‘Racing Became Our Religion’ – How Mario Andretti Became a Racing Icon

There is perhaps no name more synonymous with auto racing than that of Mario Andretti. 

The 84-year-old racing legend boasts accolades most drivers couldn’t dream of if they lived multiple lifetimes, and his influence on pop culture is still felt throughout the world today—just ask Alan Jackson, Ice Cube, Amy Grant and the Beastie Boys, who are just a few of the artists that have incorporated his name into their music. 

In an interview in September of 2023, Andretti reflected on his racing career, which had rather humble beginnings.

“My interest (in auto racing) started when I was a young teenager – when my reasoning started,” Andretti joked, recalling his childhood fascination with the sport. “I was still living in Italy, and my twin brother (Aldo Andretti) and I gravitated towards the sport because it was so prominent in Italy. You had a current world champion there in Ferrari, and you had Maserati. Those brands were competing in Formula 1. As kids, we didn’t have television, but we had newsreels. When we went to a movie, they’d have an intermission between the feature film to let the smoke out. Motor racing was prominent on (the newsreels). It captivated us.” 

In 1955, the Andretti family moved from their home in Italy to Eastern Pennsylvania, settling in the town of Nazareth. The move provided Mario with the opportunity to further pursue his passion for racing, which was only strengthened after he and Aldo attended the 1954 Italian Grand Prix.

“I always said that there was never a Plan B for us,” Andretti said. “The impossible dream set in at the time, and the idea of pursuing (racing) became our religion. When we arrived in America, there was a track in Nazareth. Two years after arriving, we started building a stock car. It was a sportsman stock car to race locally. In 1959, at age 19, that’s when we started. My career began then and went uninterrupted through 1994.”

Loose is Fast

While Andretti is most known for his accomplishments in IndyCar and Formula 1, one of his most under-the-radar achievements came in a stock car. In 1967, Andretti became the winner of the ninth Daytona 500, then a crown jewel race still trying to gain traction under the relatively fledgling brand of NASCAR. 

“That was my second experience at Daytona in a stock car,” Andretti recounted.”My previous one was with Smokey Yunick in a (Chevrolet) Chevelle. Once I got with the Holman-Moody group, it was a good setup. The car unloaded quite nicely. That was good for me, with not having the experience.”

While practice and qualifying presented issues for Andretti – including a engine that was down on power – he proved why he was once the most versatile driver in the world. An incredibly loose race car enabled Andretti to run the race exactly how he wanted to. 

“It was a very satisfying race,” Andretti said. “My teammate was Freddy Lorenzen. For the last pit stop, we came (into the pits) together. I was leading and he was second. They let him out of the pits first, and I had to chase him down. I couldn’t shake him until we came up on some lapped cars.”

With one of racing’s crown jewels tucked away in his trophy case, Andretti’s next win in one of racing’s prestigious events came two years later. His 1969 triumph in the Indianapolis 500 became iconic, as it served as his only victory in a race that often eluded him. In the same vein as Dale Earnhardt’s struggle to win the Daytona 500, Andretti found himself snakebitten at IndyCar’s most historic venue. 

The Andretti Curse

“Indy was quite good to me from the get-go,” Andretti said of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I won two national championships (IndyCar championships) back-to-back (in 1965 and 1966) and then I had two second-place (points) finishes (1967 and 1968). I was competitive.”

“Reliability eluded me at Indy. In 1966, I could’ve won my easiest race anywhere. At the start, I lost a cylinder. I was on seven cylinders at the start. It took (race winner) Jim Clark three laps to get by me. If I had all eight (cylinders) I would’ve been in pretty good shape.” 

In 1969, the Indianapolis stars aligned for Andretti in a way they wouldn’t for the rest of his career. 

“I was setting records in practice,” Andretti said. “Two days before the first day of qualifying, the hub on my right-rear wheel sheared and I had a huge crash into turn four. I was lucky that I only had facial burns.” 

“I had two days to get the spare car up to speed. It was not meant to be raced at Indy. I put it on the front row (in qualifying) between AJ Foyt and Bobby Unser. That was encouraging, but we had no idea about (the car’s) reliability. The car held together and I led more than half the race and won.” 

“I felt that, with some luck, I was going to win more (Indianapolis 500s). I certainly led my share of laps there, but only have that one win to show for it.”

Andretti’s misfortune throughout the rest of his Indianapolis 500 starts led to the phrase “Andretti Curse” becoming synonymous with heartbreak in sports.

Andretti vs Foyt

The aforementioned Foyt proved to be cut from the same cloth as Andretti. Both drivers were incredibly versatile, and always quick in whatever vehicle they competed in. Their rivalry was relatively friendly, but both men knew the threat the other posed to their chances of winning. 

“I think my friendship with AJ grew after we both came out of the cockpit,” Andretti joked. “I was a thorn in his side at the beginning when I came on the scene. He was already established as a champion, five years my senior, and I was annoying him a bit.” 

“Drivers of that caliber make you a better driver,” Andretti said. “You know you have work to do if you’re going to win races. That’s who you have to beat. That’s the beautiful thing about it. To be the best, you have to beat the best.”

As the years wore on, Andretti proved to be one of the best that others had to beat. Three decades after he retired from racing, the Andretti name remains intrinsically tied to racing, and Mario’s legacy ensures that will forever be the case. 

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