[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 61 (Monday, April 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE MOTORSPORT CAREER OF MARIO ANDRETTI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2018

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th anniversary 
of racing legend Mario Andretti's final Indy car victory. He was 
victorious at the Phoenix International Raceway in April 1993, becoming 
the oldest driver ever to win an Indy-car race at the age of 53. This 
win was the last in a magnificent racing career that spanned across 
four decades.
  Andretti, along with his twin brother Aldo, was born in the Kingdom 
of Italy in 1940. Andretti demonstrated an interest in racing from an 
early age and began to compete when he was thirteen years old. His 
family moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1955 where Andretti and his 
brother raced on dirt tracks. In 1964, Andretti became a naturalized 
United States citizen.
  The professional racing debut for Andretti was in 1964 on the United 
States Automobile Club circuit. He finished eleventh in his first race 
at the New Jersey State fairgrounds. During the 1965 season, he won his 
first professional event at the Hoosier Grand Prix at Indianapolis 
Raceway Park. This win was the beginning of a championship season for 
Andretti, who at the age of 25 became the youngest IndyCar champion. He 
repeated as champion in 1966 and again in 1968. During the 1969 season, 
Andretti won his only Indianapolis 500.
  Andretti began competing in Formula One, the highest form of 
international open wheel racing, on a part-time basis in 1968. He 
became a full-time participant on the circuit in 1975 and won the 
Formula One world championship in 1978. Starting in 1979, the next 
circuit Andretti competed on was the PPG Indy Car World Series. 
Andretti raced in these events for sixteen years, winning the 
championship in 1984. He finished in the top ten of the championship 
standings in twelve out of the sixteen years he participated, his best 
mark for any racing circuit. Following the 1994 season, Andretti 
retired from professional racing.
  In addition to open wheel racing, Andretti raced in fourteen NASCAR 
events. Although his NASCAR career was limited, he won the 1967 Daytona 
500 and finished in the top ten in three of his other starts.
  Andretti had one of the most remarkable racing careers of all time, 
amassing one hundred and eleven total wins. Furthermore, he holds the 
distinction of being the only driver to ever win the Indianapolis 500, 
Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. Andretti's 
accomplishments culminated in his election to the International 
Motorsports Hall of Fame and being named as ``Driver of the Century'' 
by the Associated Press.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to please join me in honoring the racing 
career of Mario Andretti, as well as the careers of his son Michael and 
grandson Marco, and their contributions to the sport of IndyCar. Mario 
Andretti's accomplishments served as inspiration for modern motorsport 
competitors and his legacy will forever be cemented in racing history, 
as well as in the Lehigh Valley.

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