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Mario Andretti

Before the Andretti family decided to emigrate from Italy, Mario Andretti got his first taste of racing in seeing the fantastic Ascari compete in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. This Italian legend proved a great inspiration for Andretti in his own career. Four years after the Andrettis moved to Pennsylvania, Mario and his twin brother were competing on dirt ovals. An accident prevented his brother from racing, but Andretti continued to race, and his talent was being noted by many of the talent scouts around at the events. By 1964, he had earned drives in both Indy Car and USAC Sprint Car Championships. A year later, he competed in his first Indianapolis 500 race, finishing third and being named rookie of the year. His meteoric rise continued when, in 1967, he won NASCAR’s Daytona 500. A year later, the call of Formula One beckoned. At his first race, at Watkins Glen, he claimed pole position in a Lotus 49B. Unfortunately, the car was particularly unreliable and he failed to finish the race. He compensated that disappointment by winning the USAC Championship for a fourth time and also winning the Indy 500. In 1971, Andretti raced in a Ferrari and won his first Grand Prix in South Africa. It was not until 1977 that he turned his full attention to Formula One. A year later,... Next

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