Italy honors racing legend Andretti with knighthood

	In more than three decades of racing there are few major championships Italy's newest knight, Mario Andretti hasn't won. AP

From the low banks of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway, to the twisting up-and-down street circuit in Monte Carlo, no race driver has epitomized the American dream like Mario Andretti.

In recognition of a lifetime of accomplishments, the country of birth, Italy, bestowed one its highest civilian honors, called the Commendatore Ordine all Merito della Repubblica Italiana on the 66-year-old Andretti Monday evening in New York.

The only other Italian-born racer to be so honored was Enzo Ferrari. "I knew Enzo (Andretti once drove for Ferrari)," Andretti said. "If anyone made this title famous it was him. ... it falls in the category of pride -- in my family and in my profession."

The United Kingdom has similarly knighted Stirling Moss, Jack Brahbam, John Surtees and Jackie Stewart. "I still think of Mario as Italian, although he's spent most of his life in the United States," said Sir Jackie, adding "Mario is one of the best racers I've competed against."

Andretti's accomplishments before he retired in 1994 fill the record books, with wins at the Indy 500 and Daytona 500, and championships in Formula One, Indy cars and IROC. He also has chalked up endurance sports car wins at Sebring and Daytona. If it had wheels, Andretti probably drove it to victory.

Three times, in different decades, the media voted him Driver of the Year, and in 2000 he was named Driver of the Century in an Associated Press poll. He's been invited to the White House, was on a Presidential delegation to the closing of this year's winter Olympics and was the voice of a 1967 Ford Fairlane in the hit animated movie Cars.

"His records speak volumes ... he's won in everything," said Jeff Gordon, four-time Nextel Cup Champion and driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. "It didn't matter what type of circuit or what type of surface, he won on dirt, road courses, ovals, asphalt ... he's a legend.

"The greatest all around driver of all-time? No question it's Mario."

Andretti's saga began as a refugee from communism, in post World War II Europe as the continent's lines of division changed following the Allied victory. Thus his American dream is a Statue of Liberty-type of story, not fast kid makes good.

"That's very true," Andretti said, adding "I'm a good example of making negatives become positives."

Those early days had very grim possibilities. His father, who administered seven family-owned farms, saw what evils lay ahead in the then-Communist part of Yugoslavia that their former home in Istria had become. "My parents chose to leave everything behind," Andretti said, but "[my father] chose to start over, not to give up to communism. He was looking after his kid's future," said Andretti who has a twin-brother, Aldo, and sister Anna Maria. "If he wouldn't have done that there was no way I would have accomplished my dreams."

He and Aldo started by racing near their home in Nazareth, Pa., as young men trying to hide their activities from the family and using their twin façade to hide the fact that the other might be in a hot rod risking life and limb. Mario eventually worked his way up from Sprint Cars to Indy Cars in the '60s. Later successes resulted in top sports car and Formula One rides. In those days some racers ran in some events in rival series, unlike today's necessity to specialize in one. Andretti's career thrived despite the daunting task of hopping in and out of very different types of race cars. Those accomplishments are likely never to be duplicated.

A very down to earth man despite his enviable history, Andretti was genuinely humbled by the honor bestowed on him. "It's so meaningful," says Andretti. "I'm taken by this."