The INDYCAR community is mourning the loss of Dee Ann Andretti, wife of four-time Indy car champion and 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti.
Dee Ann Andretti died Tuesday at age 76. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Mario Andretti married Dee Ann Hoch in November 1961, shortly before Mario’s racing career began taking off to stardom. Dee Ann remained mostly in the background supporting her husband as Mario succeeded in short-track racing, Indy cars, Formula One, sports cars, stock cars and more. Mario’s three-decade career saw him win 52 Indy car races, the second most all time, before his retirement in 1994.
The Andrettis had three children. Sons Michael and Jeff both followed their father into Indy car racing. Michael won 42 races (fourth all time) and one championship. Jeff drove in 21 Indy car races, including three Indy 500s, from 1990-94. Michael is now owner of Andretti Autosport in the Verizon IndyCar Series. Daughter Barbie is a successful realtor in the Andrettis’ hometown of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
Michael’s son Marco has extended the Andretti racing legacy to a third generation. Marco is in his 13th season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, driving the entire time for his father’s team.
Mark Miles, president and CEO of Hulman & Company that owns INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, issued the following statement Wednesday night:
“Everyone at Hulman & Company sends our condolences to the Andretti family on the passing of Dee Ann Andretti. She was the matriarch of one of the most prominent families in motorsports history. It was with Dee Ann’s love and support that her husband, children and grandchildren have thrived in racing for more than five decades, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and around the globe. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mario, their children Michael, Jeff and Barbie, and the rest of the Andretti family.”
Andretti Autosport and Marco Andretti both paid tribute to Dee Ann Andretti with social media posts on Wednesday.