For more information on Mario Gabriel Andretti, visit Britannica.com.
Mario Andretti
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Mario Gabriel Andretti |
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| Biography: Mario Andretti |
Mario Andretti's name is virtually synonymous with the sport of race car driving. A versatile driver with a charismatic personality, he has won numerous races and seen two sons and a nephew become successful in the sport.
For many people all over the world, the name Mario Andretti is synonymous with automobile racing. From humble beginnings in a small Italian village, Andretti went on to become one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport. Andretti's most amazing accomplishment was his versatility. He excelled in virtually every type of car and on every type of track there is, from 24-hour marathons to the Indianapolis 500. According to a 1989 poll, Andretti's name was better known to the American public than were the names of the next two most famous race car drivers - A. J. Foyt and Richard Petty - combined. During the peak years of his racing career in the 1960s and 1970s, Andretti earned a reputation as one of the sport's most daring drivers, as well as one of its most colorful personalities.
Though an avid racing fan from an early age, the circumstances of Andretti's youth were hardly conducive to a career as a top driver. He was born on February 28, 1940, in Montona, a northern Italian village near Trieste on the Istrian Peninsula. His father, Alvise, was a respected and influential farm administrator. The family lost all of its property during the Second World War, however, and after the war, the region became part of Yugoslavia. The Andrettis spent their first few years after the war in a camp for displaced persons. In 1948, Alvise moved the family to Lucca, a town near Florence, in order to maintain Italian citizenship. There he found a job working in a toy factory.
Bitten by Racing Bug Early
As young children, Mario and his twin brother, Aldo, became fascinated with cars and racing. The course of the Mille Miglia, Italy's famous 1,000-mile road race, went through Florence, and the boys were mesmerized by the noise and excitement of the event. Since the Andrettis lived across the street from a garage, the twins spent a great deal of their time hanging around mechanics and learning as much as they could about cars. Their hero was Alberto Ascari, one of the most famous drivers in Italy at the time. At the age of 13, Mario and Aldo entered a program for young race car driving hopefuls, against the wishes of their disapproving father. The only person Andretti told about his racing was an uncle, who also happened to be his priest. The youth racing program was eventually canceled because so many boys were getting injured, but the Andretti twins continued to pursue their hobby in secret.
In 1955 the entire Andretti family moved to the United States, settling in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where an uncle already lived. By 1958, the twins had saved enough money to buy their first car, a 1948 Hudson Hornet. They rebuilt the car themselves, and began racing it at the half-mile Nazareth Speedway. One brother would drive the Hudson, while the other would borrow a car. Still keeping their racing a secret from their father, the Andretti boys quickly began to dominate the local racing scene, winning one stock car race after another. Papa Andretti finally learned the truth when Aldo, by most accounts the more aggressive driver of the pair, was seriously injured in racing accident at Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The crash put Aldo into a coma for two weeks, and although he recovered from his injuries, he was never able to successfully resume his driving career.
Meanwhile, Mario's career was getting ready to shift into high gear. Working weekdays as a mechanic, he drove on evenings and weekends, gradually making his way through the ranks of three-quarter midget cars, midget cars, and modified racers. In 1961 he married his high school sweetheart, Dee Ann Hoch. Around the same time, he quit his garage job, and decided to devote his attention to full-time racing. In 1962 Andretti raced sprint cars on the United Racing Club's Eastern circuit. The following year, he won 11 American Race Drivers Club midget car races, including three races in two different states on Labor Day, 1963.
Took USAC Crown as Rookie
By 1964 Andretti had caught the attention of Clint Brawner, chief mechanic for prominent race car sponsor Al Dean of Dean Van Lines. When Dean's main driver, Chuck Hulse, was injured, he chose Andretti as his replacement. Now in the big leagues of auto racing, Andretti quickly began to make a name for himself on the United States Auto Club (USAC) circuit, finishing in the top ten in a number of races. In 1965, his first full year in top-level racing, Andretti emerged as a star of the speedways, exciting racing fans with his bold driving style. He was signed to a multi-year contract by the powerful Firestone racing team, and although he won only one race that year - the Hoosier Grand Prix at Indianapolis - he was constantly among the leaders, including an impressive third-place finish at the Indianapolis 500. That consistency earned him the USAC national championship for the 1965 season.
Andretti, now an American citizen, repeated as USAC champion in 1966. That season, he won eight of the 15 championship races he entered. During one three-race stretch - the Milwaukee 100, the Langhorne 100, and the Atlanta 300 - Andretti led from start to finish, for a total of 500 miles. That phenomenal season established Andretti as the hottest driver on the Indy-car circuit, as well as an international celebrity.
Andretti won eight races again in 1967, but fell just short of the USAC championship, which was taken by A. J. Foyt. As the 1960s continued, he felt the urge to seek out new challenges. For Andretti, that meant trying to duplicate his Indy-car success in other forms of racing. In 1967 he stunned the world of stock car racing by winning the prestigious Daytona 500. The following year, Andretti became involved in the Formula One road racing circuit. He also began to race occasionally on dirt tracks. Although he enhanced his reputation as one of the world's most versatile drivers, Andretti won only four USAC races in 1968, finishing second in the standings to Bobby Unser.
Closed 1960s with Indy Win
After a string of disappointments at the Indianapolis 500, the most important of all races, Andretti finally broke through with a victory in 1969. The win at Indy helped lift Andretti to his third USAC championship in five years. He also won a 12-hour road race at Sebring that season. In 1970 Andretti suffered a series of crashes and mechanical problems, and he failed to win any major races. With an Indy trophy finally in his collection, Andretti decided to focus more energy on Formula One racing during the 1970s. He won the South African Grand Prix in 1971, but struggled through the next several seasons without a Grand Prix victory. He did, however, manage to win the USAC dirt track championship in 1974, a further show of his versatility.
