Marco already knows Andretti curse at Indianapolis
Marco Andretti already understands the family curse at Indy after coming so close to winning the 500 last year. But he's back for more and hopes he can finish the deal this time, writes Terry Blount.
Danica Patrick Previews the Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS -- It took only one Indy 500 for Marco Andretti to truly understand the Andretti experience.
Frustration, inner conflict, disbelief at your fate, wondering "what if."
It's all part of the package for Andrettis at the Brickyard, and it's part of Marco's life after almost winning the 500 one year ago.
"There hasn't been a day since then that I haven't thought about it," Marco said. "But I try to look at the positives. Nobody believed I could get that close. Nobody but me."
Marco shocked everyone last year when he came within a few feet of winning Indy as a 19-year-old rookie. Sam Hornish Jr. zoomed by him as they headed for the checked flag, winning by about a car length in one of the most exciting finishes in Indy 500 history.
At that moment, the Andretti curse was passed to the next generation.
"It wouldn't have been good for the lore of the speedway if Marco had won," Hornish said. "I was just doing my part to continue the Andretti heartbreak."
Hornish was taking a lighthearted dig at Marco, something the two racers do regularly to each other since that remarkable moment.
"On average last year, Sam was seven miles per hour faster than me when we were both flat out," Marco said. "So he should have beaten me, but I still wonder where that came from."
Hornish just laughs when he hears Marco's complaint.
"I don't know why it surprised him," Hornish said. "I ran a 219 [mph] on the last lap and he ran a 214. All he had to do was look at practice and qualifying last year. There wasn't any mystery about it."
That situation has changed. Andretti Green Racing has the speed it lacked last year. Two AGR drivers -- Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti -- are starting on the front row Sunday.
AGR posted the top three speeds on Carb Day Friday with Kanaan, Franchitti and Michael Andretti. Marco was 12th on the speed chart.
Marco starts on the outside of Row 3, the same place he started last year. He knows he has a better car this time, but it doesn't mean he'll have a chance to win again.
Indy has a way of humbling drivers. No one has to tell Marco about that. His legendary grandfather, Mario, won Indy in 1969, then went winless in this last 24 starts at the Brickyard.
Marco was too young to witness much about his grandfather's career, but he has watched his father, Michael, go 0-for-15 and suffer the Indy disappointment several times when Michael had a chance to win.
Michael says he's making his final Indy 500 start Sunday, hoping to earn that elusive victory. What if Marco beats him?
"The way I look at it, if he wins, I win too," Michael said.
Along with the Andretti curse, Marco is enduring the proverbial sophomore slump. He finished fourth on the street race at St. Petersburg, but was 16th or worse in the other three events this season.
"It's been very frustrating," Marco said. "Twice this year my car just wasn't drivable. We just missed on the setup."
Kanaan said people are mistaken if they think Marco's early-season struggles are of his own making.
"Listen, that kid has improved so much since last year," Kanaan said. "He has so much talent, but Marco also has that competitiveness that you can't teach. He has that look in his eye, that Andretti fire."
Marco looks like a guy who believes he can win. He is convinced his car has the horsepower to run up front, but he knows it takes more than a good car to win at Indy.
This race is going to be extremely close the whole day. Much more than last year. So many bad things happened to a lot of good race cars last year. That gave us a chance, but it's unlikely to play out that way this time.
Marco Andretti
"This race is going to be extremely close the whole day," Marco said. "Much more than last year. So many bad things happened to a lot of good race cars last year. That gave us a chance, but it's unlikely to play out that way this time."
It all worked out perfectly for Marco last year until the final 100 yards. The end gnaws at him every day.
As an Andretti, there's a fear that must creep into his mind: "What if I never get that close again?"
At age 20, Marco will have plenty of chances, assuming he doesn't move to Formula One in a couple of years. But once you come close at Indy, people expect you to do it again.
The pressure is on, especially when your last name is Andretti.
"Maybe I'm weird, but I don't feel pressure from anybody," Marco said. "I just want to win this race. I don't really know what people expect of me, but I expect to win it."
Terry Blount covers motorsports for ESPN.com. He can be reached at terry@blountspeak.com.
