NBC Sports Films celebrates the life of Mario Andretti with Drive Like Andretti – a documentary featuring Andretti’s first-person account as a refugee, immigrant, cultural icon and racing legend – ahead of NBC Sports’ presentation of the 2019 Indianapolis 500, which marks the 50th anniversary of Andretti’s victory at the Brickyard in 1969. Drive Like Andretti will debut on Saturday, May 11, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, leading into NTT IndyCar Series coverage of the INDYCAR Grand Prix at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Drive Like Andretti follows Andretti – the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and a Formula 1 World Championship – as he recounts his improbable journey, beginning as a war refugee in Italy and concluding as the most famous racecar driver on Earth.
The documentary features interviews with a number of celebrities across entertainment and popular culture who discuss Andretti’s profound impact beyond the race track, including; Ludacris, Ice-T, Jay Leno, Tim Allen, Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASA Apollo 10 astronaut Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, and journalist A.J. Baime.
Click here to watch Leno discuss Andretti’s influence and the memory of interviewing Mario on The Tonight Show.
Drive Like Andretti includes interviews with Andretti in Montona, Croatia; Tuscany, Italy; Andretti’s home in Nazareth, Pa.; Andretti’s winery in Napa, Calif.; and Speedway, Ind., at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“With our inaugural presentation of the Indianapolis 500 this May, we wanted to tell a story that would connect audiences to the great history of that race,” said Mark Levy, Senior Vice President, Original Productions and Creative, NBC Sports Group. “The result was Drive Like Andretti, a compelling first-person account of Mario Andretti’s improbable immigrant journey and an exploration of how his victory at the 1969 Indianapolis 500 helped make the name Andretti synonymous with speed in America. We think racing fans and non-racing fans alike will love this story and appreciate what Mario accomplished, on and off the track.”
NBC Sports PR
