PodCrash with Matt Ebert
PodCrash with Matt Ebert
Mario Andretti on Why Mediocrity Kills Great Teams
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So even though we uh we always have the introduction, Mario, I feel like you don't really need an introduction, so you're you're pretty well known. So thanks for taking the time today for sure. My pleasure, Matt. You know, I was kind of looking for the stat, did and I thought I saw an interview where you talked about you you did over 900 races, is that right? Something like that, yeah. And you know how many you won of the 900? 111. That's a lot. That's awesome. I think you're still the only one to have won the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, and F1, right? That's one thing that nobody's come close to touching. But it seems drivers are more focused today, uh, or is that just my perception where to do the variety of racing, it is that still out there where drivers would do as big a variety of racing as you did?
SPEAKER_01Well, it's a personal thing, quite honestly, Matt. I mean, uh I uh that some drivers, like uh uh well, Carl Arson in NASCAR. You know, he's doing a lot of uh midget racing, sprint cars, some of the dirt and so forth, and and yet the full NASCAR schedule. Would he have to do that? No. Probably ask his wife. He said, Why don't you stay home sometime? And that's the way it was with me. Did I have to do all that? No. Uh you always have a main effort going for the season and the championship, and then if you feel like you should be filling time in between, that's your prerogative, and that's what it was with me. In fact, many of my contracts prohibited me from doing that. But all I could say, okay, assume that. You know what I mean? I just did it anyway. I give you, for instance, I was uh the year that I won the World Championship. I'm in uh in Silverstone, England, testing on a Wednesday. And uh we had no Formula One race that weekend. So Colin Chapman says, Mario, are you staying over in Europe or are you going back? I said, No, I'm going back. I'm racing this weekend uh for Roger Penske. And Colin says, Mario, you can't do that. I said, I know Will. You know, so that basically what it was. So um uh, and again, this is what satisfied me. I mean, I was um pretty much uh delving into all the majors uh of our sport. Okay, you know, while I was doing uh whatever discipline I was was my main effort. And uh just like when I was doing IndyCars uh for the championship, I was still I was doing some Formula One. I went Formula One races on a part-time basis, you know, like when I was just doing it part-time. So I could never get enough of uh the driving. Uh and uh I derived tremendous satisfaction out of going to a different high-level discipline and uh where I'm not particularly uh a specialist and see how I would do. And uh the ultimate satisfaction was to win there, which I did.
SPEAKER_00Is there a particular um did you like one style of racing over the other? I know you don't you don't ever call out like which tracks were your favorite or anything, but is there did you like open wheel better than NASCAR, so to speak?
SPEAKER_01Or yeah, yeah, yeah. It might actually, no question that uh my favorite was uh open wheel, single seater. Okay, because uh it's the purest form of the sport. Uh and um and again, it's usually the fastest, the one that requires the most precision in driving and so on and so forth. And again, that was always my choice, number one choice, yes.
SPEAKER_00So for those that might not know, like racing was it for you your whole whole life, I believe, right? You didn't never you started as a kid and never ever thought of doing anything else, is that right?
SPEAKER_01Matt, I never had a plan B. Ever. Uh in fact, uh, you know, my plan started basically, I could tell you at age 14, when I witnessed my first Grand Prix while still living in Italy uh in Monza, my idol was Alberto Scottti. Uh at that time was uh current world champion. And after seeing that uh firsthand, after you know, reading all the papers and you know following in that way, uh that was my impossible dream began. But again, I never had a plan B. And uh unfortunately when we came to America, that's when uh the opportunity opened up for me. I don't think it would have ever happened otherwise. And uh and because of that, I feel always say that uh I'm basically I can say I'm a perfect example of what the American dream is all about.
SPEAKER_00That's amazing. This is maybe an odd question to ask, but what do you think made you made you so good? Do you do you got a feel for the car better than than say if I well you have probably have all these skills better than I would have, but do you see the openings quicker than others? Do you feel the car better? Are you more aggressive than most? Like what makes a great driver?
