Mario Andretti the thrillseeker: Skydiving, racing and flying at 74

Having fled his hometown of Montona in Italy following the end of World War II – emigrating to the town of Nazareth in the United States – and spent a life in the cockpit of racing cars, Andretti was well prepared for challenging ventures.

He now owns a chain of more than 50 petrol stations, a car dealership, a clothing line, car washes, go-kart tracks, a gaming facility and his own winery. He also provided the voice for the role of himself in the Pixar animation movie Cars.

“I’m flat-out,” Andretti added. “There are months in my calendar where every single day is taken up. Some of it is a bit overwhelming but things keep coming my way.”

Does he have plans to ease off the gas and slow down? “No and I’ll tell you why,” said the American, who remains the only man to have won the Daytona 500, the Indy 500 and the Formula 1 World Championship. “When I have a lull, like a week or so, I get antsy. I have to stay active.

“I have a property 70 miles from my home where we have lots of toys like snowmobiles and boats. It’s also got tennis courts, as I love playing tennis. I love water-skiing, too. But after a few days there, I get bored. I want to go back to work.”

His desire to find that next thrill does not stop at skydiving. If he hadn’t become a racing driver, Andretti says he would have been a fighter pilot, so he jumped at the chance to fly a F-15 fighter plane. “It was fabulous,” he said. “Just supersonic.” Another thing ticked off the list.