Mario Andretti
Won Six Formula One Races and Became the Second American to Win the World Championship
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Mario Andretti
Biography
Mario Andretti is a racing icon, considered by many to be the greatest race car driver in the history of the sport.
Andretti was born in Italy and didn't emigrate to the United States until age fifteen. At 19, he began racing stock cars in Pennsylvania and that was the start of an illustrious career that saw the versatile driver compete and win in every discipline he entered - midgets, sprint cars, dirt track cars, stock cars, IndyCars, Formula One, Formula 5000 and sports cars.
His achievements became legendary: The world watched as he won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and ultimately the Formula One World Championship, an unprecedented trifecta. No other race car driver has ever won all three titles. Mario took the checkered flag 111 times during his career - a career that stretched five decades and across six continents.
Today he is a successful businessman off the track, serving as spokesman, associate and friend to top executives around the world. He has worked with top brands like Firestone, Bridgestone, Honda, Chevron, Texaco, Mutual of Omaha, Mattel Hot Wheels, AAA, Magnaflow, IZOD, Infineon Technologies and GoDaddy. He has his name on the Andretti Winery in Napa Valley and a petroleum business in California.
He has received hundreds of awards and recognitions. Among the most prestigious, he was named Driver of the Century, he was knighted by his native Italy, and the Library of Congress in Washington DC added him to its Living Legends list. And on the lighter side, but undoubtedly affirmation of his charisma and popularity, he was in the first Pixar Cars movie voicing himself and GQ Magazine named him one of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time".
Mario remains the most popular interview in racing and the most respected voice in motorsports; he is a much sought-after source by journalists from all over the world.
Extremely healthy and fit, Mario looks as though he could slip right back into the cockpit of a race car - and he does. He's still tearing up the track in the two-seat Indy car with Lady Gaga, Donald Trump and other super stars, VIPs and journalists as his passengers.
Mario Andretti
Featured Video
Current: Automotive Hall of Fame Induction
Time 09:16
Mario Andretti
Featured Keynote Programs
The Mario Andretti Story
His stage-time centers around four main points around racing and his personal history, which inspire attendees to overcome obstacles, persevere, and be more adaptable to change.
1) Mario grew up in a refugee camp in Italy under communist rule, till he was 15. This portion focuses on how you can become a victim or victor. His idol was Alberto Ascari. He used to climb and peer through fences to see him race. (Choosing to be a victim or victor)
2) The second portion of his speech is when he moves to America, and he doesn't even speak English. He and his twin brother Aldo both had the same dream to become successful race car drivers. However, his brother had a terrible accident and was in a coma for 84 days, and never was able to live his dream. However, Mario was able to help his brother with his own success. (Overcoming Obstacles)
3)Mario began his now famous racing career in Indy and Formula One Racing. Mario talks about his rise to success, and how he was able to go back to the same where he watched Alberto Ascari as a child, and win. (How to Achieve Success, Perseverence)
4) Now, how he changed and adapts to retirement from racing and is following another dream, as he has founded his own winery. He talks about his family, and how to enjoy and seek out change (Adapting to Change)
An Onstage Discussion with Mario Andretti
In a moderated discussion, Mario Andretti will share it all: He’ll talk about growing up in Italy in a refugee camp, coming to America at age 15 and building his first race car. He’ll talk about his need to get on top and stay on top and what motivated him to race for so many years, despite the fatalities in the sport. What Mario does is almost like writing a memoir aloud. He's the grand storyteller of his own story. And he doesn’t just report events of the past but, of equal importance, he reflects upon that past and its significance for him personally.
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