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Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021 (cropped).jpg
Andretti in 2021
Born
Mario Gabriele Andretti

(1940-02-28) February 28, 1940 (age 85)
Spouse(s)
Dee Ann Hoch
(m. 1961; died 2018)
Children 3, including Michael and Jeff
Relatives
Championship titles
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality United States American
Active years 19681972, 19741982
Teams Lotus, privateer March, Ferrari, Parnelli, Alfa Romeo, Williams
Entries 131 (128 starts)
Championships 1 (1978)
Wins 12
Podiums 19
Career points 180
Pole positions 18
Fastest laps 10
First entry 1968 United States Grand Prix
First win 1971 South African Grand Prix
Last win 1978 Dutch Grand Prix
Last entry 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix
Champ Car career
407 races run over 31 years
Best finish 1st (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984)
First race 1964 Trenton 100 (Trenton)
Last race 1994 Monterey Grand Prix (Laguna Seca)
First win 1965 Hoosier Grand Prix (IRP)
Last win 1993 Valvoline 200 (Phoenix)
Wins Podiums Poles
52 141 65
NASCAR Cup Series career
14 races run over 4 years
First race 1966 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last race 1969 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
First win 1967 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 3 0
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years 1966–1967, 1982–1983, 1988, 1995–1997, 2000
Teams Ford, Mirage, Porsche, Courage, Panoz
Best finish 2nd (1995)
Class wins 1 (1995)

Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is a famous American former racing driver and businessman. He competed in many types of races, including Formula One and IndyCar.

Mario Andretti won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1978. He also won four IndyCar National Championship titles. In 1969, he won the famous Indianapolis 500 race. He also won the Daytona 500 in 1967, which is a big stock car racing event. In endurance racing, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring three times.

Born in Italy, Andretti and his family moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1955. He started dirt track racing with his twin brother Aldo. Mario quickly became a top driver. He is known for winning races on different types of tracks. His name became a symbol for speed in American culture.

Early Life and Racing Dreams

Mario Andretti was born on February 28, 1940, in Montona, Italy. He has a twin brother named Aldo. Their family left Italy in 1948 and moved to a refugee camp.

In 1955, the Andretti family moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the United States. They had very little money. Mario's father wanted his children to have more opportunities.

Mario and Aldo discovered a dirt racing track nearby. They bought an old car and started racing it in 1959. They kept their racing a secret from their parents at first. Mario won 21 races in 1960 and 1961.

Mario dreamed of racing faster, open-wheel cars. He said he was "hooked" the first time he drove a race car.

Racing Career Highlights

Mario Andretti became a U.S. citizen in 1964. He raced in many different types of motorsport.

Stock Car Racing Success

Mario Andretti raced in NASCAR events. He won the 1967 Daytona 500 with the Holman-Moody team. This was a huge win for him.

He also competed in the International Race of Champions (IROC) series. He won the IROC VI championship in 1979.

Open-Wheel Racing Achievements

Mario's main goal was to race in open-wheel cars. These cars have exposed wheels and are built for speed.

Early Open-Wheel Races

He started racing smaller midget cars from 1961 to 1963. He won many races. Then he moved up to sprint cars in 1964.

IndyCar Dominance

AndrettiHawk
A replica of the Brawner Hawk in which Andretti won the 1969 Indianapolis 500 now on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum in Indianapolis

Mario Andretti made his IndyCar debut in 1964. IndyCar racing is a top open-wheel series in North America. He quickly became a star.

He won his first IndyCar race in 1965. He also finished third in the 1965 Indianapolis 500. This earned him the "Rookie of the Year" award. He won the IndyCar championship that year, becoming the youngest champion at 25.

He won the championship again in 1966. In 1969, he won nine races, including the 1969 Indianapolis 500. He also won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He was named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports.

Formula One World Champion

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Andretti driving his Lotus Type 63 at the 1969 German Grand Prix in Nürburgring
Lotus 77 Sears Point
Andretti's Lotus 77 racecar
Andretti celebrating at 1978 Dutch Grand Prix
Andretti at 1978 Dutch Grand Prix
Andretti at 1981 Dutch Grand Prix
Andretti driving his Alfa Romeo 179C at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1981
Chapman and Andretti at 1978 Dutch Grand Prix
Andretti and Colin Chapman at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix

Formula One is the highest level of open-wheel racing in the world. Mario met Colin Chapman, the owner of the Lotus Formula One team, in 1965. Chapman told him to call when he was ready to race in F1.

In 1968, Mario made his F1 debut with Lotus. He even got the pole position (started first) in his very first race!

He won his first F1 race in 1971, driving for Ferrari. This was a very special moment for him.

In 1975, Andretti started racing full-time in Formula One. He joined the Lotus team again in 1976. He helped develop their cars, especially the "ground effect" design. This design used the car's shape to create downforce, which pushes the car onto the track for better grip.

