The name Mario Andretti is synonymous with greatness in motorsports. His resume justifies the accolades: 1967 Daytona 500 winner, 1969 Indianapolis 500 and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb champion, 1974 USAC National Dirt Track Championship, 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, 1979 International Race of Champions (IROC) series championship, four IndyCar national titles, three 12 Hours of Sebring victories. In fact, he was named Driver of the Year in three different decades (the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s), Driver of the Quarter Century (in the 1990s), and the Associated Press named him Driver of the Century in January 2000. After completing his five-decade-long racing career, Andretti retired with 111 feature race victories.

The Italian-born Andretti arrived in the United States with his parents, older sister, and twin brother Aldo in 1955 when he was 15 years old. His passion for motorsports had already developed. The previous year, he and Aldo attended the Italian Grand Prix, where he cheered on his favorite driver, Alberto Ascari.

The Andrettis settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Conveniently, a half-mile oval track was located not far from their home. The Andretti twins built a 1948 Hudson Hornet sportsman stock car with some local friends. Mario and Aldo began racing the car, and Mario's career took off as he won 20 races in the sportsman stock car class in 1959 and 1960.

Today, Andretti serves as a spokesman for The Magnaflow Group, which made his PRI Show appearance possible. Occasionally, he can still be found driving a two-seater Indy car around a track that allows a passenger to experience the thrill of open-wheel racing. He stays involved with personal business ventures, including his Andretti Winery in Napa, California.

Andretti will join Speed Sport's Ralph Sheheen on stage at the Grand Opening Breakfast on the opening day of the PRI Show on Thursday, December 11. Doors to the Sagamore Ballroom, upstairs in the Indiana Convention Center, will open at 6:30 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:30 a.m. For more information, visit performanceracing.com.

PRI: You won races in so many disciplines: Formula 1, IndyCar, USAC dirt cars, Pikes Peak, stock cars, road racing, and even drag racing. To what do you attribute that versatility?

Andretti: I attribute it to my pure love of driving. That's saying it lightly. I didn't just love driving. I was totally possessed. Never wanting to quit. My objective when I was starting out at age 21 was to establish myself and be exposed enough to earn a ride in stock cars. After that, midgets. Then sprint cars. Then Indy cars. Then Formula 1. I never wanted to stay where I was. Every category was on my mind. It was just pure desire.

PRI: You remain the only driver in racing history to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and Formula 1 World Championship. What are the different skills needed behind the wheel of a NASCAR vehicle compared to an F1 car?

Andretti: The skillset of the driver is basically the same, but the car is different. Each racing car has its own characteristics, including performance limits. The driver has to be able to understand and adapt to those characteristics to get the maximum performance out of each car. It's all about adapting. Most F1 or IndyCar drivers would tend to overdrive a stock car because that car is heavier and slower to respond. It's the job of the driver to understand the car. A driver must be skilled enough to be able to get the most out of each car and identify its limits. Driving an F1 car is like flying a fighter aircraft, while driving a stock car is like flying a bomber.

PRI: You have earned numerous accolades over the last several decades. Are there a few that stand out to you as most prestigious?

Andretti: I am humbled to have received so many accolades. My journey in racing can be credited to the contributions of...

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