Mario Andretti..IndyCar,Indy500,SportsCars,LeMans

 Return to IndyCar racing

Andretti had continued to race, and occasionally win, in the USAC National Championship during his time in the Formula One world championship.

In 1979 a new organization, CART had set up the IndyCar  world series as a rival to USAC National Championship that Andretti had won three times in the 1960s.

The new series had rapidly become the top open wheel racing series in North America. It was to this arena that Andretti returned full time in 1982 driving for Patrick Racing.

In 1983 he joined the new Newman/Haas Racing team, set up by Carl Haas and Paul Newman using cars built by the British company Lola.Andretti took the team's first win at Elkhart Lake in 1983.

He won the pole for nine of sixteen events in 1984, and claimed his fourth Champ Car title at the age of 44.

Mario's son Michael joined Newman/Haas in 1989. together they made history as the first father/son team to compete in both IMSA GT and Champ Car.                                                                                  

Mario finished seventh in points for the 1991 season, the year that Michael won the championship.

Mario's last victory in IndyCar racing came in 1993 at Phoenix International Raceway. The win made Mario the oldest recorded winner in an IndyCar event (53 years, 34 days).




Andretti's final season, in 1993 was dubbed "The Arrivederci Tour"


Indianapolis 500

Andretti won once at the Indy 500 in 29 attempts.Andretti has had so many incidents and near victories at the track that critics have dubbed the family's performance after Mario's 1969 Indy 500 victory the "Andretti Curse".

Andretti was the first driver to exceed 200 miles per hour (320 km) while practicing for the 1977 Indy 500.

Andretti finished second in the 1981 Indy 500 by eight seconds behind Bobby Unser.

  In the 1985 Indy 500, he was passed by Danny Sullivan in Turn One. A moment later, Sullivan spun in front of Andretti, pitted on his own caution to replace his flat-spotted tires, and then later again passed Mario - this time without incident- to go for the win.

After retiring, Andretti was testing for his son Michael's  IndyCar  on April 24,2003 in place of the injured Tony Kanaan at Indianapolis.

Coming out of the "south chute" of the circuit, in his path lay a chuck of debris from Kenny Brack's car. The object forced the nose of Andretti's car to become airborne at 200 miles per hour and did a rapid double reverse somersault, nearly high enough to clear the debris fence. The car fell back to earth, having been slowed by its mid-air tumble, and slid to a stop, right side up. Andretti walked away from the crash with very minor injuries.


Sports Cars

Andretti won three 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. (1967, 1970, 1972) and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1972.

In early sports car races he competed for the Holman Moody team,but later drove for Ferrari in 1971, and won several races with Jackie Ickx.

In 1972, he shared wins in the three North American rounds of the championship.

Andretti also competed in the popular North American Can-Am series in the late 1960's and early 1070's.







Le Mans

Andretti competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in four decades.

In 1966 he shared a Holman Moody Ford MKII with Lucien Bianchi.They retired after their car dropped a valve

In 1967 his front brake locked, causing his Holman Moody Ford MKIV at the Esses and Andretti was taken to hospital for X-rays.

Andretti did not return to Le Mans until his full time F1 career was over.

In 1982, he prtnered with his son Michael in a Mirage M12 Ford. They qualified in ninth place, but despite protests and complaints, the Andretti entry was removed altogether.

Their return in the following year was more successful as they finished third.

The father/son team returned in 1988 with John Andretti. They finished sixth in a factory Porsche

Mario returned in 1995 with a second place finish.

Andretti had unsuccessful efforts in the following years with a thirteenth place in 1996 and a DNF for 1997.

His final appearance at Le Mans was at the 2000 race, when he drove the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S at the age of 60, finishing 16th