Mario Andretti
Nationality  Italian American (naturalized 1964)
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
Podium finishes	19
Career points	180
Pole positions	18
Fastest laps	10
First race	1968 Italian Grand Prix
First win	1971 South African Grand Prix
Last win	1978 Dutch Grand Prix
Last race	1982 Las Vegas 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. The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the Licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 1968 Formula One season included the 19th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 1, 1968, and ended on The 1972 Formula One season included the 23rd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 23, 1972, and ended on The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on The 1982 Formula One season was the 33rd FIA Formula One World Championship season 1950s Colin Chapman established Lotus Engineering Ltd in 1952 at Hornsey, UK. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the USA. Alfa Romeo participated in Formula One, as both a constructor and engine supplier from to. Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race The 1968 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 8, 1968. The 1971 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1971 Race report It was expected the The 1978 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 August 1978 at Zandvoort. The 1982 Las Vegas Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 25, 1982 in Las Vegas Nevada. The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 34th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 1966. The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 10 and 11, 1967. The 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 50th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 19 and 20, 1982. The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 51st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 1983. The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 11 and 12, 1988. The 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 63rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 1995. The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1997. The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 68th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 2000. Holman and Moody form Holman Moody John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race 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 an Italian American former racecar driver, and one of the most successful Americans in the history of auto racing. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Courage Compétition is a racing team and chassis constructor company based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz The 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 63rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 1995. The 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 63rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 1995. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

He has competed and won in many different types of auto racing, including stock cars, midget cars, sprint cars, IndyCars, drag racing cars, sports cars, and Formula One cars. Stock car racing is a form of Automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain Midget cars are very small Race cars with a very high Power-to-weight ratios and typically using Four-cylinder engines Despite their name they are fully Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks Drag racing is a competition in which objects compete to be the first to cross a set finish mark usually from a dead stop and in a straight line Sports car racing is a form of circuit Auto racing with Automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels A modern Formula One car is a single-seat open cockpit open wheel race car with substantial front and rear wings and engine positioned behind the driver During his career, Andretti won four IndyCar titles, the 1978 Formula One World Championship, and IROC VI (the 1978 - 1979 IROC). Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The sixth year of IROC competition took place in 1978 and 1979. To date, he remains the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the 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. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American Results of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday May 30, 1969. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Race car driver in NASCAR for Chip The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. No American has won a Formula One race since Andretti at the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix. The 1978 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 27 August 1978 at Zandvoort. ^[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. Road racing can be a term involving Road running, road bicycle races, or Automobile races An oval track is a dedicated motorsport circuit primarily in the USA, which differs from a road course in that it only has turns in one direction which is almost This article concerns auto racing motorcycles, horses, and dogs also race on dirt tracks ^[3] At his final IndyCar win in April 1993, Andretti became the first driver to win IndyCar races in four decades^[4] and the first to win races in five decades. ^[3]

The name Mario Andretti has become synonymous with speed in the United States,^[5] similar to Barney Oldfield in the early twentieth century and Stirling Moss in the United Kingdom. Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield ( June 3, 1878 &ndash October 4, 1946) was an Automobile racer and pioneer Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a retired racing driver from England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Contents 1 Early life 2 Racing career 2.1 Childhood involvement in motorsports 2.2 Stock car racing 2.2.1 Start in racing 2.2.2 USAC stock car 2.2.3 NASCAR 2.2.4 International Race of Champions 2.3 Open wheel racing 2.3.1 Early open wheel racing 2.3.2 USAC sprint cars 2.3.3 IndyCar career 2.3.4 Formula One career 2.3.5 Return to IndyCar racing 2.3.6 Indianapolis 500 2.4 Sports cars 2.4.1 Le Mans 2.5 Awards and honors 3 Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America 4 Elder of Andretti racing family 5 Later life 6 Media appearances 7 Complete Formula One World Championship results 8 Indianapolis 500 results 9 References 9.1 Autobiographies 9.2 Further reading 10 External links

