Motorsports
Related: About this forumMeeting Mario Andretti
I recently had the privilege to meet Mario Andretti at an event in which he was the guest of honor. He was down-to-earth, funny, and just exceptionally nice. He gladly signed autographs, and took photos. I got his autograph on a photo of him behind the wheel of his '78 Lotus F1. He told me that the Lotus was probably his favorite car. He also told me that the old Trenton speedway "was good to me (him)"... how humble. Later, he allowed us to view his Lamborghini inside and out. I'll always treasure meeting this humble icon.
yesphan
(1,599 posts)to get to see him win the 500 in '69 in person. I was 12.
gibraltar72
(7,625 posts)garages at Michigan international Speedway about 1968. Have always been a fan. He could drive anything.
House of Roberts
(5,664 posts)That's as close as I've gotten to meeting any of their family. He was so humble he seemed almost embarrassed to be an Andretti.
I was so pleased when he was picked by Porsche to be their #2 driver in CART.
I've been a fan of all the Andrettis over the years, and still pull for Michael's drivers in Indycar today, which includes Marco, of course.
MiniprotesterTodd
(39 posts)Ive been an Andretti fan since I was nine years old. I followed his exploits in my weekly Autoweek starting in 69. He won as a guest driver for Ferrari and then starting winning for Lotus. I was hanging off the underside of a grandstand when he passed for the lead at the 78 Long Beach Grand Prix. I threw my hat in the air while hanging on with the other hand.
A decade later I was a racing journalist in the press room when he was winning at Laguna Seca in CART. Later still, I interviewed him after his career ended. His knowledge and focus on the competitive side of the sport blew me away. Not only did he share great stories, he told me WHY cars were good or bad.
Its a tremendous measure of the man that after the medias obsession with NASCAR over the last couple of decades, Andretti is still one of the most celebrated of American racing heroes.
Number9Dream
(1,639 posts)luvs2sing
(2,232 posts)Read his autobiography, Whats It Like Out There?. It was just as you describe him, humble, self-deprecating, and very, very funny. Still remember Indy in 69..❤️
djm5971
(109 posts)Mario's been my favorite ever since winning the 69 Indy 500. He and Ayrton Senna are my two favorites of all time.