SPEAKER_01I I just I don't know really how to qualify that, quite honestly. I know one thing that I was driven by passion like no other and love for what I was doing. Uh that the tremendous passion to do what I was doing and uh grateful for those opportunities. And uh and I again I was fortunate enough that that taste of victory early in my career and whatever I was driving. In fact, I won the very first race, professional race that I was in. That's a big confidence boost, huh?
SPEAKER_00That's great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's what I mean. It is, you know, you you you don't know until you until it happens, if it does. And when it happens, you feel, you know what, maybe I do belong here. And it gives you tremendous boosts of confidence that uh and then once you start getting a f you know, get a feel of that, then then it's only winning that really satisfies you, you know. So uh nothing can take the place for it. And that's what you go for. And sometimes you overdo it. I could take a couple of races back, you know, where I force the situation a bit a little bit more, more than I should have at the beginning, especially. But looking back and analyzing my career, and I I never even when I uh try to reassess situations, I said I cannot change my style. Because it it for the most part it's working. So I was aggressive, yeah. And uh sometimes, as I said, to my fault, but uh it also paid off.
SPEAKER_00I I'm a big fan of your style, by the way, because uh you know we grew we grew my company really fast and we continue to want to do it really fast. And so your quote of you know, if everything's under control, you're not going fast enough. I I use that regularly with my team, by the way.
SPEAKER_01Well, it does apply. It does apply, you know, not just uh in sports, but it applies, as you say, in the business or anywhere where you're facing competition. And again, you just leave nothing on the table, you know. So that's really that's the way that came about. It was it was uh after I was asked a question from uh the author of uh one of my one of the books that I was doing. Okay.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna say, is that where that question is that where that quote first came from?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's where that quote came came out.
SPEAKER_00Never any fear, Mario. The speed never never scared you. And I mean, going back for all the years that you raced, like it was dangerous too. Like I feel like like everything, it's probably gotten safer now, but the fear never got to you, huh?
SPEAKER_01Well, here's the thing. Uh uh I I just did not dwell on the negative. And the negative was exactly that. I lost uh most of my closest friends in the sport. Um, I mean, uh my own brother uh suffered f from that, you know, from accidents where he never really was able to complete his uh his career and so on and so forth. So I had plenty of examples, you know, if I wanted to dwell on that negative. Um I've been asked many times, how can you continue? Well, I have to go on. And uh and that's it. You know, I just put my hands, myself in the hands of the man upstairs, and I said, please help me if you can. And uh I think uh there were a couple of events throughout my career that uh uh something, a force beyond me that saved me. So I'm a believer. And uh somehow uh I've been spared. I feel blessed for that for sure. You know, but uh, you know, going back to uh yeah, the the sport was uh pretty cruel, you know, in in the decades where I was active, like in the 60s and 70s, 80s, even, you know, and today I think uh you know finally we reached a point where it's as safe as it's ever been, uh, which is a good thing. And I think it uh it bows bows well for the sport for the future. And today's drivers have the best opportunity ever to retire on their old terms, you know, which is uh again, it's a plus. And uh, but again, I uh I know that uh I've been very blessed and very fortunate throughout my career to survive uh, you know, after doing you know as many races as I did in my life.
SPEAKER_00Now, were you just as risky with everything in life or just with with racing? Like did you go jump out of planes on your days off and stuff too? Or did that show up anywhere else?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, yeah, I did actually uh I did uh uh jump out of a plane once, only did it once because uh I had I was had an instructor behind me and I thought, oh, this is easy. I could do it on my own, I could do a solo. Then I figure I I got talked out of that one, which I am glad.
SPEAKER_00I did it once with somebody strapped to me too, and I didn't question it once until the person in front of me jumped out of the plane and I saw him shoot, you know, I envisioned it going kind of out, and it doesn't, it goes right right behind the plane. So um but it it's an adrenaline rush, which probably I'm guessing how how many years did you drive?
SPEAKER_01My career started in 1959, uh-huh. And my very last professional race was in 2000. So four decades.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, four decades. So you lived in a four-decade adrenaline rush, probably.
