Mario Andretti makes a pit stop at Valpo tire store's grand reopening

VALPARAISO | Some people have memories with 50-year warranties.

Take racing legend Mario Andretti. He can vividly recall his first race in his hometown of Nazareth, Pa., half a century ago.

"I remember that I won it," Andretti said of his first checkered flag in 1959 at the age of 19.

Shortly before that, Mary Ann Feller and her husband, Lynn, opened up Heinold & Feller Tire Company.

"We've been here ever since," Mary Ann said of the Valparaiso business located at 1707 Lincolnway. "We've made some changes recently ... gotten bigger. But we haven't moved from this spot."

Lynn Feller passed away in 2000. One of Mary Ann's favorite photos was taken circa 1979 at a Firestone Tire gala in Las Vegas. It was of her, Lynn and Andretti. When she showed that photo to Andretti when he made a "pit stop" at the business Friday to celebrate its commemorative 50-year anniversary grand reopening, Andretti remarked how young he looked.

Lynn's son, Joe Feller, is now the president of the business. He's the one who attracted Andretti to the grand reopening.

"Mario has been driving on Firestone tires, which is now Bridgestone Firestone, for most of his career, and we've been a longtime Firestone dealer," Joe Feller said. "I've met Mario several times before, and I know he's very accommodating for these type of events. So I got a hold of the people at Firestone and asked if Mario could come by, and he agreed."

Usually at this time of the year, Andretti is somewhere in Indiana -- most often in Indianapolis.

"For open-wheel racing, it's the granddaddy of them all," Andretti said of Sunday's big race. "Winning at Indy changes your life."

In 1969, Andretti won his first and only Indianapolis 500. He has the distinction of being the only race car driver to have won at Indy and the Daytona 500 (1967), and to claim a Formula One World Championship (1978). In 2000, the Associated Press tabbed Andretti as "Driver of the Century."

Though officially "retired," Andretti remains active in the sport as an instructor at a racing school in Charlotte, N.C.

"I teach Indy car driving," he said. "Jeff Gordon teaches stock car driving."

Andretti's sons, Michael and Jeff, also have enjoyed success on the track. His grandson, Marco Andretti, took second at the 2006 Indianapolis 500, almost ending "the Andretti Curse" at the Brickyard -- a drought dating back to the family's lone win in 1969.

"I'm not a good spectator when they race," Andretti said. "You could say I'm a 'Nervous Nelly' -- especially when they have the lead."

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