In 1977 Andretti finally began to achieve the kind of success in Formula One racing that he had in Indy cars. He came in third in the standings among Formula One drivers that year, winning the U.S., Spanish, French, and Italian Grand Prix events. The following year, only his second racing Formula One full time, Andretti realized a life-long dream by becoming the Formula One World Champion. By the early 1980s, however, Andretti had pretty much retired from the Grand Prix circuit, and was once more ready to concentrate on Indy cars. In 1984, at an age (46) generally considered over-the-hill for a race car driver, Andretti took his fourth Indy Car championship.
Drove Fast During Career Twilight
Although the victories started to come less frequently, Andretti continued to race competitively through the rest of the 1980s and into the first half of the 1990s, both in Indy Cars and in the occasional Formula One event. He won an Indy Car race in 1988 before encountering an extended dry spell. His last Indy Car win - the 52nd of his career - came in a 1993 race in Phoenix. That year, at the age of 53, Andretti set the all-time qualifying speed record of 234.275 miles-per-hour at the Michigan International Speedway. Andretti retired from racing following the Grand Prix of Monterey at the end of the 1994 season.
Meanwhile, the most famous race car driver in the world had spawned the most successful racing dynasty in history. Son Michael has become one of racing's top drivers in his own right. Andretti's other son, Jeff, and nephew John (Aldo's son) have also shown the Andretti magic behind the wheel. During the early 1990s, several Indy Car fields included four drivers named Andretti.
Mario considered making a one-race comeback in 1996, when a schism developed between Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and the upstart Indy Racing League (IRL) over control of the Indianapolis 500 field. As a protest against IRL's attempt to stock the Indy field with its members, CART created the U.S. 500, to be run on the same day as the Indy 500 at the same Michigan track on which Andretti had set his qualifying record a few years earlier. After weeks of contemplation, Andretti eventually decided against entering the U.S. 500. Even in retirement, however, Andretti remains a giant figure among racing fans. He is much in demand for appearances and endorsements. Although he has now left the driving to the next generation of Andrettis, his charisma and diverse skills will be difficult for his successors to match.
Further Reading
Andretti, Mario, Andretti: Mario on Mario, Collins, 1994.
Roebuck, Nigel, Grand Prix Greats, Patrick Stephens, 1986.
People, August 28, 1978, pp. 37-43.
Libby, Bill, Great American Race Drivers, Cowles, 1970, pp. 180-184.
Prentzas, G. S., Mario Andretti, Chelsea House, 1996.
Sports Illustrated, May 11, 1992, pp. 78-93.
Road and Track, January, 1995, pp. 117-119.
Sports Illustrated, October 17, 1994, p. 88.
Indianapolis Star, January 18, 1996, p. D1.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Mario Andretti |
Andretti, Mario (ăndrĕt'ē), 1940-, American auto racing driver, b. Italy. He is the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500 (1969), stock racing's Daytona 500 (1967), and the international Formula One championship (1978). He retired from Indy-car racing in 1994 with 52 victories, second only to A. J. Foyt, but continued his attempts to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andretti is the head of a racing family that includes his son Michael Andretti, 1962-, also a noted Indy car driver; son Jeff; and nephew John.
| Quotes By: Mario Andretti |
Quotes:
"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal -- a commitment to excellence -- that will enable you to attain the success you seek."
"Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs."
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."
| Wikipedia: Mario Andretti |
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|
Nationality  American (naturalized 1964) |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1968 - 1972, 1974 - 1982 |
| Teams | Lotus, March, Ferrari, Parnelli, Alfa Romeo, Williams |
| Races | 131 (128 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (1978) |
| Wins | 12 |
| Podiums | 19 |
| Career points | 180 |
| Pole positions | 18 |
| Fastest laps | 10 |
| First race | 1968 United States Grand Prix |
| First win | 1971 South African Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1978 Dutch Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
|---|---|
| Participating years | 1966-1967, 1982-1983, 1988, 1995-1997, 2000 |
| Teams | Holman Moody Grand Touring Cars Inc. Porsche Kremer Racing Porsche AG Courage Compétition Panoz Motorsports |
| Best finish | 2nd (1995) |
| Class wins | 1 (1995) |
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is a retired American automobile racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR (the other being Dan Gurney). He also won races in midget cars, sprint cars, and drag racing.
During his career, Andretti won four IndyCar titles (three under USAC-sanctioning, one under CART), the 1978 Formula One World Championship, and IROC VI. To date, he remains the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), Daytona 500 (1967) and the Formula One World Championship, and, along with Juan Pablo Montoya, the only driver to have won a race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Formula One, and an Indianapolis 500. No American has won a Formula One race since Andretti's victory at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.[1] Andretti had 109 career wins on major circuits.[2]
Andretti had a long career in racing. He was the only person to be named United States Driver of the Year in three decades (1967, 1978, and 1984).[3] He was also one of only three drivers to win races on road courses, paved ovals, and dirt tracks in one season, a feat that he accomplished four times.[3] With his final IndyCar win in April 1993, Andretti became the first driver to win IndyCar races in four different decades[4] and the first to win automobile races of any kind in five.[3]
In American popular culture, his name has become synonymous with speed, similar to Barney Oldfield in the early twentieth century and Stirling Moss in the United Kingdom.[5]
Early life
Mario Andretti and his twin brother Aldo were born into an Italian family in Motovun (then Montona), Istria, on February 28, 1940 to a farm administrator named Luigi and his wife Rina.[6] Istria was then a region of Italy but became a part of Yugoslavia with the conclusion of World War II in 1945 and the Treaty of Paris finalizing Istria from Italy. Three years later in 1948 Mario, Aldo, their sister Anna Maria, and their parents left Istria during the period of the Istrian exodus for a camp in Lucca, Italy.[7] The family emigrated to the United States of America in 1955 and settled in Nazareth in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley in June of that year with just $125.[3] Andretti became a naturalized United States citizen in 1964.
