Andretti clan has real gem in Marco

Marco Andretti just missed ending the Andretti family's long drought.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Mario Andretti and son Michael already knew what everyone else saw in the Indy 500: Marco Andretti is one special driver.
Sunday, in his first shot at the race his grandfather won in 1969, the 19-year-old Andretti came within a half-car length of joining Mario on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Only a spectacular move by Sam Hornish Jr. over 100 yards of the final straight-away -- making him the first driver at Indy to win with a last-lap pass -- kept Marco from ending the Andretti family's nearly four decades of frustration at the Brickyard.
Mario watched from Marco's pit and was crestfallen after the checkered flag.
"He came so close," he said. "I thought he was going to win."
Mario paused, then added, "Of course, he's got a lot of years left and he's going to get a lot more chances."
Since Mario first came to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1965, the family has become an important part of the track's lore. And, since Mario's victory four years later, all manner of back luck has spoiled the Andrettis' Memorial Day weekend.
Last year, Michael did get to Victory Circle as co-owner of the winning car of Dan Wheldon. But that's not the same as if he or a family member got to drench themselves in winner's milk.
Pretty good day for family
It didn't happen Sunday, either. But it was a pretty good day for the family from Nazareth, Pa.
Michael, who came out of a two-year retirement at 43 to race against his son Sunday, finished third, adding four laps to his record (430) for leading more trips around the 2.5-mile Indy oval than any other non-winner.
And, with father and son racing within sight of each other nearly the entire 500 miles, it was a thrill for Michael to see Marco rise to the challenge at the biggest event of his life after finishing no better than 12th in his first three IRL IndyCar races.
But Michael also had a ringside seat to watch the latest disappointment for his family as Marco came up half a car-length short -- the second closest finish at Indy. For just a precious moment, he thought his son had won.
"Literally, my hand was out of the cockpit," Michael said. "Then I'm calling on the radio: 'Did he win? Did Hornish pass him?' It was disappointing."
But that was Sunday. The future for Marco looks endless.
Grandpa's prediction
Three years ago, sitting in a hospitality tent at a racetrack, Mario looked across the table at his diminutive grandson and pronounced: "He has the potential to be the best Andretti of them all."
That's no small compliment coming from a driver who was a champion in Formula One and Indy cars and winner of NASCAR's Daytona 500 and several major sports car events.
But it should come as no surprise to anyone that Marco is a racer. The youngster was drawn to speed almost from birth.
"I drove anything with wheels when I was a little kid -- mo-peds, bicycles, go-carts, ATV's," Marco said. "It just seemed natural."
There was little doubt he would race cars for a living. The big debate in the family was where.
Mario was adamant that Marco should head for Europe and develop his talent on the way to a Formula One career. Michael wanted Marco racing on American ovals and being part of the family business.
Eventually, the father won the argument.
Nurtures son's talent
Although Michael tries to keep from praising his son too much, he has nurtured his racing talent and, with the resources of his Andretti Green Racing team, given him the opportunity to show what he can do.
"I just knew he was going to surprise a lot of people," Michael said. "He didn't surprise me. He did everything that I thought he could do and, you know, he just did it a little quicker than I thought he would do that."
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