Early life

Mario Andretti was born in the town of Montona d'Istria in the then Italian province of Istria. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about a geographical region bordering the Adriatic Sea He was born with a twin brother, Aldo Andretti, to a farm administrator. Aldo Andretti (born February 28, 1940 in Montona d'Istria Italy (now Motovun, Croatia) is the twin brother of Mario Andretti ^[6] Istria had been annexed to Italy after World War I, and after World War II it was annexed to Yugoslavia. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: In 1928, his family surname was changed from Andretich to Andretti. His family, like many other Istrians, fled the communist state of Yugoslavia during the period that is called the Istrian exodus. This article is about a geographical region bordering the Adriatic Sea The expression Istrian exodus or Istrian-Dalmatian exodus is used to indicate the voluntary free-will departure of ethnic Italians from Istria, Rijeka The 5-member Andretti family left in 1948 and lived in a refugee camp in Lucca from 1948 to 1955. A refugee camp is a temporary camp built by a government the United Nations, international organizations (such as the Red Cross) or NGOs to receive Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on the Ligurian Sea As refugees, they emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Nazareth in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley in June 1955 with $125. Nazareth is a Borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The Lehigh Valley, also known as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton PA-NJ metropolitan area, is an official metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[3] Andretti became a naturalized United States citizen in 1964. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born ^[7]

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. Ancona (Ankon is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101909 (2005 ^[6][10] He had a fond childhood memory of watching a stretch of the Mille Miglia race in 1954. The Mille Miglia (Thousand Miles - pronounced 'miʎʎa was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen He became captivated by Italian two-time Formula One world champion Alberto Ascari. Alberto Ascari ( July 13, 1918 &ndash May 26, 1955) was an Italian Racing driver and twice Formula One ^[11][10]

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. The Hudson Hornet is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit Michigan between 1951 and 1954 Stock car racing is a form of Automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain ^[3] They took turns racing the car on oval dirt tracks near Nazareth in 1959 in the old Hudson. This article concerns auto racing motorcycles, horses, and dogs also race on dirt tracks The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand Automobiles in Detroit Michigan, from 1909 to 1954 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. The United States Automobile Club (USAC is an Open-wheel Auto racing sanctioning body 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

Mario Andretti

Born:	February 28, 1940 (1940-02-28) (age 68)
Birthplace:	Montona d'Istria, Italy naturalized American
Achievements:	—
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. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Motovun (Montona d'Istria is a village in central Istria, Croatia. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to Auto racing either as a driver owner The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a Hall of Fame and museum for sprint car drivers 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. The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi Michigan for American motorsports legends The sixth year of IROC competition took place in 1978 and 1979. The 1978 Formula One season included the 29th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on January 15, 1978, and ended on October The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The United States Automobile Club (USAC is an Open-wheel Auto racing sanctioning body 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
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
14 races run over 4 years. The Rolex 24 at Daytona (frequently referred to by its historical title the 24 Hours of Daytona) is a 24-hour sports car Endurance race held annually at Results of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday May 30, 1969. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. ABC's Wide World of Sports was a long-running Sports Anthology show on American Television that ran as a series from 1961 to 1998 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States.
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)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
1	3	0

Andretti competed in fourteen NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) events in his career. The Winston Western 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside California, USA Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a Race track or road course in Riverside California The Winston Western 500 was an annual NASCAR Winston Cup race held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside California, USA Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a Race track or road course in Riverside California The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. Daytona International Speedway is a Superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. Daytona International Speedway is a Superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. He competed in Holman Moody cars for his final ten events. Holman and Moody form Holman Moody John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race 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. David Gene Pearson (born December 22, 1934 in Spartanburg, South Carolina) is a former American NASCAR Racecar ^[13] Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500 for Holman Moody. Holman and Moody form Holman Moody John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race ^[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). The third year of IROC competition took place over three weekends in 1975 to 1976. The fifth year of IROC competition took place over three weekends in 1977 to 1978. He won the IROC VI (1978-1979) points championship with finishes of third, first, and second. The sixth year of IROC competition took place in 1978 and 1979. 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. Open-wheel car (Often single-seater car, in UK English describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and in most cases one seat 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. Midget cars are very small Race cars with a very high Power-to-weight ratios and typically using Four-cylinder engines Despite their name they are fully 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. Midget cars are very small Race cars with a very high Power-to-weight ratios and typically using Four-cylinder engines Despite their name they are fully ^[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. Labor Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September ^[6] He won an afternoon feature at Flemington, New Jersey, and swept twin features at Hatfield, Pennsylvania. Flemington is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Hatfield is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. ^[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). The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks ^[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. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA eight miles (13 km west of Harrisburg. He bypassed the series when he was offered a full-time ride in a United States Automobile Club sprint car for 1964. The United States Automobile Club (USAC is an Open-wheel Auto racing sanctioning body Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks ^[6]