SPEAKER_01Basically, yes. And as a matter of fact, you know, what's interesting, Matt, is that uh when I finally came out of the cockpit altogether, actually uh it was in 1994, then I came out of the cockpit of an open-wheel car, you know, that you know, really the series. I still drove Lamont for three uh uh, you know, three other times, and uh I wanted the following year, you know, one class. But uh what it was is uh my my uh I was having some uh physical issues, like uh like all of a sudden uh for some reason I had uh uh some breathing issues and one thing or another, and and I was uh under the study of a professor in Philadelphia, and we couldn't figure it out. Then when I told him about my life, he said, Oh, I said, the only thing I can see, you've been living with adrenaline for your entire adult life, and now that's not happening and your body thinks you're dead. And so you're just uh it's gonna have to readjust. And it took a couple three years to readjust, but as soon as then I got back in on a one-off in the race car one time, and I was right, like I did a test at Indianapolis, uh, you know, for my son, actually, uh, even later than that. And once I was in the car, uh almost felt, oh, this is my rodeo, you know, everything just was coming back. So I realized that's what it was, but it took quite some time, a few years, for my body to really totally readjust to that, to that, to that different life.
SPEAKER_00You actually got physically ill from the transformation. Yeah, that's pretty crazy. But I imagine that's just like even say in the business world, somebody who retires and then it's maybe not adrenaline, but the stress level comes off. It's probably like a big transformation for for a person's body in that kind of position as well, I imagine.
SPEAKER_01Well, like I said, it I know it happened to me and it was strange as could be. You know, I figured what in the world you know is happening to me, and then and but then it all started uh making sense.
SPEAKER_00In business for us, it's so dependent upon the quantity and quality of our people. And you know, racing is uh uh considered a team sport too. Um for you, how did how did you look at kind of the team around you? Um it seems like a silly question, but maybe I'm looking for details on like the concerted effort you made to put a great team around you, how'd you go about that?
SPEAKER_01This is an area that uh uh you have no idea how important that is for just like any business to surround yourself with the best people possible, uh not the Jack-O-Ball trades. I mean, there's gotta be if each person in whatever area they're totally specialized in that particular uh routine or particular need. Uh and uh the sport uh is so demanding in that respect, just like I said, any sophisticated business. Um and uh and I I use the same formula in businesses that uh actually very uh successful businesses that I've been part of. And uh uh to use that formula uh just uh reward and pay attention to to the individuals that actually really contribute and uh give a chance, give an opportunity to uh advance uh in the company and uh promote from within a lot of these things that I think uh are very valuable, uh main mainly because uh that's what people are looking for. The people with ambition, that's what they're looking for, you know, to better themselves, have that opportunity, and not to be overlooked. And uh we use the same formula. I remember, you know, just one of the petroleum companies that we had that uh our uh actually our managing partner, you know, he whenever we did some something good happen, you know, he came to me and said, Mario, we just won another race, type of thing. And and and uh and again, it's uh sport and in life, it's all about trying to do the best you can. And uh and there's a lot of pride involved. If you don't have any pride, then uh obviously you're not gonna be accomplishing very much. Um, you know, I uh I'm one that uh I detest mediocrity because it's so uh it's it's easy and it it's full of excuses. Um like I said, uh you work hard and uh you look to be rewarded, and and that's you know, if uh and when those rewards come that keeps you going, you want more, and I call that ambition. There's nothing wrong with that. And and uh that's that's really what drove me my entire life, it still drives me today.
SPEAKER_00So I I love that phrase you just used to test mediocrity. How did you get that across? Did you have to did you have to fire a lot of people? Did you have to scream at a lot of people, or or was it a culture? How did you go about a culture?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Matt, the people that don't fit your mold, you just uh, you know, I think you better go look, you know, uh and find somebody else, type of thing. You know, it's just uh uh unfortunately, you know, you know, don't always find exactly the quality that you want, but in general, uh that's really uh what's essential to be successful. Uh you've got to have a team that really has the same basic ambition as you do. You know, you're trying to be a leader, so to speak, you know, just like uh quarterback, you know. If uh the receivers and the team around you don't really want to play for you, they don't like you, uh you're gonna look pretty bad as well. So uh everybody has to come in and and and pull in the same direction. Uh so again, the formula is is simple. There's one formula, and that's it. That's sport and business.
