Marco Andretti feels 'blessed' not 'cursed' after Indy 500 pole win
Marco Andretti became the first member of his family to win pole position for the Indy 500 since Mario did it in 1987 and says he hopes the fabled family 'curse' doesn't apply in August.
Marco Andretti announced Friday that he will not be competing as a full-time IndyCar driver in 2021.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the third-generation racer said "I have decided to change up my direction somewhat - to reset - to do something a little different - look at everything fresh and see where that takes me."
The 33-year-old said he will still run the Indy 500 and possibly a couple of other races, depending on how the season develops and is considering doing some sports car racing in another series.
Andretti won the pole position for last year's Indy 500 for his father Michael's team, but finished in 13th place, keeping his family's winless streak -- that stretches back to grandfather Mario's 1969 win -- intact.
"I know that a victory there is in my future so we'll try to get that done in the coming years," he said.
"I both support and respect his decision to take a focus on other areas of life, and even other forms of motorsport," Michael Andretti said in a statement on the news.