Thanks KPY for setting me straight about JV, however I still suspect he's in it for the dosh rather than the thrill.
I admit to not being a fan of JV though, I've always seen him as a spoiled brat.
Regarding Mario, probably the most versatile racing driver to have ever lived. I remember years where I'd see him racing sprint cars at Eldora one night, then a couple of weeks later see him racing a champ car at Indy, then a month see him in a F5000 car at Mid-Ohio. The guy could drive anything and win. Blindingly quick on any type of circuit, in any kind of weather, he was a super aggressive overtaker and fearless in lapped traffic.
His lone Indy 500 win in '69 is pitiful reward for some of the dominating drives he put in there, I saw his 1987 drive at Indy where he was absolutely in a class of his own, only to be let down by fuel pump failure in the closing laps. Most remember his F1 glory days as the high point of his career, he recalls the 1970 Sebring 12 Hours as his finest win. Agree about his boys, and grandson. Too much of a silver spoon in the mouth attitude. I remember very vividly our family sitting next to Dee Ann Andretti (Mario's wife) in the Tower Terrace at Indy during the first day of qualifications for the 500 in 1973, when they announced the death of Art Pollard, who had crashed during morning warmup, there wasn't a shred of emotion from her, while the crowd went silent she continued her conversation with a friend sitting next to her as if nothing happened. She seemed to become very hardened by her years around the sport.
Fax
