#marioandretti #f1championship #f1history #f1legends
Mario Andretti, a record-setting racer of his era, achieved numerous awards and stood out as one of the most successful drivers of his time. However, in a tragic race, he saw death up close but miraculously survived! Let’s see how this clash or these clashes almost ended his career.
Mario Andretti was born in Montona, Istria, part of the Kingdom of Italy at the time, which is now Motovun, Croatia. After World War II, Istria became part of Yugoslavia under treaties like the Treaty of Paris in 1947 and the Treaty of Osimo in 1975. In 1948, like many other Istrian Italians, the Andretti family left during the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus. They first settled in a refugee camp in Lucca, Italy.
Andretti's father stayed in touch with his brother-in-law, who had been living in the U.S. for a long time. It took the family three years to get a U.S. visa. Initially, Alvise Andretti told the family they would move to the U.S. for five years and then return to Italy. Finally, in 1955, the Andretti family emigrated to the U.S., settling in Nazareth in eastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region. They arrived with just $125 to their name.
Andretti became a U.S. citizen in 1964. In 1965, he raced in stock car events organized by the United States Auto Club and finished twelfth in the season standings. He scored his first USAC Stock Car race win in 1967, placing seventh overall for the season.
