3 times Mario Andretti made IndyCar history

Motorsports icon Mario Andretti remains one of the greatest figures in the history of IndyCar. At 85 years of age, the American sits comfortably at the pinnacle of racing, having made a mark in all forms of motorsports.

Having begun his racing career in sprint cars, Andretti stepped up quickly to the USAC National Championship in the 60s. He emerged victorious just in his second season in 1965, before going on to secure three more titles later on.

In this article, we take a look at three of Mario Andretti's greatest IndyCar achievements. The list has been arranged in no particular order.

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Winning the 1969 Indianapolis 500

Mario Andretti etched his name in history by winning the race despite incredible odds. Just days before the Indy 500, Andretti suffered a serious crash during practice, destroying his primary car. As a result, he was forced to switch to his backup, a Brawner-Hawk Ford.

However, Andretti dominated the race, leading 116 of the 200 laps and finishing ahead of runner-up Dan Gurney. Despite competing in 29 more Indy 500s, Andretti never won again, leading to the infamous "Andretti Curse" that has haunted his family at the Brickyard.

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Becoming the First Driver to Win IndyCar Races in Four Different Decades

Mario Andretti’s longevity in IndyCar is one of the most remarkable aspects of his career. Notably, he became the first driver to win races in four different decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s).

Andretti’s first victory came at the Hoosier Grand Prix in Indianapolis. At age 53, he won the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix, making him the oldest race winner in IndyCar history at the time.

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Winning the 1984 Long Beach Grand Prix for Both IndyCar and Formula 1

The Long Beach Grand Prix has a special place in Andretti’s career because he is the only driver to win it in both Formula 1 (1977) and IndyCar (1984). Driving for Lotus, Andretti took victory in 1977, in what was then an F1 World Championship race.

Seven years later, in 1984, he won at the same venue—this time as part of the IndyCar championship. Andretti drove the No. 5 for Newman/Haas Racing as he'd go on to finish sixth in the championship that season.

After a legendary career, Mario Andretti decided to hang up his helmet for good, announcing the 1994 season to be his last. The campaign was dubbed as "The Arrivederci Tour." Andretti's last IndyCar race came at Laguna Seca, where he finished 19th before retiring from the sport.

Mario Andretti retired from IndyCar as the driver with the second-most wins at the time (52). He also secured 67 pole positions in his career. Till date, Andretti remains the driver to have led the most laps in IndyCar, 7595.