SPEAKER_00At that level, the skill level has to be pretty dialed in. So I'm just wondering like sometimes we'll be in a situation where you're you're you're a little bit burdened with your options. So you got you're not you're not trying to pick the person that sucks, but you got the choice of A and B, and neither are that great. Is is there an enough people in the sport lined up to take those jobs that you can afford to be picky because there's a lot of people standing in line? Is that how it is?
SPEAKER_01Well, not always. You know, it's I think uh you'd like to have that opportunity or or that option, but uh uh it's you know, it's like anything else. You know, sometimes you have to be patient. And uh, but uh if you're not happy, not satisfied with what is whoever is around you, you've got to make the change. You've got to make the change. And I've seen uh I mean I've seen this even recently, you know, within our teams, you know, just uh you get that key person involved the the person, you know, to replace the key person and all of a sudden things change for the better immediately. And so again, you don't you you can't just remain satisfied just because someone you think is um underperforming or not really getting the joke, you know, to put up with it because it's uh it's a nice person or whatever. Uh you have to be realistic. You know what? Uh I gotta look after the company and the rest of it, the rest of everyone, and uh make them move some like I said, depending uh on the situation, sometimes it's uh it's heart-wrenching. It's uh it's not an easy decision, but you have to make it if you really want to go forward and prosper the way you need to prosper.
SPEAKER_00Could a lesser driver win if he had a better team?
SPEAKER_01Well, it uh sometimes uh yes, sometimes uh uh the the good equipment can make up for some lack of talent, I suppose. Uh it goes the other way as well. You know, sometimes some drivers can uh pull out of the car maybe what's uh more than what is really there. You know, it goes both ways. But uh the bottom line is uh the driver, no matter how good you are, uh you're never gonna get the results unless you have the the equipment that's actually capable to give them to you. Uh so you cannot perform miracles there. So bottom line is you need team, team, team with a capital T.
SPEAKER_00It's just like kind of any anything. You know, uh uh in business, I always look at it like a great team can accomplish way more than the best individual always. So, you know, in it's great to see uh, you know, it applies more more universally. Um how about rivalries? Um, like there's some that I even I know like I assume like AJ Foyt was a big rival at rivalry for you, and maybe the uh the answers like did you hate your rivals when you were racing against them? Were you were you friends except on race day? How how did the competitiveness come up in you?
SPEAKER_01Well, depends on the personality, but I tell you what, uh Rivalries are good. I mean, that's uh, and there's always someone out there that's better than you. And the best way to really take advantage of that situation is to really force yourself and say, you know what, I gotta try to do that. I gotta try to match or even better that person. Uh, you gotta have that ambition. You know, there's nothing wrong with that. And uh again, that's the way I I looked at it as a young lad. You mentioned A.J. Foyt. When I uh came on the scene at the top level, A.J. Foyt was, you know, he's five years my senior, so he was already an established champion. And um, you know, even my team manager per se say to me, you know, Mario, just try to finish these races, you know, you're not gonna beat Floyd, you know, blah, blah, blah. And I said to myself, yeah, that's what I'm gonna try to beat. Exactly. That that's the top of the, you know, and uh, and when I finally uh did that, you know, I felt, you know what, I feel like I belong now. And then that's what you gotta go for. I mean, uh, and you that's what drives you to be better. There's always someone out there that's better than you. And uh so you never really want to sit back, oh yeah, now I got this. Oh yeah, I now I know everything. No, I think even from a learning standpoint, I felt that I was still learning to my very last race of my career. There's always something out there you might have missed, and keep your mind open. There's always something you can do better. You never say, oh, now I got everything. Now I really reached the ultimate, and I can't be any no, no, no. You know, you can always do better, be better, learn even from the young, the young talents or whatever. Always keep a in an open mind to learn more, you know, it because there's always something more out there that you might have missed.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, if you get complacent, the winning stops, I'm sure. I'm sure of it. That's what I've experienced. No complacency. You know, you mentioned Lamont. Is that a different type of a like that's a big endurance one compared to that's a different type of race, right? Do you you go about that completely?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it's very uh there. You have uh yeah, you have teammates and so forth, you know, and uh here again you're just sharing uh you know the the the experience and uh but I've been very fortunate. I I won uh a lot of long distance races. Uh one Sibriya Twelve Hour three times. So in Daytone, I won. I won quite a few uh uh long-distance races, sports car races with uh, you know, I drove for great uh teams. Uh Ferrari, I drove for Alframeo, uh, one with that, and uh I drove for Porsche. Uh so uh I was always, I'd say all the time with teams that were capable and to give uh results and uh had good teammates. So um I derive a lot of satisfaction out of that side too.