USAC sprint cars

Andretti won the 1964 Joe James-Pat O'Connor Memorial USAC sprint car race at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana. Salem Speedway is a.555 mile long paved oval motor racetrack in Salem Indiana, approximately south of Indianapolis. Salem is a city in Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, United States. 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. Ascot Park can refer to Ascot Park California - dirt racing track in Gardena California Ascot Park New Zealand - suburb in Porirua New ^[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. The City of Cumberland is the county seat of Allegany County Maryland, United States, and a regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland Oswego is a City in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18096 at the 2000 census. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Salem Speedway is a.555 mile long paved oval motor racetrack in Salem Indiana, approximately south of Indianapolis. Roger McCluskey (b 24 August, 1930, d 29 August, 1993) was an American Race car driver ^[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. Open-wheel car (Often single-seater car, in UK English describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and in most cases one seat 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. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American 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. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Trenton is the Capital of the US state of New Jersey and the County seat of Mercer County. ^[6] He started sixteenth and finishing eleventh. Andretti was introduced by his USAC sprint car owner 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. Chuck Hulse (born October 3, 1927, Anaheim California) is a retired American racecar driver ^[6] Chris Economaki recommended Andretti to Brawner, so Brawner watched Andretti race at Terra Haute, Indiana. Christopher "Chris" Constantine Economaki (born October 15 1920) is a legendary American motorsports commentator pit road reporter and journalist Terre Haute ( is a city in Vigo County, Indiana near the state's western border with Illinois. ^[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. O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, known as Indianapolis Raceway Park until the 2006 purchase of Naming rights by O'Reilly Auto Parts, is a multipurpose ^[6] His third place finish at the 1965 Indianapolis 500 earned him the race's Rookie of the Year award, and contributed towards Andretti winning the series championship. Results of the 1965 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday May 31, 1965. Winners of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award first awarded in 1952 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. Results of the 1966 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday May 30, 1966. ^[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. Drag racing is a competition in which objects compete to be the first to cross a set finish mark usually from a dead stop and in a straight line The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon

Andretti won nine races in 1969, the 1969 Indianapolis 500, and the season championship. Results of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday May 30, 1969. He also won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which was part of the USAC National Championship. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC, also known as the The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle Hillclimb to the summit of Pikes ^[12] He was named ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. ABC's Wide World of Sports was a long-running Sports Anthology show on American Television that ran as a series from 1961 to 1998 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. Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an auto-racing formula that ran different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982 ^[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. The Lotus 77 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge and Martin Ogilvie for the 1976 Formula One season 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. Results of the 1965 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Monday May 31, 1965. Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman ( 19 May 1928 - 16 December 1982) was an influential British designer inventor and builder in the automotive 1950s Colin Chapman established Lotus Engineering Ltd in 1952 at Hornsey, UK. Jim (or Jimmy) Clark OBE ( 4 March, 1936 &ndash 7 April, 1968) was a Scottish Formula One ^[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. The 1968 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 6, 1968 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course Watkins Glen International (nicknamed "The Glen" is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The Lotus 49 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe for the 1967 F1 season ^[18][16]