Racing career
Childhood involvement in motorsports
The twins' mother Rina said that when they were two years old, they would take pot lids out of the cupboards and run around the kitchen, going "Vroom, vroom," like they were driving cars - this before they had seen a car.[3] In 1945, at the age of five, he and Aldo were racing their hand-crafted wooden cars through the steep streets of their hometown.[8] Later, the brothers were hired by a garage to park cars, Andretti described the experience in his book What's It Like Out There: "The first time I fired up a car, felt the engine shudder and the wheel come to life in my hands, I was hooked. It was a feeling I can't describe. I still get it every time I get into a race car."[9] Andretti's first racing experience was in a new youth racing league called Formula Junior in Ancona, Italy when he was thirteen years old.[6][10] He had a fond childhood memory of watching a stretch of the Mille Miglia race in 1954 causing him to become captivated by Italian two-time Formula One world champion Alberto Ascari.[10][11]
Stock car racing
Start in racing
Mario and Aldo were surprised to find a half mile dirt racing track when they moved to Nazareth.[3] The twins worked on a 1948 Hudson Hornet Sportsman stock car funded by money that they earned in their uncle's garage in 1959.[3] They took turns racing the car on oval dirt tracks near Nazareth in 1959 in the old Hudson. They did not tell their parents that they were racing.[6] The twins each had two wins after their first four races.[12] Aldo was seriously hurt near the end of the season, and their parents were unhappy to find out that the twins were racing.[6] Mario had 21 modified stockcar wins in 46 races in 1960 and 1961.[3]
USAC stock car
Andretti occasionally competed in United States Automobile Club (USAC) stock car events. He competed in USAC stock cars in 1965, and finished twelfth in the season points.[6] He won a USAC Stock Car race in 1967, and finished seventh in the season points.[6] He won three 1974 USAC stock car races on road courses, and won four road course races in 1975.[6]
NASCAR
| Born | February 28, 1940 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hometown | .svg){kind=small} Motovun (then Montona d'Istria), Istria, Italy naturalized American |
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| Awards | named the "Driver of the Century" by the Associated Press and RACER magazine
2000 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 1996 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee (U.S.) named Driver of the Quarter Century in 1992 1990 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee 1978-1979 (IROC VI) International Race of Champions series champion 1978 Formula One World Championship 1974 USAC national dirt track champion (U.S.) 1972 24 Hours of Daytona 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner 1967 Daytona 500 winner Three time 12 Hours of Sebring winner (1967, 1970, 1972) Four time IndyCar champion (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984) 1969 ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year |
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| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series statistics | |||||||
| 14 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| Best cup position | unranked | ||||||
| First race | 1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last race | 1969 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| First win | 1967 Daytona 500 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last win | 1967 Daytona 500 (Daytona) | ||||||
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Andretti competed in fourteen NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) events in his career. He competed in Holman Moody cars for his final ten events. Holman Moody was one of NASCAR's most successful teams at that time, as the team won NASCAR championships in 1968 and 1969 with driver David Pearson.[13] Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500 for Holman Moody.[14]
International Race of Champions
Andretti was invited to race in six International Race of Champions (IROC) series in his career. His best years were his first three years. He finished second in the final points standings in IROC III (1975-1976) and IROC V (1977-1978). He won the IROC VI (1978-1979) points championship with finishes of third, first, and second. He won three races in twenty events.[14]
Open wheel racing
Early open wheel racing
Andretti's goal was to race in single-seater open wheel cars. Andretti said "Aldo and I were winning in stock cars. But my objective was to get into single-seaters."[6]
Andretti raced midget cars from 1961 to 1963. He started racing 3/4 (sized) midget cars in the American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association in the winter to be seen by full-sized midget car owners.[6] He raced in over one hundred events in 1963.[15] Andretti won three feature races at two different tracks on Labor Day in 1963.[6] He won an afternoon feature at Flemington, New Jersey, and swept twin features at Hatfield, Pennsylvania.[6]
The next rung on the racing ladder on the East Coast of the United States was to race in sprint cars in the United Racing Club (URC).[6] Andretti was able to get a ride for individual races in the URC sprint car racing series, but was unable to secure a full-time ride.[6] He once drove from Canada to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania hoping to find a ride in an event, but he went empty-handed. He bypassed the series when he was offered a full-time ride in a United States Automobile Club sprint car for 1964.[6]
USAC sprint cars
Andretti won the 1964 Joe James-Pat O'Connor Memorial USAC sprint car race at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana. Andretti continued to race in USAC sprint cars after moving into champ cars. In 1965 he won once at Ascot Park, and finished tenth in the season points.[6] In 1966 he won five times (Cumberland, Maryland, Oswego, New York, Rossburg, Ohio, Phoenix, Arizona, and his second win at the Joe James-Pat O'Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway), but finished behind Roger McCluskey in the season championship.[6] In 1967 he won two of the three events that he entered.[6]
IndyCar career
From 1956 to 1979, the top open wheel racing series in North America was the USAC National Championship. It was often referred to as Champ car racing, or Indycar racing, referring to the famous Indianapolis 500 race which was the centerpiece of the championship. The races were run on a mixture of paved and dirt ovals, and in later years also included some road courses.
Andretti made his Champ Car debut on April 19, 1964 at the New Jersey State fairgrounds in Trenton, New Jersey.[6] He started sixteenth and finishing eleventh. Andretti was introduced by his USAC sprint car owner, Rufus Gray, to veteran mechanic Clint Brawner. Brawner was not impressed since sprint car drivers Stan Bowman, Donnie Davis, and Chuck Hulse had recently died in accidents.[6] Chris Economaki recommended Andretti to Brawner, so Brawner watched Andretti race at Terra Haute, Indiana.[6] Brawner was convinced that he had found the new driver for his team.[6] The two stayed together for six years.[6] Andretti finished eleventh in National Championship that season.[6] Andretti won his first championship car race at the Hoosier Grand Prix on a road course at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1965.[6] His third place finish at the 1965 Indianapolis 500 in the Brawner Hawk earned him the race's Rookie of the Year award, and contributed towards Andretti winning the series championship. He was the youngest national champion in series history at age 25.[15] He repeated as series champion in 1966,[10] winning eight of fifteen events.[6] He also won the pole at the 1966 Indianapolis 500.[6] Andretti finished second in the IndyCars in 1967 and 1968. He also won a single non-championship drag race in 1967 in a Ford Mustang. In both 1967 and 1968, Andretti lost the season USAC championship to A.J. Foyt and Bobby Unser, respectively, in the waning laps of the last race of the season at Riverside, California -- each by the smallest points margin in history.