SPEAKER_00Is there a win that you're more proud of is there one that eluded you for a long time or that was harder to get than another? Is there a win that you're most proud of?
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, there's always one. I wanted to uh to win Monaco really badly, and uh and like in 77 I was leading the race and I had the race in my hand, and uh and we had something really weird happen. Uh like uh oil pressure was mechanical at that time. It was not uh electric, if you will, on the gauge. And there was actually a oil line going to the oil pressure gauge, and that on the dash, and somehow that had not been tight, it was loose, and and all of a sudden I got sprayed with oil all over my face, you know, hot oil during the race, took me out. I've never seen a something like that. You always see it in the movies, and uh, you know, things like that. But Monaco, I really wanted and to do it because I knew I could, uh, and uh and it never happened. So if there's one that uh I really feel that uh I uh I I missed was that sounds like the one that got away.
SPEAKER_00One that got away. I'm super excited to to see you involved in entering uh F1. Maybe before I get to that though, for a while you were driving around the the two-seater Honda in the indie series, right? With uh Yeah, yeah, I did that. Don't do that anymore, right? But you did that for a good while.
SPEAKER_01I did that for a few years, yeah. I enjoyed that very much, actually. Um just just to give that experience. Um yeah, and uh gave me um a lot of reason to go to the races, too, you know, to make most of the races, even though we had our own team. Um my my son had his own team going, but um, yeah, I mean it's um it was a good stint for me.
SPEAKER_00Uh how did that work? Was there a big long waiting list of people wanting to ride with you? How did they get selected?
SPEAKER_01Well, I don't know. I mean, it's uh I just all I did it drove, and whoever was behind me, I just uh hoped that I gave him a good experience. Uh I got I used to get a lot of good feedback and so forth from people that uh were doing that with me. So it was very satisfying.
SPEAKER_00I would have I would ask if we could trade seats, and you would have told me no way. But uh you didn't give more anybody a scare more than another, huh?
SPEAKER_01Uh no, might have been some close ones here and there, but uh we were all right.
SPEAKER_00So um the team in the F1 um can't be an easy thing to accomplish either. Like when did that from kind of idea or dream to did this take some years to get done? Maybe talk talk me through some of that story if you could.
