The Andretti Family Curse Explained

It probably isn't much of a surprise that the press has really latched onto this whole deal with a curse. After all, it really does make for quite the story, doesn't it?

The Andretti family doesn't quite agree, though. In fact, Mario Andretti has been pretty vocal about it; in an article by IndyStar, while he does acknowledge that there's been some pretty ridiculously bad luck, he refuses to actually refer to the "curse" that's been built up by the media, saying, "I will never endorse the idea of a curse. Actually, I want to put that away forever." It's clear enough that he'd like to debunk this entire thing and just move on. Beyond that, though, he also has made it known that, rather than resenting Indianapolis or the race or the poor luck, he sees things in the opposite way: "Indy has always been a blessing for me and my family ... It's a tough place and, sure, it's been disappointing many times, but we love it" (via Racer).

Mario's grandson, Marco Andretti, has also weighed in on the topic. Speaking to For the Win, he explained that the family will play things up just a little because they know the media loves drama, but really, they would rather count their blessings than bemoan their misfortunes. IndyCar is a dangerous sport, after all, so the fact that they've all been safe for so many years? How could anyone call that bad luck?

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