World News – USA – Three-time winner Andretti in 12 Hours returns to Sebring

Mario Andretti is scheduled to visit the International Sebring Racecourse for the first time in nearly three decades on Saturday morning, when he returns as Senior Marshal for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Advance Auto Parts.

Andretti said, « They’ll make a great entry with a Honda plane. ». “They will remove some roadblocks and taxis there. I look forward to it. Possibly my last time in Sebring was in the early 1990s, testing in an Indy on the short track.

Andretti has an excellent record at Sebring. Won the 12-hour race three times – 1967, 1970 and 1972 – in addition to finishing second in 1969, in six matches in the American Endurance Classic. .

Andretti said

« I love Sebring. ». “It’s a very difficult path, and a tough one at that, just keeping everything together. Somehow, it paid off for me. I have a very good track record there in the many races I have run.

On Saturday, Andretti is looking forward to another competitive race as he likes the sport’s current state of affairs.

“There are eight IndyCar drivers in this race in two different classes,” he said. “I’d love to see that. I like to see the crosshair. It’s great for this sport. It does add interest, sure, and it seems like one of Indy’s men has a good chance of winning overall. That would be fine – all positive things.

One of the crossovers is Scott Dickson, winner of the 2020 Daytona 24 Rolexes who won his sixth IndyCar title. Advertised as the RACER driver of the 20th century in 2000, Andretti was impressed by an early contender for the 21st Century Awards..

Andretti said: « His record speaks for itself. ». «  The man belongs where he is. See how bright his career has been, he’s a great multidisciplinary player. To become a multi-time champ, you need to be good everywhere. And this is where he excels. Take it to an elliptical track, a high-speed track, a short ellipse, a street track, or a regular road track – no matter where you go, it’s always on top of the charts. This is what makes a hero. It’s great to see a driver of this class who is young enough to continue his record-breaking build.

Andretti is asked about another current superstar, Jamie Johnson, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who is turning his attention to IndyCar in 2021.

« This is another plus, to have a hero of this stature, » said Andretti. “It’s great for the sport. It tells me a lot about the driver himself, having those ambitions to cross. He doesn’t have to do that, but he does because he loves the sport. I have a lot of respect for that.

“All these are good things for sports, and in situations where we are now with a pandemic, these are positive things to look forward to..

“IMSA has done a great job reviving sports car racing and sports models in our country. They keep tweaking it to improve it, which is a good thing. This is one of the majors that I love very much. It’s very technical, and I love the look of the cars. They do a great job with the number of classrooms, and with the participation of the manufacturer, which is the strength of it all. So there are good things happening on this front, too.

While focusing on looking to the future, the 80-year-old Pennsylvania looks forward to his sports car career this weekend – in particular, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sebring’s 1970 victory with Ferrari. He’s won 12 Hours three times, and savors every victory.

Andretti said: « Every victory is as precious as you can imagine. ». «  The first was with Ford, driving with Bruce McLaren. It was very meaningful, because the car was just completed and not even tested at high speed. Here we go and win the race.

The Ford Mk IV only ran one race – and later that year won at Le Mans with the A.. . J. Voight and Dan Gurney at the wheel.

The 1970 victory came on the heels of Andretti’s only official win in the Indianapolis 500. Collaborating with Arturo Merzario on his Ferrari 512S, Andretti built a 12-rev advance before the gearbox failed. Andretti was ready to return to Nazareth for a Sunday car race in nearby Reading, Pennsylvania. Ferrari officials had a different idea.

“It was a great story. I felt we deserved to win, because Arturo was on top. All we had to do was finish. Then we had a failed bearing gearbox. Then I was asked to take over the job recently.

Andretti ran the last 90 minutes in a Ferrari 512S Spider driven by Nino Vaccarella and Ignacio Giunta. . Andretti ran five miles behind a Porsche 908 led by movie legend Steve McQueen and Peter Revson, and he was up to the challenge.. Run down the Revson, dig for fuel, and run on it again.

Andretti

​​said, « Here we won it. ». And yes, I ran into the next day in Reading.

Andretti said

« I had a good luck running with Jackie. ». “We won quite a few races, and the Sebring was a great race for us.

The 1972 victory was Andretti’s last race in Sebring. He went on to win the 1978 Formula 1 World Championship with Lotus, then returned to Indy Cars, winning the 1984 CART title for Newman / Haas Racing. He retired from competitive racing in 1994, although he returned to run a Panos Roadster at the age of 60 at Le Mans in 2000..

While in his long retirement from active competition, Andretti has yet to hang his helmet, remaining active as a sport ambassador and driver for a two-seater for a VIP ride during weekends at IndyCar.

He said, « They are still working for next year. ». “There may be a new sponsor to pick up this program. If they want me to drive, it’s okay. I’m ready to go, when the call comes.

J. J. O’Malley became news editor for Chris Economaki in 1977, launching him into a career that covers all aspects of motorsport in many areas. Conducted PR at Watkins Glen International for 14 years; Followed by four seasons on the Homestead-Miami Speedway; News Editor at ISC Publications (now Edgeset Marketing); And Director of Communications at Grand-Am and IMSA. He is currently completing his 13th book on racing – The History of the Daytona Prototype – as well as covering events for RACER. com, Edgeset Marketing, and Sunday Group Management. O’Malley is an honorary member of the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club.

It’s race day – seven months later than expected! – On the Sebring International Racetrack, and all 31 IMSA WeatherTech races except one (. . . )

Max Verstappen completed a clean sweeping exercise at the Turkish Grand Prix in FP3 wet in Istanbul. Red Bull Racing Driver (. . . )

Cameron Lawrence was washing clothes when his phone rang on Wednesday morning. Can you be in Sebring today to race on Friday? (. . . )

Crandon International Raceway announced that the historic facility and all its assets have been purchased by the employer and Crandon (. . . )

“Racing Car Chassis Development & Shock Setup Technology” is the title of the Intercomp Racing Tech Webinar (. . . )

As Aston Martin Red Bull Racing prepares to celebrate its 300th Formula 1 race in the Turkish Grand Prix this weekend, the team selects (. . . )

Greg Beckett’s Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Season maintains momentum behind the wheel in its iconic blue and (. . . )

Thanks to our loyal readers and advertisers for supporting Vintage Motorsport during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like everyone in (. . . )

NASCAR has entered into a multi-year National Sports Betting partnership with WynnBET, the digital games division of Wynn Resorts (. . . )

Copyright © 2020 Racer Media & Marketing, Inc.. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in any way without prior permission. Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy and our & Terms. Contestant Media & Marketing, Inc.. , 17030 Red Hill Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614, 949. 417. 6700

Partner at USA Today Sports Digital Properties

Sebring International Raceway, 12 Hours of Sebring, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, International Motorsports Association, Motorsports, Ricky Taylor