(born
February 28 ,
1940 in
Motovun ) is an
Italian-American racing driver, arguably the most successful
U.S. citizen in auto racing. During his career, he has won four
Champ Car titles, the 1978
Formula One World Championship, and the
1979 IROC championship. Andretti is the only person ever to win the
Indianapolis 500 , the
Daytona 500 , and the
Formula One World Championship .
His name ''Mario Andretti'' has become synonymous with speed, similar to
Stirling Moss in the UK and
Barney Oldfield in the early twentieth century in the United States. A common phrase in the U.S. for speed limit offenders is, "Who do you think you are, Mario Andretti?" or "Hey, Mario Andretti..."
Mario Andretti was born in the town of Montona in then
Italian Istria . He was born with a twin brother,
Aldo Andretti . After
World War II Istria passed to
Yugoslavia and his family, like many other Italian
Istrians , fled in
1948 and spent the next seven years in a displaced persons camp. The Andretti family eventually resettled in
Nazareth, Pennsylvania in
Pennsylvania 's
Lehigh Valley .
Andretti began racing cars in 1959, just after his family had moved to the United States, on dirt oval tracks near
Nazareth, Pennsylvania , in an old
Hudson . His twin brother,
Aldo Andretti , raced on the same tracks in the same car (at different times), but quit after an accident. Andretti placed 3rd in the
Indianapolis 500 in his first year.
Mario made his debut in the
USAC series in 1964, and won the championship the very next season. He took part in many different categories of racing including drag racing, and by 1969, he had won the
Indianapolis 500 , the
Daytona 500 and the
12 Hours Of Sebring .
Andretti also started driving in Formula One, taking the pole for his first race at
Watkins Glen in 1968, and winning his first race in 1971 for
Ferrari . By the mid-1970s, Andretti started to focus on Formula One, driving for
Parnelli Jones 's fledgling
Parnelli Formula One team and
Colin Chapman 's famous
Lotus outfit. In 1977, at
Long Beach , he became the only American to win the
United States Grand Prix West , in the
Lotus 78 "wing car". With the revolutionary "
Ground Effect "
Lotus 79 of 1978, Andretti won six races in
1978 , and took the title—a bitter-sweet victory in the light of the death of his teammate
Ronnie Peterson , whom Andretti had grown to regard as a close friend. However, Andretti would find little success after 1978 in Formula One, failing to win another race in that series. In the following year, 1979, he was summarily outclassed by his Argentinian teammate
Carlos Reutemann . In 1980, he was paired with Italian ace
Elio De Angelis . Again, Mario was usually beaten by his team-mate. Nearly two years later, hired by Ferrari to enter the final two races of the 1982 season, he took an impressive pole position at Monza, just as he did at Watkins Glen in his debut race in 1968.
He returned to Champ Cars in the 1980's, and won his fourth title in 1984, the first series title for Champ Car owner, sports car driver, and actor
Paul Newman . His last victory in that class came in 1993. Andretti kept racing to try to win the only important missing award—the
24 Hours Of Le Mans , but failed to do so. His best finish is 2nd in 1995, and 3rd in 1983 (
Porsche 956 ), both with his son
Michael .
Many people, particularly Americans, still consider him to be the finest all-around driver ever, and in 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine named him "Driver of the Century." The same year, he was inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall Of Fame . He was inducted into the United States
National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame in 1996. He was inducted into the
Motorsports Hall Of Fame Of America in 1990.
Both of Mario Andretti's sons,
Michael and
Jeff , are also involved in auto racing, and Michael has won the Champ Car title as well. As of 2003, he was Champ Cars' winningest driver. Mario's nephew,
John , has had success in both Champ Cars and
NASCAR , winning races in both series. His grandson,
Marco , has won a championship in Champ Cars' "Stars of Tomorrow"
Kart Racing series, before moving into the Star Mazda single-seater series. Marco is currently planning on running his first full season in the
Indy Racing League (IRL), driving for his father Michael's Andretti-Green Racing Team. CVB
Mario Andretti and son Michael Andretti both reside today in their respective close sitting mansions overlooking the town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, from the north side of the town, home to Mario Andretti and his family since the 1950's.
- Andretti is mentioned in the Beastie Boys song ''Shadrach'' with the line "You love Mario Andretti cause he always drives his car well."
- In her song ''Crash'', Gwen Stefani sings "I picture you driving just like Mario Andretti."
- The Charlie Daniels Band paid tribute in the song ''Uneasy Rider'' with the line, “Mario Andretti would’da sure been proud of the way I was movin’ when I passed that crowd…”
- Amy Grant sings "You like to drive like Mario Andretti, I like it taking my time" in her song ''Good For Me''.
- Alan Jackson mentions Andretti in his song Drive (for Daddy Gene), singing "Just a dirt road with trash on each side, but I was Mario Andretti when daddy let me drive"
- Andretti is mentioned in "Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest with the line, "Lyrically I'm Mario Andretti on the MOMO, ludicrously speedy or infectious with the slow-mo."
