Mario Andretti selected for IndyCar Road Racing trophy

Mario Andretti

IZOD IndyCar fans have selected racing icon Mario Andretti as IndyCar road racing legend to be honored by the series.

In his book, "What's It Like Out There," Mario Andretti relays that as youngsters he and his brother, Aldo, were hired to park cars at a garage in Nazareth, Pa.

"The first time I fired up a car, felt the engine shudder and the wheel come to life in my hands, I was hooked," he writes. "It was a feeling I can't describe. I still get it every time I get into a race car."

Andretti, who turned 70 in February, was one of the most successful Indy car drivers with 52 victories – second to A.J. Foyt on the all-time list– and a record 67 pole positions. He earned four Indy car titles in his career and won the Indianapolis 500 in 1969.

Andretti remains active in motorsports through public appearances and following the career of his grandson, Marco, in the IZOD IndyCar Series. His popularity hasn't waned in more than four decades.

"Every day we have fan mail from all parts of the world," he said. "It's truly interesting that it continues."

Now fans have selected Andretti as the honoree for the IZOD IndyCar Series Road Championship trophy with 44 percent of the vote through a poll on indycar.com, the official website of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Alex Zanardi was second with 25 percent of the vote. Other nominees were: Dan Gurney (12 percent), Al Unser Jr. (10 percent) and Mark Donohue (8 percent).

Andretti will present the trophy to the driver with the most points through the nine road/street course events on the schedule following the Infineon Raceway event weekend Aug. 21-22. Team Penske's Will Power leads the standings heading into the Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen on July 4.

“I was full of pride when I learned the road racing trophy would bear my name and that it was determined by a fan vote," said Andretti, who won Indy car series races in four different decades. “It’s the ultimate compliment years after I retired, to have the fans remember me this way. That’s the really great thing about fans. They keep you humble and grounded. They let you know when you mess up, and applaud your successes. And if you’re fortunate along the way, you make a lot of friends for life."

Among his 23 road course victories were wins at Indianapolis Raceway Park (4), Mont Tremblant (4), Long Beach (3), Road America (3) Portland (2), Riverside (1), Cleveland (1), The Meadowlands (1) Caesars Palace (1) and Mid-Ohio (1).

“Throughout my career, there was a thrill in knowing and feeling that fans were connecting with me," said Andretti, who also won the Formula 1 title and Daytona 500 in his storied racing career. “They certainly knew that road racing was my passion since the 60s. I am honored to have this trophy in my name and cherish the opportunity that it gives me to have a lasting bond with this series. I am genuinely appreciative of all the fans who continue to acknowledge my part in racing history every day. In the future, I will certainly enjoy watching young drivers in pursuit of this trophy."

A.J. Foyt was selected as the honoree for the oval championship by the vote of the fans.

The racing career of Mario Andretti — in detail