`Arrivederci, Mario' -- 31-Year Racing Career Reaches Finish Line Today In Monterey

Mario Andretti vowed earlier this year not to shed a tear about ending his IndyCar career.

Now that the final race is here - Sunday's Grand Prix of Monterey - Andretti's vow will get its toughest test.

"For sure, it will be emotional," said Andretti, 54. "All my life, I've always had the next race to look forward to. Even when I've had days when things didn't go my way, I could always say, `I've got another chance next week,' or `I've got another chance at this track next year.'

"Now I can't say that to myself anymore."

The end will come at Laguna Seca Raceway in California, where Andretti's Lola-Ford Cosworth will be placed at the front in pre-race ceremonies. His family - wife, Dee Ann; driving sons, Michael and Jeff; and daughter, Barbra Dee - is supposed to say, "Mario, start your engine."

Then Andretti will lead the field on the parade lap around the 2.214-mile road course. After the race, Andretti will be driven around the track in a Oldsmobile pace car painted Mario Andretti red for a few final waves.

Andretti will walk away with much after a 31-year IndyCar career:

-- His good health.

-- As the only driver to win major races in four decades.

-- Four IndyCar Series titles.

-- A series-record 7,587 laps led, 966 more than No. 2 A.J. Foyt.

-- Sixty-seven pole positions in 407 starts, both IndyCar records.

-- And 52 victories, the most recent last year at Phoenix, second to Foyt's 67.

Only two other drivers - Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell, Andretti's Newman-Haas Racing teammate - have won both IndyCar and Formula One titles.

Two weeks ago, retirement road led Andretti through his hometown, Nazareth, Pa., site of the Sept. 18 Bosch Grand Prix. "Arrivederci, Mario" signs and other such terms of endearment hung at most businesses.

"Luckily, even the bank has got one," Andretti said, "so I'm still in good standing there; I don't know if they realize I'll be out of a job in a few weeks."

More likely, the bank realizes that the town's favorite son has banked more than $11 million in prize money since winning $9,310 for 10 starts in 1964.

Not bad for one with origins that don't come much more humble. His family was uprooted from its northeastern Italy farm by World War II and placed in a Lucca, Italy, displaced-persons camp for seven years. Andretti's great-aunt and uncle, who had arrived in an earlier wave of European immigrants, sponsored the 1955 entry of Mario's family to America.

He and his twin brother, Aldo, learned cars and English working at their Uncle Lewis Messenlehner's gas station as 15-year-olds. They first learned speed from their uncle's Buick, which would approach 100 mph under Messenlehner's heavy foot.

The rest is racing history. And it might not exactly be over; Andretti says he might give sports-car endurance racing a go next year.

"People keep asking me about my plans for the future," he said. "Right now, I have no specific plans. It's been very important to me this year to stay focused on the job at hand, which is driving the car. I think we've been able to keep things fairly well-organized, so I've been able to do that."

Entering Monterey, where Andretti has won a record three poles, he is 13th in series points. In 15 starts, his best finish this year is third, in the season-opening event at Australia. He has five Top 10 finishes.

A high finishing touch today would be special, Andretti said. But still being around for his big finish would be nearly as nice.

"I just hope we can have a good day," he said. "For sure, it would be great to make the podium," meaning a top-three finish. "Believe me, I would love to be running at the finish.

"I want to be on the track for the checkered flag."