Legends: Mario Andretti

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Mario Andretti has won virtually every world-class racing event and every major championship there was to be won. Andretti moved to the United States from Italy in 1955 and racing took hold. By 1964, at age 24, he had graduated to United States Auto Club (USAC)-sponsored Champ (Indy) cars, a move that would, the following year, lead to his first of four championships. Andretti’s first crack at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1965 when he qualified fourth and finished third. Four years later, he won. Prior to his Indy victory, Andretti had also shown his versatility behind the wheel of a stock car by winning the 1967 Daytona 500. That same year, he made it to victory lane in the 12 Hours of Sebring (Florida) endurance race, his first of three such wins. In the early 1970s, Andretti broadened his focus to include Formula One. He had already displayed his talent in this arena by starting the 1968 United States Grand Prix from the pole position. In the years leading up to his retirement from open-wheel racing in 1994, the ageless Mario could still demonstrate his winning form. But those seasons were also frustrating for this patriarch of the Andretti racing dynasty (sons Michael and Jeff, along with nephew John). More often than not, crashes, equipment failure and just plain bad luck deprived him of making more regular trips to Victory Lane. A win at the Le Mans (France) endurance is the only big victory that has eluded Andretti.