'Whenever emotions take over, you don't think straight. The driver's seat is no place for emotional outbursts or for distractions like cellphones, Andretti says. On Wednesday, Andretti offered some safe driving tips for motorists on local highways and byways.

While racing in Pennsylvania was different from the Italian Grand Prix they had grown to love, it didn't take long for the Andretti boys to find their passion. He and twin brother, Aldo, soon discovered a half-mile oval nearby as wide-eyed 15-year-old boys. The Andrettis eventually immigrated to the place Mario still calls home, Pennsylvania. So I give her all the credit.'īorn in the Italian city of Montona, Andretti and his family moved after the city was ceded to Yugoslavia (now Croatia) after the Second World War. She kept my mind serene while I was racing. But she has been by my side all the way through,' he says. 'There have been lots of ups and downs in my career. 'Racing is all we know,' Andretti says with a shrug.Īnd through his six decades in the spotlight, the affable Andretti has kept his nose clean, mostly due to the behind-the-scenes work of his wife of 52 years, Dee Ann. Michael is now 'the entrepreneur' of the family, the owner of several race cars.

Like him, his sons Michael and Jeff, along with grandson Marco, were all named winners of the Indy 500 rookie of the year award. Today, Andretti owns a winery, a petroleum company and cheers on those who've continued in the family business. In his early years, Andretti was a chief tester for the tire manufacturer and later on, Andretti won most of his major races on Firestones. Andretti, still fit and trim at 74, has had a symbiotic relationship with Firestone over the years.

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