born february italian american racing driver successful americans history sport drivers win races formula world championship nascar won races cars sprint cars career won formula world championship titles cart date remains driver win indianapolis formula world championship driver won race formula indianapolis american won formula race victory dutch grand prix career wins major circuits long career racing person named united_states driver year decades drivers win races road courses paved dirt tracks season feat accomplished times final win april driver win races different decades win automobile races kind american popular culture synonymous speed similar early twentieth century united_kingdom early life twin brother born farm administrator wife croatia annexed yugoslavia end world war confirmed treaty paris family left exodus ending refugee camp italy emigrated united_states_of_america settling pennsylvania united_states citizen racing career childhood involvement twins mother said years old pot run kitchen going like driving cars seen car age racing hand crafted wooden cars steep streets hometown later brothers hired garage park cars described experience book like time fired car felt engine wheel come life hands hooked feeling describe time race car racing experience new youth racing league called italy thirteen years old story likely interview evening recounts story early days racing pennsylvania brother implies brother story racing league looked having purchased racing suits italy fond childhood memories watching stretch race caused italian time formula world champion won race got italian grand prix saw race stock car racing start racing mario surprised find half mile dirt racing track moved twins worked modified funded money earned uncle garage took turns racing old hudson oval dirt tracks near tell parents racing twins wins races seriously hurt near end season parents unhappy find twins racing mario modified wins races stock car occasionally competed stock car events competed stock cars finished twelfth season points won race finished seventh season points won stock car races road courses won road course races nascar competed fourteen events career competed cars final events nascar successful teams time team won nascar championships driver won international race champions invited race international race champions series career best years years finished second final points standings iii won points championship finishes second won races events open wheel racing early open wheel racing goal race single open wheel cars said winning objective open raced cars started racing sized cars american quarter winter seen sized car owners raced events won feature races different tracks labor day won afternoon feature new_jersey swept twin features pennsylvania racing ladder east_coast united_states race sprint cars able ride individual races sprint car racing series unable secure time ride drove canada pennsylvania hoping find ride event went handed bypassed series offered time ride sprint car sprint cars won connor memorial sprint car race salem salem indiana continued race sprint cars moving cars won park finished tenth season points won times cumberland maryland new_york ohio phoenix arizona second win connor memorial salem finished season championship won events entered career open wheel racing series north_america referred car racing racing referring famous indianapolis race centerpiece championship races run mixture paved dirt later years included road courses car debut april new_jersey started sixteenth finishing eleventh introduced sprint car owner veteran mechanic impressed sprint car drivers recently died current driver critically injured recommended watched race indiana convinced found new driver team stayed years finished eleventh season won championship car race grand prix road course indianapolis place finish indianapolis mechanical copy current design earned race rookie year award contributed winning series championship youngest national champion series history age repeated series champion winning events won pole indianapolis finished second won single non championship drag race ford lost season championship respectively laps race season riverside california smallest points margin history won races indianapolis season championship won peak international hill climb named abc year won championship races split dirt pavement championships win pavement finished fifth season points finished second dirt championship competed dirt track division won dirt track championship competing series competed formula series finished second championship seasons formula career time status formula highest form open wheel racing sanctioned international governing body originating europe 1960s included races worldwide indianapolis met owner lotus formula team running eventual race winner car told ambition compete formula told ready felt ready gave car young american took pole position debut united states grand prix lotus drove sporadically formula years lotus march ferrari continuing focus racing career america south african grand prix debut ferrari won grand prix weeks later non championship grand prix brought italian team second victory time status wasn drove formula season team team new formula successful formula racing america driving team run north american end season races promising results qualified fourth led spanish grand prix laps suspension failed scored championship points season continued compete missing formula races middle season team pulled formula races season returned lotus team driven season opening lotus low point having failed produce competitive car replace lotus ability developing racing car contributed lotus return formula grid culminating field victory season ending race circuit japan lotus developing use ground effect shaping underside car generate little drag worked setting cars races exploiting subtle differences tire size suspension set cross car track approach imported extensive oval racing experience united_states american win united_states grand prix west american win grand prix lotus wing car proved competitive car despite winning races driver reliability problems collisions drivers meant finished championship following year lotus exploited ground effect took title wins clinched championship italian grand prix championship celebration teammate close friend crashed heavily start race hospitalised died night complications resulting injuries find little success formula failed win grand prix difficult year new lotus competitive team rely lotus overtaken second generation ground effect cars paired young italian briefly test driver team unsuccessful unsuccessful romeo team like drivers period like ground effect cars time cars getting absurd crude suspension movement switch driving need kind leaving formula lot easier brief returns williams ferrari year raced williams team driver suddenly quit replacing seriously injured ferrari races year suspension failure dropped race season italian grand prix took pole position finished race interview world champion jones stated ferrari looking proven class driver actually contacted drive team late jones enjoying time australia took long ferrari answer jones regrets instead contacted ironically jones later decided comeback unlike taken seat ferrari likely kept year seen drive competitive car return detroit grand prix team mario standby replace regular driver unable race case previous race canada event able race considered replacement injured canada detroit grand prix time owned team mario declined recommended son drive unfortunately michael unable obtain required allow race formula instead drive went