Mario Andretti biography

 Mario Andretti biography

Mario Andretti, in full Mario Gabriel Andretti, (born February 28, 1940, Montona, Italy), Italian-born American automobile-racing driver who drove inventory vehicles, U.S. championship vehicles, and Formula One vehicles.

Mario and his twin brother, Aldo, studied vehicle mechanics, frequented racing-car garages, and took part in a race-driving coaching program in Italy. In 1955 the household got here to the United States and settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania; Mario grew to become a U.S. citizen in 1964. By 1958 the brothers have been racing inventory vehicles. After a number of critical crashes, Aldo gave up racing in 1969. In the early Nineteen Sixties Mario raced dash and midget vehicles and in 1964 started racing within the championship-car division of the United States Automobile Club (USAC); he received USAC championships in 1965–66 and 1969. He additionally received the Daytona 500 stock-car race (1967) and the sports-car Grand Prix of Endurance race at Sebring, Florida (1967, 1970).

Andretti received the Indianapolis 500 race in 1969 with a then-record velocity of 156.867 miles per hour (252.11 km/hr). His obvious victory within the 1981 race was in the end given to Bobby Unser (Andretti was penalized one lap for passing vehicles throughout a yellow flag). Andretti was the second American driver to win the Formula One world driving championship in 1978 (Phil Hill was the primary, in 1961). He retired from competitors in 1994. In 1999 a panel of consultants in a tie vote named Andretti and A.J. Foyt the very best drivers of the century. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2000. Andretti’s sons, Jeff and Michael, additionally grew to become skilled race-car drivers.