As hard as it may be to believe, third generation IndyCar driver Marco Andretti is a quarter way through his 12th IndyCar season. He has a total of just two career wins to show for it.
How are fans supposed to look at a driver who has eight top 10 finishes in 11 championships but only two wins to show for it? No, not two championships, two WINS?
Marco Andretti, 30, is that driver. As a 19-year-old rookie, the pressure was on him to be the driver that his father and grandfather were. His grandfather Mario won 52 IndyCar races (2nd-most of all-time), including the 1969 Indianapolis 500, and four championships, and his father Michael won 42 IndyCar races (3rd-most of all-time) and one championship.
Marco came oh-so-close to winning the Indianapolis 500, something his father could not do in 16 tries, in his maiden attempt.
He went on to win his first career race later that season at Sonoma before finishing in 7th place in his first IndyCar championship.
Have a quick look at Marco Andretti’s racing resume before you continue.
- 189 starts
- 20 podium finishes
- Eight top 10 championship finishes
- Four Indy 500 podium finishes
- 141 Indy 500 laps led (5th-most of all-time among non-winners)
That’s not a bad resume by any means. But now include the fact that he has two, just two, victories in 12 seasons. He’s won just one race over the past 11 years (Iowa 2011). How does that change things? After all, results are what counts in racing. As Ricky Bobby once said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”
More from IndyCar
- IndyCar: Two teams with no drivers confirmed for 2024
- IndyCar: Chip Ganassi Racing news hints Alex Palou announcement
- IndyCar: ‘Addition by subtraction’ could pay off in a big way
- Team Penske should make a bold driver signing for 2024
- IndyCar: 5 teams that still have open seats for 2024
What it means is that Marco Andretti has two possible paths that he can take in the remainder of his racing career. Whichever one he ends up on will define his career forever.
Path One
Path one is the path that would be better for Marco. If he could start winning races, maybe even the Indianapolis 500, he would earn more respect from fans and doubters alike. There are people out there who can accurately make a case that he only has a full-time ride because his father owns Andretti Autosport, the team for which he drives, and because his last name is Andretti. If Marco can win a few races here and there to prove that he can truly deliver as a driver, he can put the doubters’ cases to rest and show everyone why he has his ride.
Path Two
Path two is the path that no one wants to be on. It’s the path that Danica Patrick is on with just one win in 13 seasons of IndyCar and NASCAR. It’s the path to becoming one of the most over-hyped drivers in racing history. A driver with the last name of Andretti in IndyCar for 12 seasons with just two wins? That fits the over-hyped bill perfectly, especially since his father and grandfather combined for 94 IndyCar victories and five championships.
Related Story: Marco Slides In IndyCar Driver Power Rankings
Which path will Marco end up on? Every race for him is a valuable opportunity for him to win, especially since it has been 96 races since he was last victorious.