Mario Andretti on His Life as a Refugee, to WINNING the Indy 500 and Daytona 500

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Mario Andretti was born in Italy during World War II. At 8 years old, he and his family spent time in a refugee camp in Italy before moving to the United States. The Andretti family settled in Nazareth, PA where Mario and twin brother Aldo discovered the nearby Nazareth Speedway. Lying about their age and experience, the brothers began racing at age 19 sharing one car and one helmet. Racing quickly became a passion and led to a career that prospered in the 1960s. He raced all discplines and won NASCAR's Daytona 500 in 1967 and the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. He raced Formula 1 in the 1970s and 1980s and returned to IndyCar winning the Pocono 500 in 1986. He watched his sons Michael and Jeff and grandson Marco follow in the family business that was built into Andretti Global. A member of numerous halls of fame, Andretti recounts his life including the moment he and his family passed the Statue of Liberty on their way from Italy. He remembers some of the big wins and also takes us behind the wheel for his crash at the 2003 Indianapolis 500 during testing. He also shares the enjoyment he gets out of his family's successes and why he's still involved with the sport. Plus, he gives us his take on whether or not racing is a sport.