Andretti won nine races in 1969, the 1969 Indianapolis 500, and the season championship. He also won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which was part of the USAC National Championship.[12] He was named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Between 1966 and 1969 he won 29 of 85 USAC championship races.[3]
In 1973, USAC split its National Championship into dirt and pavement championships.[6] Andretti had one win on the pavement and finished fifth in the season points, and finished second in the dirt championship.[6] He competed in USAC's dirt track division in 1974, and won the dirt track championship while competing in both series.[3] Andretti also competed in the North American Formula 5000 series in 1973 and 1974, and finished second in the championship in both seasons.[3]
Formula One career
Formula One is the highest form of open wheel racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's international governing body. Although originating in Europe, by the 1960s it included races worldwide. At Andretti's first Indianapolis 500, in 1965, he met Colin Chapman, owner of the Lotus Formula One team, who was running eventual race winner Jim Clark's car.[16] Andretti told Chapman of his ambition to compete in Formula One and was told "When you're ready, call me."[17] By 1968 Andretti felt he was ready. Chapman gave him a car, and the young American took the pole position on his debut at the 1968 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in his Lotus 49.[16][18]
Andretti drove sporadically in Formula One over the next four years for Lotus, March, and Ferrari, while continuing to focus on his racing career in America.[16] At the 1971 South African Grand Prix, on his debut for Ferrari, he won his first Grand Prix.[16] Three weeks later, at the non-championship Questor Grand Prix in the U.S., he brought the Italian team a second victory.[19]
It wasn't until 1975 that Andretti drove a full Formula One season, for the American Parnelli team. The team was new to Formula One, although it had been successful in both Formula 5000 and IndyCar racing in America with Andretti driving. The team had run Andretti in the two North American end-of-season races in 1974 with promising results. Andretti qualified fourth and led the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix for nine laps before his suspension failed. He scored five championship points in the season. Andretti continued to compete in IndyCar, missing two Formula One races in the middle of the season to do so.[20]
When the Parnelli team pulled out of Formula One after two races of the 1976 season, Andretti returned to Chapman's Lotus team, for whom he had already driven at the season-opening Brazilian Grand Prix. Lotus was then at a low point, having failed to produce a competitive car to replace 1970's Lotus 72. Andretti's ability at developing a racing car contributed to Lotus' return to the front of the Formula One grid, culminating in lapping the field in his victory at the season ending race at the Mount Fuji circuit in Japan.[16] Since mid-1975 Lotus had been developing the use of ground effect, shaping the underside of the car to generate downforce with little penalizing drag. For his part, Andretti worked at setting up his cars for the races, exploiting subtle differences in tire size ('stagger') and suspension set up ('cross weighting') on each side of the car to optimize it for each track, an approach imported from his extensive oval racing experience in the United States.[21] In 1977, at Long Beach, he became the only American to win the United States Grand Prix West, and the last American as of 2008 to win any US Grand Prix.[22] The Lotus 78 "wing car" proved to be the most competitive car of 1977,[23] but despite winning four races, more than any other driver, reliability problems and collisions with other drivers meant Andretti finished only third in the championship.[23] The following year, the Lotus 79 exploited ground effect even further and Andretti took the title with six wins.[23] He clinched the championship at the Italian Grand Prix.[3] There was no championship celebration because his teammate and close friend Ronnie Peterson crashed heavily at the start of the race; he was hospitalised and died that night from complications resulting from his injuries.[3]
Andretti would find little success after 1978 in Formula One - he failed to win another grand prix. He had a difficult year in 1979, as the new Lotus 80 was not competitive, and the team had to rely on the Lotus 79 which had been overtaken by the second generation of ground effect cars.[24] In 1980, he was paired with Italian Elio de Angelis, and briefly with the young Nigel Mansell, but the team was again unsuccessful.[25]
Andretti had an unsuccessful 1981 with the Alfa Romeo team. Like other drivers of the period he did not like the ground effect cars of the time: "the cars were getting absurd, really crude, with no suspension movement whatever. It was toggle switch driving with no need for any kind of delicacy...it made leaving Formula One a lot easier than it would have been."[26] The next year Andretti raced once for the Williams team, after their driver Carlos Reutemann suddenly quit, before replacing the seriously injured Didier Pironi at Ferrari for the last two races of the year. Suspension failure dropped him out of the last race of the season, but at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza he took the pole position and finished third in the race.[16][27]
Return to IndyCar racing
Andretti had continued to race, and occasionally win, in the USAC National Championship during his time in the Formula One world championship. In 1979 a new organization, Championship Auto Racing Teams, had set up the Indycar world series as a rival to the USAC National Championships that Andretti had won three times in the 1960s. The new series had rapidly become the top open wheel racing series in North America.[28]
It was to this arena that Andretti returned full time in 1982, driving for Patrick Racing. In 1983 he joined the new Newman/Haas Racing team, set up by Carl Haas and actor Paul Newman using cars built by British company Lola. Andretti took the team's first win at Elkhart Lake in 1983.[29] He won the pole for nine of sixteen events in 1984, and claimed his fourth Champ Car title at the age of 44. He edged out Tom Sneva by 13 points. It was the first series title for the second year team.
Mario's son Michael joined Newman/Haas in 1989. Together, they made history as the first father/son team to compete in both IMSA GT and Champ Car racing,[10] as for the former, it was their fourth time in an endurance race together as co-drivers. Mario finished seventh in points for the 1991 season, the year that Michael won the championship. Mario's last victory in IndyCar racing came in 1993 at Phoenix International Raceway,[4] the year that Michael left Newman/Haas to race in Formula One. The win made Mario the oldest recorded winner in an IndyCar event (53 years, 34 days old).[4][30] Andretti qualified on the pole at the Michigan 500 later that year with a speed of 234.275 miles per hour (377.029 km/h). The speed was a new closed course world record.[15] Andretti's final season, in 1994, was dubbed "The Arrivederci Tour." He raced in the last of his 407 Indy car races that September.
