Mario Andretti Tag

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer This coming weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series will make their much-anticipated debut at Road America for the Kohler Grand Prix, continuing the 2016 season. The event is slated for June 23-26, 2016. About the Race The Kohler Grand Prix is round nine of sixteen for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016.  It is, however, the tenth race start, with Texas having been rained out, and its completion slated for August. The event is held on a permanent road course, one of six such races onRead More

February 14, 1944 – September 11, 1978 Ten-time Grand Prix Winner Runner-up in F1 Championship 1971, 1978 Over the past 65 seasons, 846 drivers have competed in Formula One competition. Of those, only 32 have gained the title of World Champion. In order to be crowned champion, a driver must not only possess the talent and determination, but also have the circumstances put them in the right place at the right time. As you can imagine, the history books are filled with stories about drivers that probably should have beenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief INDIANAPOLIS – Marco Andretti has the look of someone who is ready. The 29-year-old has endured a mass of problems that have plagued the potential of his No. 27 Snapple Honda during practice and qualifying leading up to the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Andretti got bumped out of the Fast Nine Shootout, then was hindered with no fifth gear during his qualifying run the next day, but still managed to record the 14th best time. Overall, practice sessions haven’t been ideal either,Read More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer One of the more iconic images in auto racing is the familiar helmet design utilized by the Andretti family. Starting with a simple silver helmet, with a strip of red tape on the side, Mario Andretti added a wide red stripe over the top of the helmet in the 1970s. The stripe ended in a point above the visor, and it represented the logo of then-sponsor, Viceroy cigarettes. Andretti liked the design and stuck with it for the rest of his racing career. When son,Read More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is making preparations for the historic 100th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, it is a wonderful time to take a trip down memory lane and examine the rich history of this uniquely American event. Each of the 99 previous races has produced a winner that will forever have his name etched in motor racing history. 67 race winning drivers, and two relief drivers have their images on the Borg-Warner Trophy. There are, however, an untold number of heartbreakingRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer This coming weekend the Verizon IndyCar Series will return to the streets of Long Beach, as they continue their 2016 season. The race weekend is slated for April 15-17, 2016. About the Race The 42nd Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is round three of sixteen for the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2016. The event is held on a temporary street circuit, one of six such races on the calendar. The defending race winner is Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. The New Zealand-born driverRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Contributing Writer The 65 year history of the Formula One World Championship has seen a myriad of scenarios play out over the years. Some seasons were remembered for close championship battles, others for multiple winners. Some seasons saw unbearable tragedy, and others saw bitter feuding between teammates. Some seasons saw incredible innovation, while others were marred by politics, protests, disqualifications and even driver’s strikes. No season can compare with the perfect storm that was 1982 where we saw all of this, and more. The 1982 stats will showRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, Contributing Writer 1991 was a pivotal year for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 75th running of the Indianapolis 500 would be run on May 26 and the IndyCar season got off to an interesting start as it led up to the month of May. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Sr. was without a ride as the Alfa-Romeo program signed Danny Sullivan as its main driver, relegating Roberto Guerrero to the sidelines until Alfa-Romeo picked Guerrero up for the race. Unser Sr. was unable to find a rideRead More

By Frank Santoroski, Contributing Writer If there is anything that has been a constant in my 40-plus years of enjoying motorsports, it is Mario Andretti. When I first started paying attention to racing as a boy, Mario Andretti was there.  He was driving a beautiful black and gold Lotus in Formula One, and he was winning races.  A year later, he took the Championship. When I first started paying attention the the newly-formed CART Series, Mario Andretti was there. I was thrilled when he was named the winner of the 1981Read More

By Frank Santoroski, Contributing Writer In the midst of the excitement that is the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, the fact that 2016 also marks the 20th anniversary of the open-wheel split is not lost on me. Speaking as someone who lived through the formation of CART, the glory days in the 1980s and 1990s, and the slow painful death of the series, I have a vested interest in what happens next. Will the Media attention around the 100th running be enough to bring growth in viewership? Will the growthRead More