On Feb. 26, 1967, Italian-American driver Mario Andretti took the NASCAR world by storm after winning the Daytona 500. This win made him the only driver to have won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, and the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship.
Andretti, who had only run the Daytona 500 three times in his career, joined the Holman-Moody team with Ford’s support. In 1967, Andretti finished sixth in his qualifying race and lined up 12th on the grid. Later, he claimed that his team sabotaged him and gave him a worse motor than his teammate, Fred Lorenzen.
Against All Odds, Mario Andretti Strove to Be a Champion
What should have been celebrated as a great win soon turned controversial. In an interview with Fox Sports, Andretti claimed his 1967 Daytona 500 win was not all smooth sailing. He accused his pit crew of holding him longer during the final pit stop so his teammate Lorenzen could take the lead.
Mario Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500 58 years ago today. 🏁
He is the only driver to have won the #Daytona500 , the #Indy500 and the Formula One World Championship. #Legend 🏁 pic.twitter.com/kykSVTYxQh
— NASCAR Legends (@LegendsNascar) February 26, 2025
Andretti told Fox Sports, “It was absolutely intentional. They had orders to hold me and they held me back for about seven seconds. I was furious because they held the car up on the jack. I put it in gear and I was about ready to raise havoc, and that’s when they let the jack fly and I went. But I was a bit upset at the time, as you could imagine.”
However, at the time Andretti did not let that affect him and four laps later took the lead from Lorenzen. Andretti went on to lead the next 33 laps and a late caution with two laps to go ensured an Indy car driver had laid claim to the Daytona 500.
“It was quite a feather in my cap quite honestly and I was very proud of that,” Andretti said. “I represented the open-wheel dudes down there in a good way. I loved that part. And then A.J. joined me and we are still the only ones that have done that.”
A.J. Foyt and Andretti are the only drivers to have won both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