Indianapolis 500
Andretti won once at the Indianapolis 500 in 29 attempts. Andretti has had so many incidents and near victories at the track that critics have dubbed the family's performance after Mario's 1969 Indianapolis 500 victory the "
Mario finished all 500 miles (800 km) just five times, including his 1969 Indianapolis 500 victory. Andretti was the first driver to exceed 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) while practicing for the 1977 Indianapolis 500.[33]
Andretti finished second in the 1981 Indianapolis 500 by eight seconds behind Bobby Unser. The following day Unser was penalized one lap for passing cars under a caution flag, and Andretti was declared the winner. Unser and his car owner Roger Penske appealed the race stewards' decision. USAC overturned the one lap penalty four months later, and penalized Unser with a $40,000 fine.
In the 1985 Indianapolis 500, he was passed by Danny Sullivan in Turn One. A moment later, Sullivan spun in front of Andretti, pitted on his own caution to replace his flat-spotted tires, and then passed Mario again -- this time without incident -- to go on for the win. Andretti dominated the 1987 Indianapolis 500 testing, led for 170 of the first 177 laps of the race, but his race was ended with electrical failure on lap 180 of 200. Andretti suffered broken ankles in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 when he crashed hard in turn four during the race. Andretti's last race at Indy was the 1994 Indianapolis 500.[31]
After retiring, Andretti was testing for his son Michael's IndyCar on April 24, 2003 in place of the injured Tony Kanaan at Indianapolis. At 5:58 pm – two minutes before the scheduled end of the session – Andretti powered out of the first turn onto the "south chute" of the circuit. In his path lay a chunk of debris from Kenny Bräck's car, which had crashed seconds earlier. The object forced the nose of Andretti's car to become airborne, and Andretti's car went into a rapid double reverse somersault at speeds estimated to be above 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). Television footage from a local TV station's helicopter showed that the car was nearly high enough to clear the debris fence mounted atop the circuit's outer retaining wall. Andretti's car fell back to earth, having been slowed by its mid-air tumble, and slid to a stop. Luckily, the car landed right side up and Andretti walked away from the crash with very minor injuries.[15]
Sports cars
Andretti won three 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races (1967, 1970, 1972),[3] and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1972. In early sportscar races he competed for the Holman Moody team, but later often drove for Ferrari. He signed with Ferrari in 1971, and won several races with co-driver Jacky Ickx.[16] In 1972 he shared wins in the three North American rounds of the championship and at Brands Hatch in the UK, contributing to Ferrari's dominant victory in that year's World Championship for Makes. He also competed in the popular North American Can-Am series in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Le Mans
Andretti competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in four decades. In 1966 he shared a Holman Moody Ford MKII with Lucien Bianchi. They retired after their car dropped a valve at 10:30p.m.[34] In 1967 his front brake locked, causing him to crash his Holman Moody Ford MKIV at the Esses. His teammates, Jo Schlesser and Roger McCluskey, crashed while managing to avoid Andretti's GT40. McCluskey pulled Andretti to safety, and Andretti was taken to hospital for X-rays.[35][36]
Andretti did not return to Le Mans until his full time Formula One career was over. In 1982, he partnered with son Michael in a Mirage M12 Ford. They qualified in ninth place, but the pair found their car being removed from the starting grid 80 minutes before the start of the race,[37] as an official discovered an oil cooler that was mounted behind the gearbox, which was against the rules. The car had passed initial inspection four days before the race.[37] Despite protests and complaints, the Andretti's entry was removed altogether, replaced by a Porsche 924 Carrera GTR. Their return in the following year was more successful as they finished third. The father/son team returned in 1988 with John Andretti. They finished sixth in a factory Porsche 962. Following Mario's retirement from full-time racing, he decided on a return to the circuit to add a Le Mans victory to his achievements. He returned in 1995 with a second place finish. He said in a 2006 interview that he feels that the Courage Compétition team "lost [the 1995] race five times over" through poor organization. He had unsuccessful efforts in the following years with a thirteenth place in 1996, and then a DNF (Did Not Finish) for 1997. Andretti's final appearance at Le Mans was at the 2000 race, six years after his retirement from full-time racing, when he drove the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S at the age of 60, finishing 16th.[38]
Awards and honors
In 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine named him Driver of the Century.[39] He was the Driver of the Year (in the United States) for three years (1967, 1978, and 1984),[40] and is the only driver to be Driver of the Year in three decades.[12] Andretti was named the U.S. Driver of the Quarter Century in 1992.[2] He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001,[2] the United States National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996,[6] the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990,[11] and the Hoosier Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1970.[6]
On October 23, 2006, 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.[39] Enzo Ferrari is the only other recipient of the Commendatore from the world of automobile racing.
From 2007 Mario Andretti is the "Mayor" (Sindaco) of the "Free Commune of Motovun in Exile" (Libero Comune di Montona in esilio), an association of Italian emigrants from Motovun[41][42].
Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America
Mario was instrumental in keeping championship car racing at Road America. CART severed its ties with the track as a legal resolution of payment issues from the 2002 and 2003 series events at the track. Andretti was an intermediary between CART President Chris Pook and Road America President George Bruggenthies. After six weeks both sides came to terms and signed a two year contract. The event was renamed the "Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America".[8]
Elder of Andretti racing family
Both of Mario Andretti's sons, Michael and Jeff, were auto racers. Michael followed in his father's footsteps by winning the IndyCar title, with Mario's nephew John Andretti joining the series in 1991. This meant that the Andrettis became the first family to have four relatives compete in the same series.[12] With Mario sharing driving duties with sons Michael and Jeff at the 1991 Rolex 24 at Daytona, driving a Porsche 962, the Andretti clan finished 5th.[43] Mario's grandson Marco completed his first full season in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 2006, driving for his father Michael's Andretti Green Racing team. Marco finished second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500 and so became the first third-generation recipient of the race's Rookie of the Year Award.
