Mario Andretti says he remembers everything about that May afternoon 50 years ago when he won the Indianapolis 500 — including the belief that his victory could be followed by a few more in the world’s biggest auto race. More victories at Indianapolis, as race fans know, have not come for Andretti, now 79, or for his sons, his nephew or his grandson.

Mario Andretti is aware that there is even a Wikipedia page for the “Andretti curse,” detailing the family’s 0-for-68 record at the Indy 500 since 1969. “Over all, this ‘curse,’ I don’t buy at all,” Andretti said recently. “It was just something they came up with. I don’t agree with that at all. I look at the overall picture. We had some productive times there.”