Forty years ago, in 1977 and ’78, Mario Andretti was the man to beat in Grand Prix racing aboard Colin Chapman’s JPS Lotus 78 and 79 Formula One cars. Andretti made his Grand Prix debut with Lotus in 1968, qualifying on pole for the United States GP at Watkins Glen. He scored his first F1 win with Ferrari in South Africa in 1971, but through this time Andretti’s primary commitment was to race Indycars for Andy Granatelli and Vel’s Parnelli…

Photo: Maureen Magee