Later life
Mario and his wife Dee Ann live near their son Michael in mansions overlooking the town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Mario's home city since the 1950s. Dee Ann is a native of Nazareth who taught English to Andretti in 1961.[33] Dee Ann and Mario were married on November 25, 1961.[44]
Andretti has kept active after his retirement from full-time racing. He makes numerous speaking engagements before corporate audiences and is a spokesman for long time sponsors Texaco/Havoline and Firestone. He is also occasionally a spokesman for the Champ Car World Series, although he frequently attends IRL races watching Marco compete. Andretti is vice chairman of a winery named Andretti Winery in Napa Valley, California. He owns a chain of gasoline stations, a Toyota dealership in Moon Township, Pennsylvania (just outside of Pittsburgh), car washes, car-care products, go-kart tracks, a clothing line, video games and replica cars. He also test drives cars for Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines.[5]
In July 2006 Mario took part in the Bullrun race across America.[5] The first pitstop was at the Pocono Raceway (in Andretti's state of Pennsylvania), with Gate #5 aptly named Andretti Road.
Media appearances
Mario played himself on three episodes of the United States television show Home Improvement.[45] He also appears in films, an IMAX movie Super Speedway about the making of Newman/Haas Racing cars as well as being about Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.[45] Mario is also in the Pixar Animation Studios film Cars,[45] where his voice is used for a cameo in which he plays the 1967 Ford Fairlane in which he won the Daytona 500, a parody of his own success in that race. Mario appeared in the off-road racing documentary Dust to Glory as a course official, where the movie documents the 2004 Baja 1000 race.[45]
Mario also wrote a racing column for the Indianapolis Star where he wrote about other drivers, equipment, and cars.[44]
Racing career results
Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
American Open-Wheel racing results
CART
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Team Penske | Penske PC-6 | Ford Cosworth TC | PHX |
ATL1 |
ATL2 |
IND |
TRE1 |
TRE2 |
MIS1 |
MIS2 |
WGL |
TRE3 |
ONT 3 |
MIS3 DNS |
ATL3 |
PHX2 |
11th | 700 | |||
| 1980 | Team Penske | Penske PC-9 | Ford Cosworth | ONT |
IND 20 |
MIL |
POC 17 |
MDO |
MIS1 |
WGL |
MIL |
ONT2 |
MIS2 1 |
 MEX |
PHX 2 |
16th | 580 | |||||
| 1981 | Patrick Racing | Wildcat | Ford Cosworth TC | PHX1 11 |
MIL1 3 |
ATL1 3 |
ATL2 2 |
MIS |
RIV |
MIL2 |
MIS2 2 |
WGL 16 |
MEX |
PHX2 4 |
11th | 81 | ||||||
| 1982 | Patrick Racing | Wildcat 8B | Ford Cosworth | PHX1 2 |
ATL 11 |
MIL1 9 |
CLE 2 |
MIS1 2 |
MIL2 3 |
POC 14 |
RIV 23 |
ROA 14 |
MIS2 2 |
PHX2 3 |
3rd | 188 | ||||||
| 1983 | Newman/Haas | Lola T-700 | Ford Cosworth TC | ATL 5 |
IND 23 |
MIL 18 |
CLE 14 |
MIS1 3 |
ROA 1 |
POC 7 |
RIV 16 |
MDO 2 |
MIS2 4 |
CEA 1 |
LAG 2 |
PHX 2 |
3rd | 133 | ||||
| 1984 | Newman/Haas | Lola T800 | Ford Cosworth | LGB 1 |
PHX1 20 |
IND 17 |
MIL 8 |
POR 26 |
MEA 1 |
CLE 21 |
MIS1 1 |
ROA 1 |
POC 19 |
MDO 1 |
 SAN 7 |
MIS2 1 |
PHX 12 |
LAG 2 |
CEA 2 |
1st | 176 | |
| 1985 | Newman/Haas | Lola T900 | Ford Cosworth | LGB 1 |
IND 2 |
MIL 1 |
POR 1 |
MEA 26 |
CLE 14 |
MIS1 10 |
ROA |
POC 7 |
MDO 7 |
SAN 15 |
MIS2 21 |
LAG 11 |
PHX 3 |
MIA 27 |
5th | 114 | ||
| 1986 | Newman/Haas | Lola T8600 | Ford Cosworth TC | PHX1 |
LGB 5 |
IND 32 |
MIL 5 |
POR 1 |
MEA 24 |
CLE 3 |
TOR 3 |
MIS1 21 |
POC 1 |
MDO 24 |
SAN 8 |
MIS2 10 |
ROA 9 |
LAG 4 |
PHX2 4 |
MIA 11 |
5th | 136 |
| 1987 | Newman/Haas | Lola T8700 | Chevy A | LGB 1 |
PHX 5 |
IND 9 |
MIL 17 |
POR 10 |
MEA 2 |
CLE 10 |
TOR 15 |
MIS 19 |
POC 19 |
ROA 1 |
MDO 17 |
NAZ 19 |
LAG 17 |
MIA 4 |
6th | 100 | ||
| 1988 | Newman/Haas | Lola T8800 | Chevy A | PHX 1 |
LGB 15 |
IND 20 |
MIL 17 |
POR 5 |
CLE 1 |
TOR 25 |
MEA 2 |
MIS 12 |
POC 17 |
MDO 2 |
ROA 3 |
NAZ 3 |
LAG 3 |
MIA 15 |
5th | 126 | ||
| 1989 | Newman/Haas | Lola T8900 | Chevy A | PHX 8 |
LGB 18 |
IND 4 |
MIL 7 |
DET 3 |
POR 25 |
CLE 2 |
MEA 20 |
TOR 26 |
MIS 3 |
POC 5 |
MDO 7 |
ROA 7 |
NAZ 8 |
LAG 2 |
6th | 110 | ||
| 1990 | Newman/Haas | Lola T9000 | Chevy A | PHX 4 |
LGB 5 |
IND 27 |
MIL 21 |
DET 25 |
POR 2 |
CLE 4 |
MEA 24 |
TOR 6 |
MIS 3 |
DEN 4 |
VAN 3 |
MDO 2 |
ROA 5 |
NAZ 4 |
LAG 26 |
7th | 136 | |
| 1991 | Newman/Haas | Lola T9100 | Chevy A |  SUR 17 |
LGB 19 |
PHX 9 |
IND 7 |
MIL 3 |
DET 7 |
POR 5 |
CLE 6 |
MEA 15 |
TOR 2 |
MIS 4 |
DEN 15 |
VAN 4 |
MDO 7 |
ROA 3 |
NAZ 5 |
LAG 3 |
7th | 132 |
| 1992 | Newman/Haas | Lola T9200 | Ford XB | SUR 7 |
PHX 17 |
LGB 23 |
IND 23 |
DET |
POR 6 |
MIL 6 |
NHA 7 |
TOR 4 |
MIS 15 |
CLE 5 |
ROA 5 |
VAN 6 |
MDO 5 |
NAZ 5 |
LAG 2 |
6th | 105 | |
| 1993 | Newman/Haas | Lola T9300 | Ford XB | SUR 4 |
PHX 1 |
LGB 18 |
IND 5 |
MIL 18 |
DET 3 |
POR 6 |
CLE 5 |
TOR 8 |
MIS 2 |
NHA 20 |
ROA 15 |
VAN 5 |
MDO 7 |
NAZ 13 |
LAG 9 |
6th | 117 | |