SPEAKER_01I'll I'll clarify this one. Uh it was basically I never had a real ambition to uh to uh to field a team. The driving, driving was just my only and ultimate passion. Okay. But my son Michael had he he he came out of the cockpit, still a winner as a driver, and uh, and he felt that uh there was a lot more life uh in the sport to be on the ownership side, and he was very successful. He won out or several championships uh for other drivers and also he won indie five times uh with the drivers. And uh he was very, like I said, very, very uh ambitious in every way and being in all the different disciplines. And uh it was his idea to get involved and and uh pursue a Formula One venture. And uh that's how this whole thing started. And he uh because of my some of my connections there, obviously it uh was invited to be part of it, you know, to to to to try to uh to help if I could, you know, and uh and it was uh again, it was just another one of those things that took a while to measure up or uh satisfy um uh the the the commercial side and that and the and the technical side of uh of the sport, you know, to be able to accept you and uh and finally it it all happened. And we brought uh uh Cadillac uh is uh you know the US's largest manufacturer for the first time in history to be officially in in Formula One. And uh so I like to think that uh it's a good thing for the sport. Everybody thinks so, and it is to have uh manufactur another manufacturer involved. Um, you have right now you have Ford, you have Mercedes, you have uh Howdy, um, and now Cadillac uh and Honda. Uh so uh yeah, it's it's uh uh right now, again, it's the first season. Uh we have two races under our belt, and um and the team is functioning very well, right out of the gate, I think. Uh I think it's very respectful. Um everybody's dealing with uh that totally new package, uh, you know, as far as uh chassis and power unit, and um, and it's the power unit situation is very complicated, uh, and uh so not everybody has their arms around it uh totally. But again, it's uh it's uh it's gonna be a long term, it's a long-term commitment. So um, and uh we uh again uh we're just hoping to uh to even to try to even uh bring some more talents uh on the technical side or you know as as we go on to earn our way. But um I'm very happy the way the team looks right now, already right out of the gate. And uh, you know, just even from the first race to the second, we we have progressed uh very nicely. It's a big challenge, and that's it. We've been in li, you know, that's been our life, you know, to just um deal with challenges. Uh but um I think there's a lot of good things to to be looking forward to, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, big congratulations. Um excited to see it and watch it. They named that chassis after you.
SPEAKER_01That was quite a nice, a nice gesture, of course, uh to make me feel part of it to to to to some degree. And uh yeah, I was uh I was uh very pleasantly surprised about that one. Uh but that's that's what a team is all about, you know, try to be together and uh and everybody try to contribute uh in any way they can possibly can. But uh we have like I said, we I'm really happy uh with uh who we have at the helm of the situation of this of this, you know, uh running a team. And again, already shown that uh we belong there.
SPEAKER_00How competitive are you watching? Do you wear yourself out watching a race or or not so much?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, it's uh it's not my favorite thing, obviously. You know, you like to be in once you've been in it, you know that's anything else is uh is not the same. But uh but I derive still derive a lot of satisfaction out of watching young talents do their job and uh know what how they feel. So it's uh it's a different feeling, but it it it still still works.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. You know what I feel like there's some things that F1 has done. Popularity is is rising, right? What do you think they're getting getting right? Where uh there's other sports where it's going the other way, where popularity is is shrinking.
SPEAKER_01What do you think is what do you think they're doing right? That's an interesting question here, but uh I can see one thing that uh I think has really ignited the interest in the United States, especially, was that uh the series, the Drive to Survive series that uh uh was in place, you know, the last couple of years. And um, I mean somehow it just uh cultivated. Uh I don't know, just uh a younger set, maybe just me looking into it because they could see the uh inner workings of something like that, which is fascinating. And uh, but again, it exploded. And um uh especially here in these United States, I know that here in these United States, I don't think Formula One ever, ever enjoyed the popularity that it's enjoying today. And so that's a good, that's a wonderful thing. And let's face it, uh this is the only country on the planet that fields three Formula One races. Um and uh so that's huge. Uh and again, uh Formula One always say it's uh it's uh like the Olympics of uh of motorsports because of it, the international flavor, not only from the driver's standpoint, because even Indy car, in IndyCars you have uh drivers from uh probably another 10 countries in the world, you know, but um the fact that your Formula One race, each race happens uh in a different country, a different continent. That's the international flavor of it. So there's a lot of national pride that goes with it. I know that when I was flying the US flag, you know, anywhere I want a race, uh the when you're on the top of the podium, your national anthem is played. And uh there he goes, the national pride, just like in the Olympics, you see what I mean? And uh so there's something that uh it's a big force that's behind you in trying to really represent your country, you know, in the best possible way. And uh that would really work for me. I know that uh that that's total pride. That makes a lot of sense. I'm in Italy, I'm in Italy, and I got both. You know, I wanted to be from free, and I'm uh, you know, I'm a born Italian, but naturalized American, and uh and I've been actually invited uh to in Rome to the uh and and and uh the American you know government, they actually uh uh uh uh they gave me uh the the title of Commendatore in 2006. Why? Because uh they felt that I'm contributing to the relationship uh that the US has with Italy, but being in natural and in Italian, naturalized America and so on and so forth. So there's a good connection there and and all of that works, you know, for me in that respect. So um, yeah, yeah. Again, uh going back to what Formula One means, it's it's a lot of that. And uh and to have uh you know Cadillac uh you know along the way, once uh they uh supplied their own engines, uh I guarantee you that a lot of people, you know, will be paying a lot of attention to see how Cadillac does uh vis-a-vis the rest of the manufacturers in in the world at the top level of the sport.
