It’s never hard to get Mario Andretti to speak about his passion for open-wheel racing.
As we have done annually for many years now, we recently sat down at the enormous Andretti Autosport Hospitality facility at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to get his perspective on the NTT IndyCar Series and the upcoming 109th Indy 500.
Whether it’s his Grandson Marco’s one-off attempt at IMS this May, tire strategies or discussions pertaining to the Hybrid recovery systems that have been implemented in today’s IndyCar, there’s never a shortage of topics to discuss with the only man in history to win an Indianapolis 500, IndyCar Series championship, Formula One championship and the coveted Daytona 500.
Despite all his accomplishments, Mario is steadfast about the significance of his Indianapolis 500 victory and how it clearly altered the trajectory of his incredible Hall of Fame racing career.
“It certainly changed my life in a profound fashion” stated the 1969 champion.
He also conceded it eventually buoyed him into a position to compete abroad in the Formula One Series, where he would capture the championship in 1978 driving a Ford-powered Lotus. All the while, he finished seventh in the Indy 500 that year after starting last due to a conflicting schedule at the Belgium Grand Prix, where he had captured the pole and won the race before flying back to the United States for the 500.
While we have conversed many times, I recently brought to his attention that his victory in 1969 coincided with the first Indy 500 that I attended as a ten-year-old boy. I was amazed by both the enormous size of the crowd and the incredible sound of the cars.
Despite many attempts to find Victory Lane again at IMS, Andretti would never officially be crowned victor at 16th and Georgetown for a second time, despite dominating the race in 1987 when he captured the pole and then led the majority of the contest before falling victim to a minor mechanical gremlin.
Then there was 1981, when the sanctioning body was forced by litigation to restore the victory to Penske Racing’s Bobby Unser, who had originally been disqualified for passing cars under caution. This then gave the victory to Mario Andretti.
Despite the aforementioned agony he’s experienced at IMS, he smiles when he talks about his storied career at the Cathedral of Motorsports and remains thankful for everything it has given to him and his entire family.
“The traditions of the Indianapolis 500 and the wonderful memories I have from competing here are priceless,” added Andretti, who, I believe, is arguably the most versatile driver in the entire history of motorsports.
One thing is for certain: when you spend time in public with him, there is a love affair between him and his fans. He cannot drive through the garage or pit area in his golf cart at IMS without being asked for a picture or signing an autograph, and he never fails to honor such a request from those who still revere him to this day.
While he may be living somewhat vicariously a bit through his Grandson this race day who will be trying to again put the Andretti name on the coveted Borg Warner Trophy reserved for the Indy 500 winner, he remains both confident and proud of his prestigious career here at IMS.
It’s clear we’ll never see a driver of his overall caliber again, but that’s ok. He’s provided millions of race fans all over the globe with more than we could ever expect. From dirt and stock cars to Formula One and Indy Cars, we’ve witnessed greatness from the man known simply as Mario.
There’s really no way to thank him, but l will do it one more time.
Danny Bridges, who was grounded by his mother for painting his new Stingray bike to match Mario’s 1969 Indy 500-winning car, can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
