Mario Andretti was born on 28th February 1940 in Montoya, Italy.
Mario moved to the united States when he was 15 years of age he competed in various forms of Dirt track Racing and Indycar and Nascar and Endurance Racing as well as Formula One. He was sucessful in all these classes of Racing with the only Big Race that he has not won being the LeMans 24Hour(not through lack of trying mind you).
Mario retired from the Cart Indycar Championship in 1994 although he has still tried on occasion to capture the elusive LeMans 24hour Race
1967 Winner of Daytona 500
1968 Italian Grand Prix
1970 Spanish Grand Prix
1975 German Grand Prix
1978 Holland Grand Prix
1979 German Grand Prix
1981 Monaco Grand Prix
1993 Vancouver IndyCar Race
Mario Andretti returns to Ferrari
In 1982 Ferrari were looking for a driver to replace the injured Didier Pironi for the Grand Prix at Monza and Las Vegas. Enzo Ferrari decided to ask Mario Andretti to fill in and Mario gladly accepted the offer. Mario had retired from F1 the year before but had already done a one off drive for Williams at Longbeach and was a regular driver in the American Indycar Championship. The Italian media were at the airport to greet Marios plane and Mario stepped from the plane wearing his Ferrari Drivers Uniform and Ferrari Cap much to the delight of the Tifosi who were there in very large numbers.
With only limited time in the car Mario went out and claimed Pole Position. This was a sterling effort in an unfamiliar car and at a time when the Renaults of Prost and Arnoux used to dominate Qualifying on the fast tracks.
During the race Marios car suffered from a sticking throttle and he would fall back to finish third behind winner Arnoux and the Ferrari of Patrick Tambay in second.
Mario drove his last race in Formula One at Las Vegas in 1982 where Broken rear suspension forced him out of the race.
