Mario Andretti Quotes

I had no problems staying motivated because things that were happening were things I looked forward to.

Love what you do. Believe in your instincts. And you'd better be able to pick yourself up and brush yourself off every day.

Nobody is born with a steering wheel or a gear shift in his hand. It's something you choose to do or you don't.

A goal isn’t something you just arrive at and stop. You have to stay curious and hungry and foolish...

Desire is the key to motivation.

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

What is golden is miles under your belt, miles, miles, miles.

I count my blessings every day, quite honestly, because I take nothing for granted.

Speed is relative. You have to live it. You can't just jump into it. You have to live it all the time.

The man upstairs is pushing the buttons, and if your name happens to be on that button, well, thank you.

Every NASCAR driver watches Formula One in the morning; they are well informed.

I don't have many superstitions, just dumb things I don't talk about. I will not sign an autograph with a green pen.

Sometimes you have to bring back only the steering wheel so the car owner will know that you're giving it all you have.

Motor racing is like one big family, ultimately, and when you come back to it, that's really what it feels like.

Anybody who can drive and doesn't come out of it a rich man is a fool.

When a car's ahead of you, as long as you can see it, you get a tow, just like the draft in NASCAR. Even if it's a long ways down the track, it punches a hole in the air that has to help. When you're running alone, you can feel the difference, and it shows on the clock, too.

My last race was at Le Mans in 2000, my first race was in 1959, so I dodged a lot of bullets along the way, I can tell you that.

What I learned is that in business you must make decisions based on facts, not react with your heart.

Young drivers are supposed to be hard on equipment. That's how you learn.

I don't have any feeling of accomplishment about anything unless there's a lot of risk to it.

I will always enter a race car from the left side. Always. Why? I have no idea.

The only thing that happens if you wait, is that you get older.

In racing, there is no question who is best - the first one to cross the finish line wins first prize. But with wine, even if you make the best wine in the world, someone isn't going to like it, because it isn't their style. Judging wine is very subjective.

My biggest concern during a race is getting bored. The biggest thing I have to combat is falling asleep while going around and around.

Do it no matter what. If you believe in it, it is something very honorable. If somebody around you or your family does not understand it, then that's their problem. But if you do have a passion, an honest passion, just do it.

It takes a lifetime to build tradition.

Speed takes a little bit of getting used to, but rules have to be followed. At any speed, the more you run, the more you get used to it.

If you're so afraid of failure, you will never succeed. You have to take chances.

You do a period of go-karting until you're at the age of qualifying for a ride in a 'school-kart,' then you qualify for driving school. And several of the driving schools have a competition series for their own students.

You can't take a vacation from speed. I probably could have taken more time off and not driven in all the different disciplines, but I wanted to drive, drive and drive.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.

There's something special about racing in real streets. The 'artificial' circuits have a certain sameness to them. But every race conducted on real streets has a character of its own - Barcelona, Monaco, and now Long Beach.

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

I look at myself as the luckiest man alive.

Whenever you're aggressive, you're at the edge of mistakes.

The United States is the only country where a driver can have a successful career - either in stock cars or IndyCar - and he won't need a passport.

I go to bed is around 11, and I do that for every race. I get good sleep. I don't lie awake for any race. That's my routine.

But really - look at the span of my career, and it's something people dream about. And to be spared major injury: I had some moments along the way, but being able to retire on my own terms after having driven during those decades when safety conditions were more precarious than today - am I lucky, or  what?

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough.

The passport changes but the blood doesn't

Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.

Tom Carnegie will never be replaced.

It is amazing how many drivers, even at the Formula One Level, think that the brakes are for slowing the car down.

I lived the true American dream, because I was able to pursue what I set as my goals at a very young age.

I never personally name anyone. I am not comfortable rating other drivers.

Unfortunately, we don't educate drivers enough to be respectful on the road.

You do the best you can with what's thrown at you, then you try again.

For every negative, there's a positive. It's in everything. How you deal with life, outlook, how much energy you put into achieving something. That's why I detest entitlement. Anything that's worthwhile is going to call for some sacrifice. Nothing worthwhile will come to you without a price. People think in sports, you have different rules. You really don't. It's whatever motivates you.