Issue Date: May 27, 2007
Marco Andretti carries the family tradition
For any son, following in a father's successful career footsteps can be
pressure enough. Then pile on a grandfather's legendary career and such a
task could be downright daunting. However, for Marco Andretti, son to
Michael and grandson to Mario, carrying on the family business has been
second nature. But Andretti, 20, doesn't want to be second at anything,
especially in the Indy 500, which he narrowly lost last year by .0635 of a
second. Recently, the rising race star chatted with USA WEEKEND about this
year's Indy 500, the unusual effect his mother has had on his career, and
whether he speeds off track. Interview with USA WEEKEND's Jon Tollestrup.
Last year you raced in the Indy 500 and finished a slim second. Does already
having the experience help calm the nerves,or is it still just a bunch of
butterflies?
Definitely all of the unknowns were answered. So going back into it you
bring back a little bit of that quiet confidence, whereas last year it was
kind of an open feeling because I didn't know what to expect. But I'm
definitely going to bring back a little bit more confidence. I think having
done so well [last year] is going to help. If you look at my pre-race
interview, I really thought that I could win the race. And having proved
that we were there at the end is different than just saying it.
For the latest updates on Marco Andretti and this weekend's Indy 500, check
out Marco's website at marcoandretti.com and the Indy 500's official Web
site at indy500.com.
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Do you have any pre-race rituals that you do for good luck, or do you just
jump into the car and take off?
No, the driving part comes naturally. I can be woken out of my sleep, be put
into a race car and go do it. So there's nothing that I'm going to do like
put one shoe on first. There are no pre-race rituals with me.
So before a big race like the Indy 500, do your father and grandfather give
you any sort of pep talk, or do they stay more hands off and let you drive?
At this point, obviously, there's a lot to learn. But you can't be taught
stuff like that; it has to come naturally and be what works for you. They're
kind of the same way. It just comes natural to them about what needs to be
done, and we just go do it. It's what we love to do, so it makes it easy for
us.
Obviously, you come from a family of talented drivers. Have you felt any
pressure to succeed and carry on the famous Andretti name? Or do you feel
like you've been able to carve out your own identity and do this as Marco
Andretti, not Mario's grandson?
That's one thing I'm trying to do, make a name for myself, and the only way
to do that is to do my own thing, really. Obviously, I see what a good job
my father and grandfather have done at things like that, and they don't
really tell me, "You need to do this and you need to do that." They just
kind of do it, and I see how good they are at it, and I just kind of portray
it in a way.
Have people received you well so far and not unfairly compared your career
with the careers of your father and grandfather?
I hope so. There are always going to be people who are trying to compare,
and it's a logical thing to do. But I'm not worried about that because I set
goals bigger than anybody could set for me, believe me. So if I'm not happy,
I'm not worried about what's being said because I'm already mad at myself.
All I try to do is please myself.
So you're your own toughest critic?
For sure, by far.
People are always asking about your father and grandfather, but I wanted to
ask about your mom. Is she OK with you doing this very dangerous sport?
She's my biggest fan, but also she's a mom, so of course she's going to
worry. But it's stuff she has a little bit of practice dealing with. Her
ex-husband used to do it as well, and she used to have to watch him, so I'm
sure it helped her prepare a little bit for me. But it's maybe different
because it's her son. But she does all the praying; she's probably saved my
butt a ton of times already.
I'm curious about how you drive when you're off the track. I have this image
of race-car drivers speeding around town.
I will catch myself if I leave the track after a race in a rental car
because you don't feel the speed. But on the street I definitely try to be
as sensible as possible. But I can go drive -- and I'm not saying I do -- but
I can go drive quick on the roads and see things happen before they happen.
But, obviously, the law is the law, so I just follow it because I don't want
to get into trouble.
So what kind of car do you drive off track?
I have a BMW M3, which I just recently purchased from my teammate. Also I
have a BMW M6 and a Mercedes CLS 63, which I love.
What kind of car was the first car you ever drove?
The first car I owned when I was 16 was actually a Mustang Cobra
supercharged convertible.
You're still really young. What do you like to do in your downtime?
I just like to sit there and watch TV and go out and have a leisurely dinner
with my close friends. I'm not crazy by any means. When I have downtime, I
want to take advantage of it because we see it all on the circuit and we do
it all. I like to just hang out and lay low because we don't have a lot of
chances to do that.
You mentioned you like to watch TV. Any shows in particular?
I enjoy the kind of comedy like Ali G and stuff like that.
Did you see the Borat movie?
Yeah, I saw Borat. It was pretty funny. He's crazy.
By Jon Tollestrup
Contributing: Bart Mills, Nancy Mills, Jon Tollestrup
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