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. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing ^[16] At the 1971 South African Grand Prix, on his debut for Ferrari, he won his first Grand Prix. The 1971 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1971 Race report It was expected the ^[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 1975 Formula One season included the 26th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 12, 1975, and ended on Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the USA. The team was new to Formula One, although it had been successful in both Formula 5000 and IndyCar racing in America with Andretti driving. Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an auto-racing formula that ran different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982 Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national Automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level single-seat Open wheel 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. The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Montjuïc circuit on April 27, 1975, remembered as one of the most controversial 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. The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on Results from the 1976 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix held at Interlagos on January 25, 1976. Lotus was then at a low point, having failed to produce a competitive car to replace 1970's Lotus 72. The Lotus 72 was a Formula One car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe of Lotus for the 1970 Formula One season. 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. Fuji Speedway is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, 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. The term downforce describes the downward pressure created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a Car that allows it to travel faster through a corner by holding In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a 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^[22] in the Lotus 78 "wing car", which proved to be the most competitive car of 1977. Long Beach is a city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific coast The United States Grand Prix West was a race held at Long Beach, California, as a Formula 5000 race in 1975 and a Formula One world championship The Lotus 78 'wing car' was a formula one racing car used on the 1977 and 1978 seasons ^[23] Despite winning four races, more than any other driver, reliability problems and collisions with other drivers meant he finished only third in the championship. ^[23] The following year, Lotus 79 exploited ground effect even further and Andretti took the title with six wins. The Lotus 79 was a Formula One car designed in late 1977 by Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd and Peter Wright of Lotus ^[23] He clinched the championship at the Italian Grand Prix. The Italian Grand Prix ( Gran Premio d'Italia) is one of the longest running events on the Motor racing calendar ^[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. This is about the racing driver For the ice hockey player see Ronnie Pettersson. ^[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. The Lotus 80 was a Formula One car used by Team Lotus in. The car designed by Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie, Peter Wright and ^[24] In 1980, he was paired with Italian Elio de Angelis, and briefly with the young Nigel Mansell, but the team was again unsuccessful. Elio de Angelis ( 26 March 1958 – 15 May 1986) was a Racing driver who participated in Formula One between and, racing Biography Mansell was born in Upton-upon-Severn, a small Town in the English county of Worcestershire. ^[25]

Andretti had an unsuccessful 1981 with the Alfa Romeo team. The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended Alfa Romeo participated in Formula One, as both a constructor and engine supplier from to. 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. Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 Carlos Alberto Reutemann (born Santa Fe Argentina April 12, 1942) nicknamed "Lole" is an Argentine former racing driver (who raced Didier Pironi ( 26 March 1952 - 23 August 1987) was a Racing driver from France. 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. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis 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. Patrick Racing was an Auto racing team in both Champ Car and the Indy Racing League. 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. Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR is a motor racing team competing in the IndyCar Series. Carl A Haas (born February 26, 1930) is an American Auto racing impresario Paul Leonard Newman (January 26 1925 &ndash September 26 2008 was an Academy Award Lola Racing Cars (also Lola Cars International) is a Racing car Engineering company founded in 1961 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon Andretti took the team's first win at Elkhart Lake in 1983. Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. The 1983 CART World Series Season was the fifth CART World Series, a motor racing series ^[29] He won the pole for nine of sixteen events in 1984, and claimed his fourth Champ Car title at the age of 44. The 1984 CART World Series Season was the sixth CART World Series, this year also known as the PPG IndyCar World Series Since 1916 there has been a recognized United States national Automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level single-seat Open wheel He edged out Tom Sneva by 13 points. Tom Sneva (born Thomas E Sneva: June 1, 1948) is a former Indy Car driver that was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of 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. IMSA GT was a Sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. 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. Phoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile Tri-oval race track located in Avondale Arizona. 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. The Firestone Indy 400 is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Michigan. 275 mph (377. 028 km/h). (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. 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. Aldo Andretti (born February 28, 1940 in Montona d'Istria Italy (now Motovun, Croatia) is the twin brother of Mario Andretti The 91st Indianapolis 500 ran on Sunday May 27, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American 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 "Andretti Curse". Results of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday May 30, 1969. The Andretti Curse, sometimes referred to as "the Andretti Luck" is in reference to the unexplainable bad luck the Andretti racing family has experienced in their efforts to ^[31][32]

Mario finished all 500 miles just five times, including his 1969 Indianapolis 500 victory. Results of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Friday May 30, 1969. Andretti was the first driver to exceed 200 miles per hour while practicing for the 1977 Indianapolis 500. Results of the 1977 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 29, 1977. ^[7]

Andretti finished second in the 1981 Indianapolis 500 by eight seconds behind Bobby Unser. The 65th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday May 24, 1981. Robert William "Bobby" Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a retired U 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 stewarts' decision. Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights Ohio) is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske USAC overturned the one lap penalty four months later, and penalized Unser with a $40,000 fine. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been

