INDIANAPOLIS - Andretti is one of the most well-known and well-respected names in open-wheel racing. Unfortunately for the family, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has not treated them with much generosity.
Ever since Mario Andretti won the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in 1969, Mario, his son Michael and Michael's son Marco have all been snake-bitten at the Brickyard. And Sunday's race may have been the most excruciating of all.
Marco Andretti took the lead from his father on lap 197, only two laps separating Marco and victory. Had Sam Hornish Jr. not passed Marco Andretti right before the finish line, he would've been the youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500 at 19 years old. Young Marco Andretti said the only thing he could have done to prevent Hornish from passing him was to crash the both of them.
"When I passed [Michael Andretti], I was hoping Bryan [Herta] was behind Dad and the race was over," Marco Andretti said. "We spoke about it before that it would be a fairy tale if the two of us were coming down to try to win this race."
If anyone knows about Indianapolis 500 heartbreak, it's Michael Andretti. In back-to-back years, Michael was the leader of the race with 13 or fewer laps to go and failed to win either time.
In 1991, Michael Andretti led 97 laps of the race, but Penske driver Rick Mears passed him with 13 laps to go, leading to a second place finish for Michael.
The following year, Michael led 160 laps at the Brickyard and was 11 laps from victory before bad fuel pressure forced him out of the race.
Mario Andretti had his share of misfortune as well. In 1987, Mario led 170 laps of the race and was in the process of lapping the entire field a second time before his car went dead with a bad ignition 20 laps from the finish.
Even with the previous misfortune, the fairy tale almost happened this year. When Felipe Giaffone brought out the yellow flag on lap 190 with suspension damage, it brought Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti to the pits. They were running 1-2 at the time. Michael Andretti, running third, said the yellow flag was the last thing he wanted to see since Kanaan and Franchitti were going to have to pit sometime before the end.
"If that yellow didn't come out, we win the race," Michael Andretti said. "It's as simple as that. I knew it was going to be a shoot out, and we didn't have the speed for that. I think if it would've been three laps to go it would've been a little bit different story."
Before the Giaffone wreck, the Andretti Green Racing Team held the top four spots on the leaderboard. Michael Andretti finished third behind Marco, while Kanaan and Franchitti finished fifth and seventh respectively.
But for now, Andretti Green co-owner Michael Andretti is forced to think about what might have been for his son.
"I think in another couple days he'll sit back and say 'Oh wow'," said Michael Andretti, who has led the most laps (430) at the Indianapolis 500 without having won it. "Whoever thought it would have come down to that. I literally put my hand in the air thinking he won the race. In a few days we'll get over the disappointment of our loss. It was a storybook finish. People are going to remember that more than Hornish winning the race."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