return racing continued race occasionally win time formula world championship new organization set world series rival won times 1960s new series rapidly open wheel racing series north_america arena returned time driving returned indianapolis starting row got controversial wreck pace laps rookie suddenly spun apparent reason engaged match interview minutes wreck heard saying happens children man job joined new newman racing team set actor cars built british company took team win lake won pole sixteen events claimed fourth car title age edged points series title second year team mario son michael joined history father son team compete car racing fourth time endurance race drivers mario finished seventh points season year michael won championship mario victory racing came year michael left race formula win mario oldest recorded winner event years days old qualified pole michigan later year speed miles hour speed new closed course world record final season dubbed tour raced car races september indianapolis won indianapolis attempts incidents near victories track critics dubbed family performance mario indianapolis victory curse finished miles times including indianapolis victory driver exceed miles hour practising indianapolis years bad luck drop outs dominated indianapolis route victory race race notable history winning driver ran race set tires victory race dropped races failures crashes luck turn finished second indianapolis seconds following day lap passing cars caution flag declared winner car owner appealed race decision overturned lap penalty months later fine start indianapolis second year driver teammate suddenly spun right accelerating green flag bounced steering rod contact turned car left degree angle field promptly mario engaged match walking interview minutes wreck heard saying happens children man job teammate year eventual race winner started middle row later years pointed jumped start avoided spinning car lined properly second row indianapolis passed lead turn lap immediately completing pass sullivan spun caution spin time sullivan lose pitting replace laps later sullivan took lead good passed incident dominated indianapolis leading laps race lead large advised slow pace preserve equipment cruel twist fate started running slower reduced engine rpm created led broken valve spring laps indianapolis run extremely cold weather resulted large number cars cold tires accelerated turn restart end lap acceleration mario car got loose middle turn rotated degrees smash nose wall taken hospital toes broken shortly joined son smashed legs wheel came loose race car lap race mario miss race injuries returned run 6th race weeks crash indianapolis notable run come victory phoenix pole day car complete qualifying run sat provisional pole position speed held afternoon hour topped speed took pole race day factor afternoon leading laps leading lap entering pits closed stop penalty dropped second place final laps began developing handling problems tires slid standings finish 5th race indianapolis april lead took track time years major open wheel car age participated test session son michael team team regular drivers suffered radial fracture arm week earlier april crash cleared drive time tentative plans prepared qualify car turn car race day plans actually drive race test ran competitive speeds running debris saw car airborne attempt ended spectacular crash able walk away wreck minor cut chin significant track activity indianapolis sports cars won hours endurance races hours early races competed team later drove ferrari signed ferrari won races driver shared wins north american rounds championship brands hatch contributing ferrari dominant victory year world championship makes competed popular north american series late 1960s early 1970s competed hours decades shared moody ford retired car dropped valve pit stop mechanic inadvertently installed brake pad backward passed touched brake pedal time leaving pits wheel instantly locked turning car hard dirt embankment mph wreckage slid stop badly shaken car sideways oncoming traffic track nearly blocked teammates crashed trying avoid car pulled safety taken hospital rays return time formula career partnered son michael ford qualified ninth place pair found car removed starting grid minutes start race official discovered oil cooler mounted gearbox rules car passed initial inspection days race despite protests complaints entry removed altogether replaced return following year successful finished father son team returned mario nephew john finished sixth factory following mario retirement time racing decided return circuit add victory achievements returned second place finish said interview feels team lost race times poor organization unsuccessful efforts following years thirteenth place finish final appearance race years retirement time racing drove age finishing 16th awards honors associated_press magazine named driver century driver year united_states years driver driver year decades named quarter century inducted auto racing hall fame october awarded highest civilian honor given italian government known honor racing career public service enduring commitment italian heritage recipient world automobile racing mayor exile association italian honorary citizen mario grand prix road america mario instrumental keeping championship car racing road america cart severed ties track legal resolution payment issues series events track middle man cart president president weeks sides came terms signed year contract event renamed mario grand prix road america elder racing family sons michael jeff auto michael followed father footsteps winning title mario nephew joining series meant family relatives compete series mario sharing driving duties sons michael jeff driving clan finished 5th mario grandson completed season racing league driving father michael green racing team finished second indianapolis generation recipient race rookie year award later life mario wife live near grandson pennsylvania native taught english mario married november kept active retirement time racing makes numerous speaking engagements corporate audiences spokesman longtime sponsors performance exhaust occasionally spokesman defunct car world series frequently attended races watch compete vice chairman named california owns chain gasoline stations toyota pennsylvania outside pittsburgh car car care products tracks clothing line video games replica cars test drives cars car driver magazines july took race america state pennsylvania gate named road official ambassador united_states grand prix promoting awareness formula united_states forms received america award media appearances played episodes united_states television appears films movie making cars mario animation studios film cars voice cameo plays won parody success race mario appeared road racing documentary dust glory race grand marshal movie documents baja race mario wrote racing column wrote drivers equipment cars featured documentary state vine commented activities voice movie turbo november guest starred episode jay_leno garage driving multiple fast cars talking past driver popular culture references charlie daniels band song uneasy rider contains line mario proud american rock band song pure rock fury racing career results hours results results key races bold indicate pole position races indicate fastest lap american open wheel racing results cart key races bold indicate pole position total championship victories indianapolis results nascar key bold pole position awarded qualifying time pole position earned points standings practice time laps led grand national series results
Mario Andretti