| 1994 | Newman/Haas | Lola T9400 | Ford XB | SUR 3 |
PHX 21 |
LGB 5 |
IND 32 |
MIL 14 |
DET 18 |
POR 9 |
CLE 27 |
TOR 4 |
MIS 18 |
MDO 10 |
NHA 19 |
VAN 11 |
ROA 16 |
NAZ 25 |
LAG 19 |
14th | 45 |
Total: 1 championship, 19 victories
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Brawner Hawk | Ford | 4th | 3rd |
| 1966 | Brawner Hawk | Ford | 1st | 18th |
| 1967 | Brawner Hawk | Ford | 1st | 30th |
| 1968 | Brawner Hawk | Ford | 4th | 33rd |
| 1969 | Brawner Hawk | Ford | 2nd | 1st |
| 1970 | McNamara | Ford | 8th | 6th |
| 1971 | McNamara | Ford | 9th | 30th |
| 1972 | Parnelli | Offy | 5th | 8th |
| 1973 | Parnelli | Offy | 6th | 30th |
| 1974 | Eagle | Offy | 5th | 31st |
| 1975 | Eagle | Offy | 27th | 28th |
| 1976 | McLaren | Offy | 19th | 8th |
| 1977 | McLaren | Cosworth | 6th | 26th |
| 1978 | Penske | Cosworth | 33rd | 12th |
| 1980 | Penske | Cosworth | 2nd | 20th |
| 1981 | Wildcat | Cosworth | 32nd | 2nd |
| 1982 | Wildcat | Cosworth | 4th | 31st |
| 1983 | Lola | Cosworth | 11th | 23rd |
| 1984 | Lola | Cosworth | 6th | 17th |
| 1985 | Lola | Cosworth | 4th | 2nd |
| 1986 | Lola | Cosworth | 30th | 32nd |
| 1987 | Lola | Chevrolet | 1st | 9th |
| 1988 | Lola | Chevrolet | 4th | 20th |
| 1989 | Lola | Chevrolet | 5th | 4th |
| 1990 | Lola | Chevrolet | 6th | 27th |
| 1991 | Lola | Chevrolet | 3rd | 7th |
| 1992 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 3rd | 23rd |
| 1993 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 2nd | 5th |
| 1994 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 9th | 32nd |
References
- ^ DAVE KALLMANN (June 18, 2005). "U.S. GRAND PRIX; Feel the need for Speed; Formula One racer tops". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20050618/ai_n14672796. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
- ^ a b c "Biography". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/2000/Mario_Andretti_main.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Larry Schwartz. "Super Mario had speed to burn". ESPN. http://www.espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/andretti_mario.html. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ a b c "Andretti Races to Victory". New York Times. April 5, 1993. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DB133EF936A35757C0A965958260. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
- ^ a b c "Mario Andretti: Living Legend (an interview)". C16 Magazine. May 22, 2007. http://www.c16mag.com/pacenote_item.aspx?cid=1410. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductees". [1]. http://www.sprintcarhof.com/Inductees.aspx. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ "Montona Napa Valley Estate Wines". Andretti Winery. http://www.andrettiwinery.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=0. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ a b Garu D'Amato (2003-08-02). "Appreciating Andretti". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20030802/ai_n10897303. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ "Mario Andretti - Began Racing In Italy". sports.jrank.org. http://sports.jrank.org/pages/146/Andretti-Mario-Began-Racing-in-Italy.html. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ a b c d "Texaco/Havoline CART History Mario Andretti". Texaco/Havoline. http://www.texacohavoline42.com/media/history/cart/mario_andretti.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ a b "Biography". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. http://www.mshf.com/index.htm?/hof/andretti_mario.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ a b c d Schwartz, Larry. "Mario Andretti synonymous with racing". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014066.html. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ "Holman Moody owner's statistics". racing-reference.info. http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=holmamo01. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b "NASCAR and IROC driving statistics". racing-reference.info. http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=andrema01. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
- ^ a b c d Mattijs Diepraam, Rainer Nyberg. "THE CHAMPIONS / Mario Andretti". 8W. http://www.forix.com/8w/andretti.html. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gerald Donaldson. "Mario Andretti". Formula One. http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/242/. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
- ^ Taylor, Simon (March 2007). "Lunch with ... Mario Andretti". Motorsport LXXXIII: 36.
- ^ Taylor, Simon (March 2007). "Lunch with ... Mario Andretti". Motorsport LXXXIII: 33 - 42.
- ^ Tom Prankerd. "The Questor Grand Prix". forix.com. http://www.forix.com/8w/questor.html. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
- ^ Gill, Barrie (ed.) (1976). The World Championship 1975 - John Player Motorsport yearbook 1976. Queen Anne Press Ltd.. pp. 37 & 120. ISBN 0-362-00254-1.
