MARCO ANDRETTI’S INDY 500 LIVERY UNVEILED
Marco
Andretti, U.S. Concrete and Andretti Autosport unveiled the No. 98 U.S.
Concrete / Curb machine that the third-generation driver will pilot for the 103rd
Running of the Indianapolis 500 next month. The day-glow red car closely
resembles the 1969 race-winning livery of Mario Andretti, celebrating the 50th
anniversary of his memorable Indianapolis 500 victory.
“I’m really happy we were able to pull this off,
it’s a really cool way to honor Mario’s 50th anniversary,” said Marco Andretti, driver of the No. 98
U.S. Concrete / Curb Honda. “The color will be hard to miss on track and the
car looks great. We’re all very thankful that U.S. Concrete was on board to run
the livery and make this year’s car as special as possible. We can’t wait to
have a shot at bringing this car to victory lane on May 26.”
The
retro paint scheme highlights Dallas-based concrete company, U.S. Concrete as
primary sponsor and features the black number block to identify the car number,
along with the historical logo of Firestone Tires. In addition, the initials “FB”
have been placed near the front suspension just as they were on the original
1969 livery, representing Frank Boeninghaus who provided the
engine for Andretti’s 53rd Running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race win.
“Marco
Andretti is not only a great ambassador for IndyCar racing but for our safety
and hiring initiatives as well. His excitement to honor his grandfather
continues to show how dedicated he is to honoring his family’s legacy,” said U.S. Concrete Chairman and CEO, Bill
Sandbrook. “We knew that partnering with the Andretti Autosport team was the
best vehicle for us to successfully deliver our sponsorship objectives and this
tribute is a shining example of what the entire Andretti family means to auto
racing.”
“I was full of pride when I learned that my son
Michael was paying tribute to me this way,” said racing legend Mario Andretti. “The
effort his team is going through to present this commemorative car is
flattering. Thank you to the team for that effort and also for
acknowledging my part in Indy 500 history. I am honored to have Marco
carry the design from my 1969 car. I hope this winning paint scheme will
be a good omen for him and that he’ll get his first 500 victory. When I see the car, it will
definitely be an opportunity for reflection. It’s humbling. It is a
tremendous compliment to me that this team would look back at my victory and
find it worthy of recognition.”
The No. 98 throwback race car will first see the 2.5-mile oval of Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Tuesday for the NTT IndyCar Series Open Test. Practice for the
200-lap race begins Tuesday, May 14, with a seven-hour practice session each
day until two-day qualifying begins Saturday, May 18. The field of 33 will be
set on Sunday, May 19, and the green flag will wave for the 103rd Running on
Sunday, May 26.
Tickets can be purchased for the Indianapolis 500 by visiting
tickets.ims.com. Each practice session will be available to stream with the
INDYCAR Pass on NBC Sports Gold. Saturday qualifying will be broadcast on NBC Sports
Network with Sunday qualifying and race day coverage on NBC.