In the 1985 Indianapolis 500, he was passed by Danny Sullivan. Results of the 1985 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis, United States on Sunday May 26, 1985. Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III (Born March 9, 1950 in Louisville Kentucky) is a former racing driver from the United States. Sullivan subsequently spun in front of Andretti, pitted on his own caution, and then passed Mario again 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. The 71st Indianapolis 500 was held Sunday May 24, 1987 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Andretti suffered broken ankles in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 when he crashed hard in turn four during the race. The 1992 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 24, 1992. Andretti's last race at Indy was the 1994 Indianapolis 500. Results of the 1994 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 29, 1994. ^[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. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, commonly known as Tony Kanaan (born December 31, 1974) is a Brazilian Race car driver of Lebanese 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. Kenneth "Kenny" Brack (born March 21, 1966 in Arvika, Värmland) is a Race car driver from Sweden. 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. 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. The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form was a Sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American retired CART and Formula One The Rolex 24 at Daytona (frequently referred to by its historical title the 24 Hours of Daytona) is a 24-hour sports car Endurance race held annually at 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. Racing career Jacky Ickx was introduced to the sport when he was taken by his father motoring journalist Jacques Ickx, to races which he covered ^[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. Brands Hatch is a Motor racing circuit in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland it hosted 12 runnings of the The 1972 World Championship for Makes and International Grand Touring Trophy seasons were the 20th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. He also competed in the popular North American Can-Am series in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA / CASC Sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974

Le Mans

Andretti competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in four decades. The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, In 1966 he shared a Holman Moody Ford MKII with Lucien Bianchi. The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 34th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 1966. Holman and Moody form Holman Moody John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race The Ford GT40 was a high performance Sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body though Lucien Bianchi ( November 10 1934 - March 30 1969) born Luciano Bianchi, was a Belgian Racing driver who raced They retired after their car dropped a valve at 10:30p. m. ^[33] In 1967 his front brake locked, causing him to crash his Holman Moody Ford MKIV at the Esses. The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 10 and 11, 1967. Holman and Moody form Holman Moody John Holman was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race The Ford GT40 was a high performance Sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body though His teammates, Jo Schlesser and Roger McCluskey, crashed while managing to avoid Andretti's GT40. Joseph Schlesser ( May 18, 1928 in Liouville France Roger McCluskey (b 24 August, 1930, d 29 August, 1993) was an American Race car driver McCluskey pulled Andretti to safety, and Andretti was taken to hospital for X-rays. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. ^[34][35]

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,^[36] 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. ^[36] Despite protests and complaints, the Andretti's entry was removed altogether, replaced by a Porsche 924 Carrera GTR. The Porsche 924 is an Automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988 Their return in the following year was more successful as they finished third. The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 51st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 1983. The father/son team returned in 1988 with John Andretti. The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 11 and 12, 1988. They finished sixth in a factory Porsche 962. The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form was a Sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 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. The 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 63rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 1995. He said in a 2006 interview that he feels that the Courage Compétition team "lost [the 1995] race five times over" through poor organization. Courage Compétition is a racing team and chassis constructor company based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. He had unsuccessful efforts in the following years with a thirteenth place in 1996, and then a DNF (Did Not Finish) for 1997. The 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 64th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 15 and 16, 1996. The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 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. The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 68th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 2000. Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz ^[37]

Awards and honors

In 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine named him "Driver of the Century. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio "^[38] The same year, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to Auto racing either as a driver owner ^[2] He was inducted into 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. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a Hall of Fame and museum for sprint car drivers The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi Michigan for American motorsports legends ^[6]

He was the Driver of the Year (in the United States) in three years (1967, 1978, and 1984),^[39] and is the only driver to be Driver of the Year in three decades. ^[12] Andretti was named the Driver of the Quarter Century (in the United States) in 1992. ^[2]

On October 23, 2006, at the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York, 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. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. There are currently five Italian orders of merit (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana that recognise contributions to the Italian Republic. ^[38] Enzo Ferrari is the only other recipient of the Commendatore from the world of automobile racing. Enzo Anselmo "the Commendatore" Ferrari ( February 20, 1898 &ndash August 14, 1988) was an Italian car driver and entrepreneur

Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America

Mario was instrumental in keeping championship car racing at Road America. Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. CART severed its ties with the track as a legal resolution of payment issues from the 2002 and 2003 series events at the track. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis The Champcar Grand Prix of Road America was an Open wheel car race held on the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. 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. John Andretti (born March 12, 1963 in Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American race car driver The 91st Indianapolis 500 ran on Sunday May 27, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American retired CART and Formula One Jeff Andretti (born April 14 1964 in Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American Race car driver with Italian heritage Michael followed in his father's footsteps by winning the IndyCar title. In 1991, the Andrettis were joined by Mario's nephew John Andretti. John Andretti (born March 12, 1963 in Bethlehem Pennsylvania) is an American race car driver The Andrettis became the first family to have four relatives compete in the same series. ^[12] 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 Michael Andretti (born March 13, 1987 in Nazareth Pennsylvania) is an American Auto racing driver who drives the #26 car for The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based Open-wheel racing series. Andretti Green Racing (AGR is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series. Marco finished second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500, became the first third-generation-recipient of the race's Rookie of the Year Award. The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish Jr Winners of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award first awarded in 1952

In 1991 Mario shared driving duties with sons Michael and Jeff at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, driving a Porsche 962. The Andretti clan finished 5th. ^[40]

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. ^[7] Dee Ann and Mario were married on November 25, 1961. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[41]

Andretti has kept active after his retirement from full-time racing. He makes numerous speaking engagements before corporate audiences. He is a spokesman for long time sponsors Texaco/Havoline and Firestone. Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron" Havoline is a motor oil brand of Texaco, a former major oil company based in the United States that is now merged with the Chevron Corporation. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons buggies and other forms of wheeled transportation He is also occasionally a spokesman for the Champ Car World Series, although he frequently attends IRL races watching Marco compete. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis Andretti is vice chairman of a winery named Andretti Winery in Napa Valley, California. A winery is a building or property that produces Wine, or a business involved in the production of wine such as a wine company. Napa County is a County located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U Andretti has a chain of gasoline stations and a distributorship, a Toyota dealership in Moon Township, Pennsylvania (just outside of Pittsburgh), car washes, car-care productes, go-kart tracks, a clothing line, video games and replica cars. (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. Moon Township is a rapidly growing suburban municipality located along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. For other meanings see Kart (disambiguation Kart racing or karting is a variant of Open-wheel Motor sport with He also test drives cars for Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines. Road & Track is an Automobile enthusiast Magazine in the United States, founded by two friends in 1947 Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast Magazine. ^[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. Pocono Raceway (formerly Pocono International Raceway) is a Superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond

