Marco Andretti,
Third Generation to Race at Indy 500. Pitted vs. Against Dad, Michael
The
ANNOTICO Report
19-year-old
Marco Andretti looks barely 15, yet carries himself
as if he's 25, and will start ninth in the 33-car field, on the outside of the
third row, in his Indianapolis 500 debut, for the 90th running of the race,
qualifying his No. 26 Dallara-Honda at an average
speed of 224.918 mph.
Marco is, an Andretti — son of former Indy
car star Michael Andretti and grandson of 1969 Indy
500 winner and 1978 Formula One champion Mario Andretti
—
Michael,
now 43, came out of retirement to become part of only the fourth
father-son team to compete in the same Indy 500, and qualified only 2 places
lower than son Marco, but because on non racing points this year will be
starting 4 places further back at thirteenth.
Grand
father Mario, founder of the Andretti GreenTeam, winner of last
year's race and the Indy Racing League championship,
will be on hand to mentor and root for both Marco and
Michael.
Barring
injury, and regardless of the results, it will be a Proud Andretti
Day!!!!
19-year-old
Marco Andretti has been groomed to maintain his
composure
Los
Angeles Times
By
Jim Peltz
Times Staff Writer
May 27, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the first things you
notice about 19-year-old Marco Andretti is that he
looks barely 15, yet carries himself as if he's 25.
In preparing for his Indianapolis 500 debut, Andretti
also has shown an ability to handle a race car with skill that seems beyond his
age.
He will start ninth in the 33-car field, on the outside of the third row, when
the green flag falls Sunday for the 90th running of the race.
Andretti qualified his No. 26 Dallara-Honda
at an average speed of 224.918 mph around 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
thereby accomplishing his initial goal: being among the 11 fastest qualifiers.
He is, after all, an Andretti — son of former
Indy car star Michael Andretti and grandson of 1969
Indy 500 winner and 1978 Formula One champion Mario Andretti
— and he has been groomed since early childhood for speed on the track! and composure off it.
And Michael, normally manager of their Andretti Green
Racing team, is taking Marco's apprenticeship one step further by driving in
the race.
Michael had a stellar career as a driver until he retired two years ago, yet he
never won the Indy 500. Still, he has led more laps, 426, than any other driver
who has not won it.
He is making one more attempt — he qualified 13th — both to win the
race that's eluded him and to compete with his son.
"There's no question what brought me back this year — Marco,"
Michael said. "But, now that I'm in it, I'm here to win it.
"I don't think I ever really expected that I'd get the chance to race with
him. But he developed quicker than I think anybody ever expected he would, and
I'm only 43, so everything worked out."
Soft-spoken Marco said his father's presence on the track, plus his overall
advice on racing, have been invaluable. That includes Michael's views on the
ever-present d! anger when driving at the Brickyard.
"I had that talk with Dad," Marco said. "He said, 'Every Indy
car driver in this series is going to hit a wall and it's going to hurt, but
you try to do everything you can to avoid that,' " he said.
"You have to be totally focused on what you need to do, and whatever is
going to happen is going to happen," Marco said.
But he said Michael didn't need to give his son special advice on handling the
crush of media and fan attention. "He knows that I've seen it through him
and through my grandfather, so it's almost like they lead by example,"
Marco said.
"I've also turned all this media into a positive,
as a good way to get Marco Andretti out there, and
not just my last name," he said.
Andretti or not, Marco remains a teenage rookie
competing on one of the fastest and most treacherous speedways in the world
against more experienced rivals.
He will be the third-youngest driver ever to start the 500, at 19! years 76 days. The youngest was A.J. Foyt
IV, the grandson of another Indy 500 legend. The young Foyt
started the 2003 race on his 19th birthday. Mexican driver Josele
Garza started in 1981 at 19 years 70 days.
"I'm not really worried about trying to fulfill anybody's expectations
toward me, because I think mine are pretty high for myself," Marco said.
"I know it's going to be a big challenge. There are awesome drivers in the
field."
One is Dan Wheldon, who won last year's race and the
Indy Racing League championship driving for Andretti
Green. He moved to Target Chip Ganassi Racing this
year, creating the opening for Marco.
Raised in the Andretti hometown of Nazareth, Pa.,
Marco started racing go-karts when he was 10, moved up to the Skip Barber
junior racing series and then reached the IRL's
developmental Indy Pro Series last year.
There, he won three of six races and nearly a fourth, along with three poles.
In practicing for the 500, Marc! o not only has shown
speed but is "doing it without making mistakes," said teammate Bryan Herta, 36, of Valencia.
"I mean, the guy hasn't put a wheel wrong," said Herta,
who qualified 16th. "You really can't say much more about it than that.
"I think he's doing all the things that you'd expect of a guy with that
last name to do."
Michael Andretti agreed.
"I think he's doing a fantastic job, with the pressure that's been on
him," he said. "You see him; he's right up there with all of us in
time. So far, so good."
The Andrettis will be the 20th father-son duo to race
in the Indianapolis 500 and the fourth to compete in the same event.
Each has faced the same question: How much does the father worry about the
safety of his son, and vice versa?
"It wasn't a real distraction," Michael said this month after he and
Marco had completed practice laps.
"I only asked a couple of times how he was doing. I knew he was being
taken ca! re of by his team."
Said Marco: "We really can't be concerned about each
other on the track, because we have so much to worry about ourselves.
"I'm ready to go do my thing and he's ready to do his thing. I told him,
he can't worry about me."
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