(Photo: Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
By Aaron Bearden

Marco Andretti entered this year’s pandemic-delayed Indianapolis 500 festivities in the midst of possibly the worst stretch of his 15-year NTT IndyCar Series career. 

Third in the line of a legendary Andretti lineage after his all-time great grandfather Mario and 42-time race winning dad Michael, Marco was thrown into the series with high expectations when he made his debut in 2006. He quickly lived up to expectation, coming inches away from a win on debut in Indianapolis and later scoring his debut triumph at Sonoma Raceway. 

That might have been the peak of the Pennsylvanian’s career. In the ensuing 13 seasons and change he’s won just one time, with 18 podiums and five poles in 226 starts. Things have grown increasingly dire for the 33-year-old of late, with a single pole in Detroit and 42 laps led his only notable takeaways from the past four years before 2020. 

He arrived at the new-look Month of August following his worst stretch of results yet, with two DNFs and an average finish of 18.2 in the opening six races of the 2020 season. Those finishes came months after a dreadful 2019 Indy 500 that he described as “the worst race of my career.” 

There was ample reason for Andretti to have low expectations entering this year’s Indy festivities. But Indianapolis has a way of looking beyond the standard storylines of a season or even career. 

Drivers have often talked of Indy choosing its winner. Through the first week of this year’s running, it’s chosen Andretti. 

Topping Fast Friday practice gave Andretti a small media boost. Leading the first day of qualifications in an Andretti Autosport 1-2-3-4 result showed genuine promise for pace. But when Scott Dixon laid down a flyer and Marco’s three Andretti teammates failed to crack the front row in Fast Nine pole qualifying, the Nazareth native seemed poised for another letdown. 

This time failure wasn’t meant to be. Sizable Midwestern winds couldn’t deter Andretti, and he entered the final lap of his four-lap run in position to challenge Dixon for the top spot. 

He streaked by the checkered flag and the scoring pylon updated – with a 231.068 mph average, Andretti had topped Dixon by just .017 mph. 

For the first time since 1987, an Andretti was on the pole for the Indy 500. 

Marco screamed in his race car, losing his voice in the process. Michael pumped his fist on pit road, proud as both an owner and father as his son pulled off a feat he never managed at the Brickyard. One of the No. 98 team’s mechanics looked to the ground, overcome with emotion. 

There’s a lot going wrong with the world right now, but for a few fleeting moments the IndyCar paddock felt a little more like the traditional Month of May, celebrating as an Andretti topped the charts in Indianapolis – fans outside of the speedway sharing their applause in unison with the various drivers. 

 

 

An emotional Andretti finally had reason to celebrate, garnering a moment of reprieve from what’s been an arduous past year behind the wheel and off the track that included the loss of his cousin and a former Indy 500 competitor in John Andretti.

That he earned it at Indianapolis made the moment all the more special. 

“We put so much into it,” Andretti said of his team. “This place means so much to us as a family. We’ve just been through so many ups and downs at this place. Obviously my cousin John (Andretti) is riding with me, my grandfather from home. We know family is pulling for us. We live and breathe this sport, this race in particular.

“I think coming off of how bad last year was for me in the race, it made this so much better. That’s what this place is all about, highs and lows, and it brings that out of you.” 

With the feel-good result out of the way, Andretti will have to set his sights on the race itself. He led the field once again in Sunday afternoon’s post-qualifying practice session. Only one final Carb Day practice separates the field from 500 miles and a drink of milk for one lucky driver. 

Andretti hopes he’ll be the one to partake, particularly with the pace his car has shown thus far. But he knows better than anyone not to get too far ahead of himself. 

“I was joking with dad,” he said. “I’m like, This is probably like my third legitimate shot as far as just outright pace in 15 years. When I lost the 500 in 2006, you saw me mad because I knew that it is possible that 15 years later I’m talking to you guys and I haven’t won one yet. That’s why I was so mad.

“It’s a tough place. Last year I had the worst race of my career. Here we are, we can win it. We’re going to take it one race at a time. The INDYCAR Series is so competitive. Drivers and the teams, everybody is so close. It’s easy to go from last to first if you just find that little bit.” 

So far his Andretti Autosport team has been able to find that little bit and lead the way.

Now Andretti just needs Indy to choose him one more time next Sunday. 

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Aaron Bearden Featured Indy 500 Marco Andretti NTT IndyCar Series