005.
Marco began his racing career early. In 2003, he won eight races in the Barber Formula Dodge Eastern Championship. The next year, he was champion in the Barber National and Southern classes.
In 2005, he raced in the Star Mazda series. He also started six races in the Indy Pro Series. He won three times in the Indy Pro Series. These wins were in St. Petersburg, at the Liberty Challenge, and in Sonoma. He finished 10th in points even though he only raced in half of the events.
IndyCar Series Highlights
Marco Andretti joined the Indy Racing League full-time in 2006. He was the youngest driver in the series' history at the time.
Rookie Season: 2006
In his first race on March 26, 2006, Marco started 13th. However, a broken part on his car forced him to stop early.
At the 2006 Indianapolis 500, Marco finished second. This was a great achievement for a rookie. He became the third Andretti to finish in the top five in their first Indy 500 race. His father, Michael, finished fifth in 1984. His grandfather, Mario, finished third in 1965. Marco's finish was the second-closest in Indy 500 history. He lost to Sam Hornish Jr. by only 0.0635 seconds.
On August 27, 2006, Marco became the youngest winner of a major open-wheel race. He was 19 years old. He won his first Indy Racing League race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. This record was later broken by Graham Rahal. Marco's win helped him become the 2006 Rookie of the Year.
Later IndyCar Years
The 2007 season was tougher for Marco. He had many accidents and finished 11th overall. In 2008, he started strong with a second-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He also finished third at the 2008 Indianapolis 500, leading several laps. He earned his first IndyCar Series pole position at the Milwaukee Mile. A pole position means he started the race in first place.
In 2011, Marco won his second IndyCar Series race at Iowa Speedway. This was his first win in 79 races. His previous win was in 2006 at Sonoma Raceway.
In 2013, Marco had a very strong season. He started with a third-place finish at St. Petersburg. He also finished third in São Paulo. At the Indy 500, he qualified third and led 31 laps, finishing fourth. After this race, he took the lead in the championship points. He earned his third pole position at Milwaukee. He also set a track record at Pocono, earning his fourth career pole. He finished the 2013 season in fifth place overall. This was his best career finish in the points standings.
From 2014 to 2017, Marco continued to race in IndyCar. He had some good finishes, including a second-place finish at Detroit in 2015.
In 2018, Marco swapped car numbers with his teammate Alexander Rossi. He took over the No. 98 car.
In 2020, Marco achieved a big milestone. He qualified for the pole position at the 2020 Indianapolis 500. This meant he started the race in first place. His average speed was 231.068 MPH. It was the first time an Andretti had been on pole for the Indy 500 since his grandfather Mario in 1987. However, he finished 13th in the race.
Stepping Away from Full-Time Racing
In January 2021, Marco announced he would "step away" from full-time IndyCar racing. He still works with the Andretti Autosport team. He helps with testing and developing cars. He has continued to race in the Indianapolis 500 each year. He finished 19th in 2021, 22nd in 2022, 17th in 2023, and 25th in 2024.
Other Racing Series
Marco Andretti has raced in many different types of motorsport.
Formula One Tests
Honda Racing F1 gave Marco a chance to test their Formula One car. In December 2006, he drove the car at Jerez in Spain. Honda's sporting director said Marco did a good job. Marco enjoyed the test. He said he wanted to win the Indianapolis 500 before joining Formula One. He tested the Honda F1 car again in February 2007.
American Le Mans Series
Marco raced in the ALMS Sebring 12-hour endurance race in March 2008. He also raced at Lime Rock Park and the Petit Le Mans in 2008.
Superstar Racing Experience (SRX)
After leaving full-time IndyCar racing, Marco joined the new Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). He raced the full six-race season in the #98 stock car. He performed very well in the series. He won a race at Slinger Speedway in 2021. This was his first victory in any motorsport since his last IndyCar win in 2011.
In 2022, Marco won the 2022 SRX Series championship. He beat Ryan Newman by two points. He won the championship without winning a race that year. In 2023, he finished second in the SRX championship.
A1 Grand Prix
In November 2008, Marco was confirmed to race for A1 Team USA. His father, Michael Andretti, became the team's seat holder.
Formula E
Marco competed for Andretti Autosport in the fourth race of the 2014–15 Formula E season in Buenos Aires. He finished 12th.
NASCAR Racing
Xfinity Series
Marco made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2022. He raced at the Charlotte Roval for Big Machine Racing. He finished 36th after an accident.
Craftsman Truck Series
In 2023, Marco made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut. He raced at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Spire Motorsports. He finished 19th. He also raced in the final two Truck season races that year. In 2024, he raced at the Circuit of the Americas. He finished 31st after a part of his truck broke off.
ARCA Menards Series
In 2024, Marco participated in a pre-season test for the ARCA Menards Series. He then announced he would race in up to fourteen ARCA races. He drives the No. 17 Chevrolet for Cook Racing Technologies. This includes races in the main ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West.
Personal Life
Marco spends his time in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He bought his childhood home from his father, Michael.
In September 2017, Marco married his long-time girlfriend, Marta Krupa. On December 11, 2021, Marco announced that he and Marta were "parting ways in a very friendly way." Marco became a father to a baby girl named Miura on September 17, 2024.
Images for kids
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Marco (left) practicing with Michael Andretti at the 2007 Indianapolis 500
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Andretti in 2010
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Andretti after practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway prior to the 2015 Indianapolis 500
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Andretti at Texas Motor Speedway in 2019
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Andretti participating in the Pit Stop Challenge on Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2015
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Andretti competing for A1 Team USA at the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa
See also
In Spanish: Marco Andretti para niños