SPEAKER_00Appreciate those your thoughts on it. I can definitely see the the pride in in your country, much like the Olympics brings, right? And then the drive to survive series, it seems to me like, and others might have probably commented on this, I don't know, but it makes the people real. It brings you closer to the like if you have a driver that you feel like you're rooting for, it it probably helps the sport a lot, or if you have a team that you feel like you know that team or understand that team, it probably drives a series like that helps you be able to do that, where sometimes the race itself doesn't. You know, um we're facing and I do a lot of work around trying to champion the opportunity that we have in in collision repair. I feel like uh all trades, like there's a shortage of people with interest in them. Um and it's interesting for the cars, like they've gotten so sophisticated today. It's not like I say it's not like the mechanics or the or the body technicians of old. They're just as likely to be holding a tablet today as they are um a wrench or a spray gun or something else. But trying to attract people um to the trades uh because for decades the you know the white-collar jobs have been promoted as where the real opportunity is in racing. Do you feel any of that? Or is there's always been and always will be a huge amount of interest in in the jobs that are necessary to put the team together? Or do like mechanics and racing is there an abundance of them, or do they feel the same thing that we do? A little bit of lack of interest from young people.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, uh let's put it this way. Uh, if you know the sport, the mechanics, the job of the mechanics, this is a brutal job. I mean, only love and passion will keep you there. Okay. And uh and and and I know that I just could embrace, I mean, and uh I so much um uh appreciation and love for for the guys that worked on my car to prepare them to to give me the best chance, you know, to to bring results. And when I did, the biggest satisfaction I always got to see the big smile on their face. We're all on a podium, we're all enjoying that, that even setting the fastest time on any given day, anything at all to just be at the top. And that's really what you know the human side of it is so powerful. And um, and like I said, it's um it's it's amazing. It's there's this pure passion that is that drives you doing something that it requires so much dedication and so much work to get done. But it seems like that doesn't seem to be an issue, like uh working, I I'll do whatever it takes, type of thing. And uh so again, yeah, yeah, you need just special individuals, highly specialized, special individuals that do their job. You don't find them every day, you don't find, you know, and because of the appreciation that friendships that created, I I stay in touch with mechanics, you know, that I've had 50 years ago, 50, 60 years ago. You know what I mean? It's it's a lifetime relationship that you built, believe it or not, over maybe even two or three years, you know, working together.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate your thoughts there. You know, and I I grew up in a time when uh I don't know if young people feel this way today, but I grew up in a time when cars were pretty cool. Like I couldn't wait to first of all get my first car, drive my first car, but also then open the hood or take the wheels off of it. And you know, I don't know. It seems like that got kind of lost a little bit in the world today.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, probably. Uh I think, yeah, I I would suspect that a little bit of the hands-on stuff uh doesn't happen. I remember that um first thing I would do to a car, whether it was uh new, old or new, just uh jack it up, go underneath, and put a a uh glass spec exhaust system on it. You know, things like that. I always change my own oil and and things like that, but uh you don't do that anymore, you know. So yeah, some of that uh is gone by the wayside.
SPEAKER_00So are you a big car collector outside of racing?
SPEAKER_01Um not not really. No, not really. Uh I never really worried about, I mean I had a concern about collecting cars, you know, as far as the road cars, because always wanted to have the latest and greatest. So uh the thing that's in the past uh didn't really uh I didn't care so much. Uh the only thing I have from the past is uh my uh uh the uh pace car, uh Indianapolis Pace Car 10169, that Camaro. It's uh, you know, that type of thing. But uh that was uh and yeah, the but um uh as far as the race cars, I could have had uh several race cars, even my world championship car just for the asking. But the only car that I have, uh a race car in my garage is the an Indy car, the uh the last one that I drove in 1994, Laguna Steka. And uh Paul Newman and Kara Haas, uh they were the owner. I said, uh I'd like to have that car. So they, you know, obviously let me have it. That's the only one I have. But um, yeah, yeah. Uh, you know, going back to collection cars, no, uh every car basically that I have in my garage is the latest. Latest and greatest.
