In the mid-1970s, when Andretti joined Team Lotus, Colin Chapman was busy with side ventures producing road cars and boats. But it was Mario Andretti who convinced him to come back full time.

Mario Andretti, a four-time winner of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, will be one of two grand marshals for this year’s race.

Mario Andretti was born to be a race car driver. The celebrated motorsports superstar won’t even entertain a question about what other position on a racing team he’d have liked to try out if ...