Michael Andretti Born In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA - October 5, 1962

October 5, 1962

Michael Andretti

(Photo; niashf.org)

Born In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.

Michael is from the famous Andretti racing family. He is the son of Formula 1, CART and NASCAR racing legend Mario Andretti. His brother Jeff Andretti competed in IndyCar. Michael's uncle Aldo Andretti was an open wheel racer until an accident ended his racing career. Aldo's son, John Andretti raced in IndyCar before he became a NASCAR regular. He returned to IndyCar in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, where he raced in the Indy 500. Aldo's other son, Adam also is a racecar driver, and in 2005, Michael's son Marco began his career in Indy Racing. The Andretti family became the first family to have five relatives, Michael, Mario, Marco, Jeff, and John compete in the same series (CART/Champ Car/IndyCar).

Michael began racing in 1980, living in the shadow of his illustrious father, who eventually became a 3-time IndyCar champion and the 1978 Formula One World Champion. Following a successful career racing karts, winning 50 of his 75 races over eight years, he moved into racing cars. He obtained his SCCA National License in 1980, then won six races to claim the SCCA’s Northeast Division Formula Ford championship in 1981. He also drove in a number of Formula Vee races in regional SCCA events. In 1982, he won six of the 11 races on his way to winning the Robert Bosch US Formula Super Vee Championship. He also won the opening race of the 1983 Super Vee season before he moved up to drive in Formula Atlantic, and won his second title by winning the FIA Formula Mondial North American Cup the following season. Although he made his international sports car debut at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans, he was denied the opportunity to race as the Mirage M12 he was chosen to race with his father was disqualified 80 minutes before the race was due to start. The father and son partnership returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe the following year, and were joined by Philippe Alliot in the Porsche Kremer Racing’s Porsche 956, taking third place. Michael also raced alongside his father in the Riverside 6 Hours where they were joined by A. J. Foyt and Preston Henn, but the Porsche 935 failed to finish. The father and son duo paired up again the 1984 Daytona 24 Hours, this time in a full-works Porsche 962, which made its race debut. They took pole position, but during the race, the engine broke.

He made his CART debut in 1983. A legend in CART, he drove in the series before and after his unhappy Formula One sojourn with McLaren, becoming the third most successful driver in CART history with 42 race victories who won the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. Since retiring from the cockpit, his runs his own IndyCar team, which runs his son, Marco Andretti, as well as a team in the FIA Formula E Championship.

Michael was inducted in 2002, into National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, and he was also elected into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2008, the Long Beach Grand Prix Walk of Fame in 2010, the Canadian Motorsports (International Division) Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Indianapolis Speedway's Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.