Racing Legend Remembered by Friends and Fans

Lucky’s restaurants in Montecito left a seat at the table in memory of Andy Granatelli.

Staff also placed his favorite drink, a double Petron with eight olives on a toothpick resting on top.

Just down the street the manager at Tre Lune described his love of food.

Granatelli, who died Sunday of heart failure at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif., certainly had an appetite for life.

Granatelli, 90, grew up during the during the depression and with his brothers started working on cars and then promoting races.

Granatelli went on to turn a product called Scientifically Treated Petroleum into the popular STP brand.

His cars entered in the Indy 500 came close to victory year after year until 1969 when Mario Andretti’s win was sealed with a kiss in a now-famous photo.

With the same passion Andy Granatelli and wife Dolly became supercharged philanthropists in Santa Barbara.

Barbara Tellefson said he was always there to help the Unity Shoppe telethon.

And he loved to entertain his friends during the holidays asking nothing of them until later when he would raise money for charity.

Readers said his biography “Call Me Mr 500” is considered inspirational whether you’re a car lover or not.