Mario Andretti
Graham sits down with motorsports legend, Mario Andretti at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Andretti shares stories from his childhood in an Italian refugee camp, hiding racing from his father and career highlights as the only driver to win an Indy 500, Daytona 500 and Formula One World Championship. Plus, Mario and Graham hit the track in a two-seater indyCar for a 200 mph joyride.
Mario Andretti
EPISODES
Mario Andretti: Life as a World War II refugee
Mario Andretti recalls his childhood spent in an Italian refugee camp, his family’s sacrifices and the life-changing decision to immigrate to America.
Mario Andretti: Secretly racing, wrecking, smoking
Mario Andretti explains how he and his brother hid racing from their dad and the life-threatening crash that got them caught.
Mario Andretti on passion and hatred within racing
Mario Andretti discusses simultaneously racing and winning within both IndyCar and Formula 1 racing circuits and the family sacrifice required to double dip in two racing subsets.
Mario Andretti: Winning races; losing family time
Mario Andretti reflects on the burden his prolific racing career bestowed on his wife and gives her credit for taking it all in stride and allowing him to race with a clear mind.
Mario Andretti: Racing is in my family’s blood
Mario Andretti expresses his pride when three generations of Andrettis raced together, including the 1992 Indy 500 and a clean sweep at the 1986 Pocono 500.Mario Andretti: Racing immediately after best friend’s death
Mario Andretti gives an emotional account of having to race at the Motor Trend 500 immediately after watching his close friend, Billy Foster, die in a qualifying race.
Mario Andretti: I dodged a lot of bullets on the track
Mario Andretti looks back on his 36 years of racing, deciding to retire at 54 and his thankfulness for only missing two races throughout his career due to injury.
Mario Andretti: Pulled over going 183 mph in Lamborghini
Mario Andretti shares a story of when he and his friend – who happened to be a Nevada Highway Patrol sergeant – took a Lamborghini out to try and hit 200 mph on the highway, but got pulled over by another highway patrol trooper who clocked them going 183 mph.
180 mph ride-along with Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti takes Graham around the Auto Club Speedway for a racing experience at 180 mph in an IndyCar.
Mario Andretti: I lured Paul Newman into racing
Mario Andretti recalls his introduction to Paul Newman and his role introducing Newman to racing. Plus, once the two became close friends and how they would pay off bets using any currency except U.S. dollars.
Mario Andretti: Some of us in this room won’t survive
Mario Andretti opens up about the higher rate of racing fatalities during his prime years and how he walked away from a dangerous Indy crash in which his car flipped at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