- ^ Nye, Doug (1986). Autocourse History of the Grand Prix car 1966 - 1985. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 95–97. ISBN 0-905-138-37-6.
- ^ "United States Grand Prix history". Formula One. http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2004/6/1739.html. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ a b c "Lotus - Ford 79". http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/lotus79.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ Nye (1986) p.100
- ^ Nye (1986) p.196
- ^ Roebuck, Nigel (1986). Grand Prix Greats. Patrick Stephens Ltd. pp. 24. ISBN 0-85059-792-7.
- ^ Roebuck (1986) pp.21-22
- ^ Hamilton (ed.), Maurice (1983). Autocourse 1983 - 1984. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 219. ISBN 0-905138-25-2.
- ^ Hamilton (ed.) (1983) p.226
- ^ "The Andrettis". www.superspeedway.com. http://www.superspeedway.com/eng/andretti.html. Retrieved 2007-02-28.
- ^ a b Steve Crowe. "What curse? Andretti is back at Indy". Knight Ridder. http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/05-01/05-26-01/c05sp125.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ "'I didn't miss this': Andretti survives difficult weekend to get in field". CNN/Sports Illustrated. May 14, 2001. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/2001/indy500/news/2001/05/14/andretti_difficulty_ap/. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ a b "Andretti's only Indy 500 win came in 1969". ESPN classic. http://espn.go.com/classic/s/add_andretti_mario.html. Retrieved 2007-04-21.
- ^ "Le Mans 1966". GT40.org. http://www.gt40.org.uk/Le%20Mans/1966.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
- ^ Gregor Grant (1967). "Ford Again at Le Mans". Autosport. http://www.imca-slotracing.com/1967-PART2.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
- ^ "Le Mans 1967". GT40.org. http://www.gt40.org.uk/Le%20Mans/1967.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
- ^ a b Briggs, Ian (1991). Endurance Racing 1981-1991. Osprey Automotive. ISBN 1-85532-228-5.
- ^ Watkins, Gary (June 2006). "The dream isn't over". Motorsport LXXXII No. 6: 39 - 42.
- ^ a b "Legendary race car driver Mario Andretti received commendatore honor from the Republic of Italy". Champ Car World Series. October 24, 2006. http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=11020. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ "Greg Anderson named 2004 SPEED Channel driver of the year". Red Line Synthetic Oil. January 25, 2005. http://www.redlineoil.com/news_article.asp?id=204. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ^ La Voce del Popolo, "Mario Andretti, sindaco del Libero Comune di Montona in esilio" (Mario Andretti, mayor of the "Free Commune of Motovun in Exile)
- ^ Arcipelago Adriatico, Mario Andretti, il "nuovo Sindaco del Libero Comune di Montona in esilio (Mario Andretti, the new Mayor of the Free Commune of Motovun in Exile)
- ^ "IMSA 1991: 24 h Daytona". ClassicCars. http://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/imsa/imsa1991.html#1. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ^ a b "Mario Andretti". Istria on the Internet. http://www.istrianet.org/istria/illustri/andretti/index.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
- ^ a b c d "Mario Andretti". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004707/. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
Autobiographies
- What's It Like Out There, Mario Andretti and Bob Collins. Henry Regnery Company, 1970. ISBN 978-0809296729.
- Mario Andretti: World Champion, Mario Andretti and Nigel Roebuck. Hamlyn, 1979. ISBN 978-0600394693.
- Andretti, Mario Andretti. HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 978-0006383024.
Further reading
- Mario Andretti: A Driving Passion, Gordon Kirby. D. Bull Pub., 2001, ISBN 1893618129.
- Mario Andretti Photo Album, Peter Nygaard. Iconografix, 1999, ISBN 1583880097.
- Mario Andretti (Race Car Legends), G. S. Prentzas. Chelsea House Publishers, 1996, ISBN 0791031764.
- Sports Hero, Mario Andretti, Marshall Burchard. Putnam, 1977. ISBN 0-399-20588-8.
- Mario Andretti: The Man Who Can Win Any Kind of Race, Lyle K. Engel. Arco Publishing, 1970. ISBN 978-0668021937.
- Mario Andretti: World Driving Champion, Lyle K. Engel. Arco Publishing, 1979. ISBN 0668047542.
- Mario Andretti, Mike O'Leary. MotorBooks, 2002. ISBN 0760313997.
- Andretti, Bill Libby. Grossett & Dunlap, 1970, ISBN 0448054299.
External links
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mario Andretti |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mario Andretti |
 |
Look up mario andretti in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Mario Andretti Official Web Site
- Andretti Family Official Web Site
- Mario Andretti at the Internet Movie Database
- Andretti Winery
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Johnny White |
Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 1965 |
Succeeded by Jackie Stewart |
| Preceded by Richard Petty |
Daytona 500 Winner 1967 |
Succeeded by Cale Yarborough |
| Preceded by Bobby Unser |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 1969 |
Succeeded by Al Unser |
| Preceded by Niki Lauda |
Formula One World Champion 1978 |
Succeeded by Jody Scheckter |
| Preceded by Al Unser |
International Race of Champions Champion IROC VI (1979) |
Succeeded by Bobby Allison |
| Preceded by Al Unser |
CART Series Champion 1984 |
Succeeded by Al Unser |
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Mentioned in
- Indy 500: Setting the Pace (199z Sports & Recreation Film)
- Once Upon a Wheel (1968 Sports & Recreation Film)
- A.J. Foyt (Auto Racer)
- Super Speedway (1997 Sports & Recreation Film)
- Roomie for Improvement: Home Improvement (TV Episode) (1992 Comedy TV Episode)
- The Long and Winding Road, Part 3: Home Improvement (TV Episode) (1999 Comedy TV Episode)
- Formula One
- Live from Austin, TX (2007 Album by Guided by Voices)
- Andretti
- Fountain Powerboats Industries, Inc.
- Roger Penske
- 1987 CART World Series season
- Lotus Cars Ltd.
- Penske Corporation
