Mario Andretti Post Racing Career

Awards and Honors

In 2000, the Associated Press and RACER magazine named him Driver of the Century. He was the Driver of the Year (in United States) for three years (1967, 19787 and 1984) and is the only Driver of the Year in three decades. Andretti was named the U.S. Driver of the Quarter Century in 1992.

He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001, the U.S. National Sprint Car Hall in 1996, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990 and Hoosier Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1970.

 October 23, 2006, Andretti was awarded the highest civilian honor given by the Italian government, the Commendatore dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. Enzo Ferrari is the only other recipient of this award from the world of automobile racing.




Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America

Mario was instrumental in keeping championship racing at Road America. CART severed its ties with the track as a legal resolution of payment issues from the 2002 and 2003 series events.

Andretti was the middle man 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 "Mario Andretti Grand Prix of Road America"










Elder of Andretti Racing 

Both of Mario's sons, Michael and Jeff, were/are auto racers, as was Michael's son Marco.

Mario's twin brother Aldo also raced until 1969, when he had two serious accidents.

Aldo's son, John, joined the IndyCar series in 1988. Aldo had two other sons Adam and Mark who have not been as prominent as John or Mario's immediate family.

In 1988, the Andretti's became the first family to have four relatives compete in the same series.

With Mario sharing driving duties with sons Michael and Jeff at the 1991 Rolex 24 at Daytona, driving a Porsche 962, the Andretti clan finished 5th.

Mario's grandson Marco completed his first full season in the IRL in 2006, driving for his father Michael's Andretti Green Racing team. Marco fiished second in the 2006 Indy 500 and so became the first third-generation recipient of the Rookie of the year Award.

Later Life

 Mario and his wife Dee Ann live near their son Michael in mansions in Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania. Dee Anne is a native of Nazareth who taught English to Mario in 1961. They were married on November 25, 1961.

  
Mario has kept active after his retirement from full-time racing.He makes numerous speaking engagements before corporate audiences and is a spokesman for his long time sponsors Texaco/Havoline, Firestone and MagnaFlow Exhaust Products.

He owns a chain of gasoline stations, a Toyota dealership, car washes,car-care products, go-kart tracks, a clothing line, video games and replica cars.

He also test drives for Road and Track also for Car and Driver magazines.