In 1977, he won four races. In 1978, he dominated the season with six wins and became the Formula One World Champion. He was only the second American to win this title. Sadly, his teammate Ronnie Peterson died after a crash at the race where Mario won the championship.

After 1978, Mario didn't win another F1 race. He retired from Formula One in 1982. He had 12 wins, 18 pole positions, and 19 podium finishes.

Return to IndyCar Racing

Penske PC-9 Indy Car, built for Mario Andretti, 1980 - Collings Foundation - Massachusetts - DSC07041
The Penske PC-9 driven by Andretti during the 1980 CART season
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Andretti in 1991
Mario Andretti 1991 Laguna Seca
Andretti driving at Laguna Seca Raceway in 1991

Mario returned to full-time IndyCar racing in 1982. He joined the Newman/Haas Racing team in 1983. In 1984, he won his fourth IndyCar title at age 44.

His son Michael joined the team in 1989. They made history as the first father-son team to race together in major series. Mario's last IndyCar win was in 1993 at Phoenix International Raceway. At 53 years old, he became the oldest winner in IndyCar history. He was also the first driver to win a race in four different decades. He retired from full-time racing in 1994.

Indianapolis 500 Challenges

Mario and aldo
Mario (left) and his brother Aldo (right) at pole day for the 2007 Indianapolis 500

Mario Andretti won the Indianapolis 500 only once, in 1969, despite racing it 29 times. Many people talk about the "Andretti Curse" because of his family's bad luck at the track after his win.

In 1969, he completely dominated the race. He was the only driver to finish the entire race on just one set of tires.

In 1981, he finished second but was first declared the winner. However, the decision was later changed back. In 1982, he was involved in a crash at the start. He was very upset about it.

In 1987, he led most of the race but had an engine problem with only 20 laps left. In 1992, he crashed in cold weather and broke six toes. He still returned to race just four weeks later.

His last big run at Indy was in 1993. He led many laps but got a penalty for entering the pits when they were closed. He finished 5th.

In 2003, at age 63, Mario tested an IndyCar for his son Michael's team. He crashed spectacularly but walked away with only a small cut. This was his last time driving a major open-wheel car at Indianapolis.

Sports Car Racing

1989Porsche962MarioAndrettiMichaelAndrettiMillerHighLife
Andretti's 1989 Porsche 962 co-driven with son Michael

Mario also had success in sportscar racing. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring three times (1967, 1970, 1972). He also won a 6-hour race at Daytona in 1972. He often raced for Ferrari in these events.

Le Mans Races

Andretti competed in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in four different decades. In 1967, he had a big crash due to a mechanic's mistake. He was taken to the hospital but was okay.

He returned to Le Mans later in his career. In 1983, he finished third with his son Michael. In 1995, he finished second, which was his best result. He drove his last Le Mans race in 2000 at the age of 60.

Awards and Honors

Mario Andretti is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula One World Championship. He has won 109 official races on major circuits. His name is famous for speed in America.

He is one of only three drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR. He also won races in midget car racing and sprint car racing.

In 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine called him "Driver of the Century." He was named "Driver of the Year" in the U.S. three times. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001.

In 2006, he received a high honor from the Italian government. In 2019, a street in Indianapolis was renamed "Mario Andretti Drive" to celebrate his 1969 Indy 500 win.

The Andretti Racing Family

MarioAndrettiAndJohnAndrettiMay2007
Mario (left) with nephew John (right) at the 2007 Indianapolis 500

Mario Andretti's sons, Michael and Jeff, also became race car drivers. Michael won the IndyCar title in 1991. Mario's nephew John Andretti also raced in the series. This made the Andrettis the first family with four relatives competing in the same series.

Mario's grandson Marco started racing in IndyCar in 2006. He finished second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500. He was the first third-generation driver to win the "Rookie of the Year Award" for that race.

Life After Full-Time Racing

Mario Andretti 2009 Indy 500 Pole Day
Andretti in 2009
Pocono Raceway IndyCar returns announcment
Andretti (second from right) in October 2011, at a promotional event announcing the return of Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, to the IndyCar Series schedule for the 2013 season

Mario Andretti still stays busy after retiring from full-time racing. He gives many speeches and is a spokesperson for different companies.

He is also the vice chairman of a winery called Andretti Winery in California. He owns gas stations, a car dealership, and go-kart tracks. He also tests cars for magazines.

In 2015, he received the America Award from the Italy–USA Foundation. Mario Andretti will be part of the board of directors for the Cadillac Formula One team, which will start racing in 2026.

Mario Andretti in Movies and TV

Mario Andretti has appeared in several racing films. He was a main character and narrator in The Speed Merchants (1972). He also drove an IndyCar in the IMAX film Super Speedway (1996).

He has made guest appearances in other shows and movies. He was on Home Improvement with his son Michael. He also had cameo roles in the movies Driven (2001), Cars (2006), and Turbo (2013). In Cars, he was voiced by himself as a talking version of his 1967 Daytona 500 winning car.

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