It comes up when talking about how overwhelmed he was to win a race or even to realize his youthful dream of competing in auto racing at all. That phrase, “Oh my God!” is a frequent one. So to be the one selected, I can only say, ‘Oh my God!’” I competed against racers I admired and drew inspiration from. “Well, you know,” he says, a trace of an accent betraying his immigration from Italy in 1955, “it’s the ultimate compliment to receive these honors. A fearsome competitor, he’s surprisingly modest about the accolades. Andretti was named Driver of the Year in three different decades (the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s), Driver of the Quarter Century (in the ’90s), and Driver of the Century in 2000. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars, and stock cars.Īs far as honors go, let’s just say the trophy case is full to bursting. He was a three-time winner at Sebring and won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. He was the Ind圜ar National Champion four times. He won some of the greatest races in the world, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. He could make a bad car competitive and a competitive car victorious - on any track, on any surface - including ovals, road courses, drag strips, dirt, and pavement. It’s also the number of checkered flags Mario took in his legendary five-decade career. It’s a powerful number on the face of it, combining the number 1 and lucky 11. If you want to talk about Mario Andretti, start with the number 111. We also republished a June 1967 profile on the racer by John Skow, “ Dueling with Slingshots at 180 MPH”. For more on Mario Andretti, don’t miss Post Editorial Director Steve Slon’s interview with the Ind圜ar legend.

Download mario andretti race car