Media appearances

• Mario wrote a racing column in the Indianapolis Star. The Indianapolis Star is a daily Newspaper which began publishing on June 6, 1903. He wrote about other drivers, equipment, and cars. ^[41]
• The IMAX movie Super Speedway is about the making of Newman/Haas Racing cars, Mario Andretti, and Michael Andretti. IMAX (short for Image MAXimum is a Film format created by Canada 's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and Super Speedway is a 1997 documentary racing film chronicling one man's quest to get his new Champ Car Lola chassis up to speed and another's Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (NHLR is a motor racing team competing in the IndyCar Series. ^[42]
• Mario Andretti does a cameo in the Pixar Animation Studios film Cars. Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville California. Cars is a 2006 animated Feature film produced by Pixar and directed by both John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. ^[42] He plays himself as the 1967 Ford Fairlane in which he won the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida.
• Mario Andretti appeared in the off-road racing documentary Dust to Glory as a course official. Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles (including cars trucks motorcycles and buggies compete in races through Off-road Dust to Glory ( 2005) is a documentary about the famous Baja 1000 off-road race The movie documents the 2004 Baja 1000 race. Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in the fall ^[42]
• Andretti played himself on three episodes of the United States television show Home Improvement. Home Improvement is a American television Sitcom starring actor/comedian Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999 ^[42]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Team	WDC	Points
1968	Lotus	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA DNS	CAN	USA Ret	MEX						Lotus	NA	0
1969	Lotus	RSA Ret	ESP	MON	NED	FRA	GBR	GER Ret	ITA	CAN	USA Ret	MEX							Lotus	NA	0
1970	March	RSA Ret	ESP 3	MON	BEL	NED	FRA	GBR Ret	GER Ret	AUT Ret	ITA	CAN	USA	MEX					March	16th	4
1971	Ferrari	RSA 1	ESP Ret	MON DNQ	NED Ret	FRA	GBR	GER 4	AUT	ITA	CAN 13	USA DNS							Ferrari	8th	12
1972	Ferrari	ARG Ret	RSA 4	ESP Ret	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA 7	CAN	USA 6						Ferrari	12th	4
1974	Parnelli	ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN 7	USA DSQ			Parnelli	NA	0
1975	Parnelli	ARG Ret	BRA 7	RSA 17	ESP Ret	MON Ret	BEL	SWE 4	NED	FRA 5	GBR 12	GER 10	AUT Ret	ITA Ret	USA Ret				Parnelli	14th	5
1976	Parnelli	BRA Ret	RSA 6	USW Ret	ESP Ret	BEL Ret	MON	SWE Ret	FRA 5	GBR Ret	GER 12	AUT 5	NED 3	ITA Ret	CAN 3	USA Ret	JPN 1		Lotus	6th	22
1977	Lotus	ARG 5	BRA Ret	RSA Ret	USW 1	ESP 1	MON 5	BEL Ret	SWE 6	FRA 1	GBR 14	GER Ret	AUT Ret	NED Ret	ITA 1	USA 2	CAN 9	JPN Ret	Lotus	3rd	47
1978	Lotus	ARG 1	BRA 4	RSA 7	USW 2	MON 11	BEL 1	ESP 1	SWE Ret	FRA 1	GBR Ret	GER 1	AUT ret	NED 1	ITA 6	USA Ret	CAN 10		Lotus	1st	64
1979	Lotus	ARG 5	BRA Ret	RSA 4	USW 4	ESP 3	BEL Ret	MON Ret	FRA Ret	GBR Ret	GER Ret	AUT Ret	NED Ret	ITA 5	CAN 10	USA Ret			Lotus	12th	14
1980	Lotus	ARG Ret	BRA Ret	RSA 12	USW Ret	BEL Ret	MON 7	FRA Ret	GBR Ret	GER 7	AUT Ret	NED 8	ITA Ret	CAN Ret	USA 6				Lotus	20th	1
1981	Alfa Romeo	USW 4	BRA Ret	ARG 8	SMR Ret	BEL 10	MON Ret	ESP 8	FRA 8	GBR Ret	GER 9	AUT Ret	NED Ret	ITA Ret	CAN 7	LVS Ret			Alfa Romeo	17th	3
1982	Williams	RSA	BRA	USW Ret	SMR	BEL	MON	USE	CAN	NED	GBR	FRA	GER	AUT	SUI	ITA 3	LVS Ret		Ferrari	19th	4

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

Autobiographies

Further reading

External links

• Mario Andretti Official Web Site
• Andretti Family Official Web Site
• Mario Andretti at the Internet Movie Database
• Andretti Winery
• 2008 Interview and Photos

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	IROC Champion IROC VI (1979)	Succeeded by Bobby Allison
Preceded by Al Unser	CART Series Champion 1984	Succeeded by Al Unser

Persondata
NAME	Andretti, Mario
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Racecar driver
DATE OF BIRTH	February 28, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH	Montona d'Istria, Italy (now Motovun, Croatia)
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the Winston Cup Series The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. William Caleb (Cale Yarborough (born March 27, 1940 in Timmonsville South Carolina, near the famous Darlington Raceway) is a businessman and Robert William "Bobby" Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a retired U Winners of the annual Indianapolis 500, held on or around Memorial Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1911. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque New Mexico) is a former American automobile racing driver the younger brother of Bobby Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (born February 22, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian Aviator, Entrepreneur The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One Jody David Scheckter (born January 29, 1950) is a South African former Auto racing driver the 1979 Formula One World Drivers Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque New Mexico) is a former American automobile racing driver the younger brother of Bobby The sixth year of IROC competition took place in 1978 and 1979. Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937 in Hialeah Florida) is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque New Mexico) is a former American automobile racing driver the younger brother of Bobby Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis Alfred Unser (born May 29, 1939 in Albuquerque New Mexico) is a former American automobile racing driver the younger brother of Bobby Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Motovun (Montona d'Istria is a village in central Istria, Croatia. Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between

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