NBC Sports Films will preview “Drive Like Andretti” at SXSW on Monday, March 11. Featuring a panel that includes Mario Andretti and Will Power, this will be a first glimpse at the documentary detailing the life of one of auto racing’s most iconic heroes.
The show is a first-person account of Andretti’s life as a war refugee, immigrant, cultural icon and racing legend. Among his legendary accomplishments was the winning of the 1969 Indy 500, part of a trilogy of accomplishments never done before or since. Andretti is the only driver to win the Indy 500, NASCAR’s Daytona 500 (in 1967) and a Formula 1 championship (1978)
“Drive Like Andretti” will make its television debut Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m. ET pm NBC leading into coverage of the IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The documentary features interviews with celebrities across the breadth of entertainment including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ice-T, Ludacris, Tim Allen and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno.
“When you do the Tonight Show, you don’t really meet Batman,” Leno said. “You meet the guy who plays Batman or the guy who plays Superman. When you meet Mario Andretti, you meet the guy who won the Indy 500 - who won Formula 1. You know: It was impressive.”
“With our inaugural presentation of the Indianapolis 500 this May, we wanted to tell a story that would connect audiences to the great history of that race,” said Mark Levy, Senior Vice President, Original Productions and Creative, NBC Sports Group in a release. “The result was ‘Drive Like Andretti’, a compelling first-person account of Mario Andretti’s improbable immigrant journey and an exploration of how his victory at the 1969 Indianapolis 500 helped make the name Andretti synonymous with speed in America. We think racing fans and non-racing fans alike will love this story and appreciate what Mario accomplished, on and off the track.”
NBC Sports will preview Drive Like Andretti at SXSW in Austin at the Comcast NBCU House at Container Bar. The event will feature a preview of the documentary, followed by a panel discussion with Andretti, 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power, and NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey surrounding the documentary and the upcoming Indianapolis 500.