SPEAKER_00All right. So by latest and greatest, do you mean the fastest? Or what what's it take to become your daily driver? Did you ever drive a minivan or what?
SPEAKER_01Well, I have that too, you know, and like an minivan, but uh but uh I I have a couple of sports guys. I love actually uh I'm a Corvette guy as well. You know, uh I stay up to date with the latest that they have to offer, and uh yeah, I treat myself.
SPEAKER_00Outside of a like a chauffeur, maybe in a different city, though, if you get in a car, are you driving? Does your wife Ever you ever sit in the passenger seat and have your wife drive? No, no. Oh, that's funny. Um anything outside of racing that you're really uh excited about these days? You said you never had a plan B. Did you ever, even after getting out of the cockpit, get interested in anything else?
SPEAKER_01We have some businesses uh that uh we're uh one in particular that we're very proud of. Uh it's uh called AIK, it's uh Andretti Carting and Games, uh, which we have facilities uh uh throughout the state, you know, different states. And uh it's really uh something we're very proud of. It's uh entertaining uh it's got uh uh latest and gravest in the uh go-karts, uh go-kart tracks like uh you know, at three three levels and track the facilities up to uh the one, the last one. We opened 90,000 square feet. It's got uh all sorts of games, it's got uh uh zip lines, it's got it everything that you want to do, even bowling, uh restaurants. We'll entertain the entire family. Uh, and uh you can have business meetings there, and so on and so forth. Uh uh so, you know, and like I said told you earlier, we apply the same basic uh model that we do uh running a team, you know, as far as uh the people involved uh running these uh these businesses and uh how we treat them uh and so forth.
SPEAKER_00And uh you just opened one in Chicago too, right?
SPEAKER_01Outside Chicago. Yeah, Schomberg.
SPEAKER_00So we'll have to check it out.
SPEAKER_01That's not far from it's his Schomburg, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I'll go and I'm gonna ask them what your fastest time was and see if I can beat it. Um we're all about championing people, and um we always close this podcast with a with a question. You know, if we were to ask you a person that you would want to champion right now, who who would just who would you talk about and why?
SPEAKER_01I thought about that, you know, and uh I saw that that question there. And uh uh I think I gotta say Colton Hertha mainly because uh what I'm putting myself in his shoes in a sense of uh what I would have done what he's doing. He's sacrificing his career here to some degree where he could he's uh right at the top of his uh of his game, and he's sacrificing uh to be able to uh to go out and and and pursue Formula One uh down the road, hopefully, hopefully even maybe next starting next year. But by doing so, he needs to uh to amass enough uh what they call super license points. Yeah. And the best way to do it, you know, I'd go into a Formula Two. So it basically it's a step back career-wise, but he's doing whatever it takes to try to actually satisfy his ultimate dream. And I see the quality in this young lad. I really see it. I see that it it uh can work. And uh with an American team here to have uh, you know, a fool's American driver at the moment, back in Formula One, I think it would be a good thing all around. And uh so that's that's the one that came to mind immediately for me.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's great. We'll have to watch and see how he progresses. You should have taught him how to do all kinds of racing all at the same time, like you did. Then he would could have already had that behind him.
SPEAKER_01No, he's done, he's done well. He's done the yeah, he uh he's done quite a bit, and he's done some sports guys. He's he's shown to be uh right at the top of his game, just about every everywhere that he's gone.
SPEAKER_00So well, he'll he'll come in a winner then. That's what'll happen. All right, thanks so much for your time. This has been a lot of fun for me. I really, really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01Well, Matt, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00I hope you enjoyed this conversation. If you want more podcast in your life, which of course you do, make sure to like, follow, and subscribe to us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Catch you next time.