A Young Mario Andretti

[Mitch G.]

Truly one of the top 3 race car drivers, world wide, ever in history, Mario Andretti.
Before the Daytona 500 win, Indy 500 win, National Championships, and the World driving title, Mario was a short tracker. Check out Mario in 1963 in Scats Anfuso's sprint car at a URC sprint show, Marlboro Raceway in Maryland. Aldo, Mario's twin brother is at the rear of the car.
http://www.autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=24&pictureid=1502
Again, in 1969 at Sacremento this is September, 3 months after winning his one and only Indy 500. Volumes have been written about Mario, but I thought these early color photo's were pretty cool.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=36&pictureid=1503

[indybigjohn]

VERY cool, Mitch. Thanks.

[Olen McGuire]

Thanks Mitch for starting this thread.
In 1966 Mario Andretti drove 14 different cars in 51 races. He won 14 races in 4 different cars. Very few drivers in their careers have raced such a wide range of cars. With drivers like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Jackie Ickx, Jim Clark and Dan Gurney, testing their skills in NASCAR and many other racing series, it truly was the golden era of multi-purpose drivers.
Andretti was 26 at the time and he still had a touch of his native Italian accent in his voice. His English might not have been that good, but there were no questions about his driving talent.

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=226&pictureid=1505
Mario Andretti led 112 of 200 laps of the 1967 Daytona 500 in this
Firestone-shod racer, taking the checkered flag as the first
open-wheel driver to win the event.

[RICKLou]

Al Consoli photograph

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=289&pictureid=2253

Mario at Daytona, 1967

http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=288&pictureid=2236

[dmckim]

let me add one Dick Atkins, Andretti, and Bobby Unser. oct of 66 mario won from last.

[Mitch G.]

Great photo dmckim, did you recognize Bobby Unser with his back towards the camera?

[dmckim]

i'm very lucky to have a grandfather who raced and documented all of his photos with names and dates and some locations.

[Quick Time]

What a great picture, best of all his hair is perfectly combed. Not a wayward strand.

Chuck

[bobjeffreson]

Mario certainly "brushed up" OK in his younger days.
This photo by Bob Tronolone comes from a favourite book I never ever get tired of browsing through....Joe Scalzo's, The American Dirt Track Racer.
I would have loved to have seen those dirt big cars on the miles. Only trouble was........... I was born in the wrong era and in the wrong country!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g181/bobjeffreson/SCAN_0143.jpg