Andretti Gears Up for Indy 500 Sunday

Marco Andretti, 25, of Bushkill Township, will start in the third spot in Sunday's famed Indianapolis 500.

The grandson of legendary racer Mario Andretti topped his team's strong outing in the Indianapolis 500 Pole Day qualifying last week, according to published reports.

Andretti will start alongside Autosport teammate Carlos Munoz, who qualified for second with an average speed of 228.342, the second-fastest Indy 500 qualifying time for a rookie since Tony Stewart in 1996.

"I've always said I wanted the championship and I wanted Indy, and I always knew since my rookie year [2006] that Indy was a reality,” Andretti told Metro this week. “This is the first time in my career where I truly believe that I can win the championship. It would be huge [to win it]."

Last year, Andretti was the only driver to post a lap faster than 227 mph in Indianapolis 500 practice this week, according to an Associated Press report on Lehigh Valley Live.

While Andretti came in third in the pole, his grandfather, Mario, won the prized pole position three times. 

The annual Indianapolis 500 speedfest features top drivers and is one of the most popular car racing events in the country.

The race is held every Memorial Day weekend and begins at noon Sunday. It will be televised on ABC.