INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a part of 20-year-old Marco Andretti's life since before he can remember.

"I've been here for 20 years, I really have," said Andretti, who will run in his second Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

"I can remember at about 4 years old, playing with my Matchbox cars back at the Speedway Motel, which was like my second home, just listening to the cars, watching the closed circuit on TV and seeing the (lap) times. I was really interested in how my grandfather, my father, my second cousin and my uncle were doing because, at that point, the whole family was in it.

"It was special and, since then, I've always hoped that I would be here and, fortunately, I'm here," he added, smiling.

Indeed he is.

Marco had a remarkable rookie race last year, losing to three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. on a last-straightaway pass. The youngster had grandfather Mario Andretti, the 1969 Indy winner, providing counsel. His father, Michael, was working with him as car owner and teammate, and finished right behind him in the race.

Making the race even more memorable for the Andrettis was Michael's third-place finish after returning from a two-year retirement for the chance to race against his son here and another opportunity to finally win a race that has slipped away from him and his family too many times.

Dating to the first of Mario's 29 Indy starts in 1965, five members of the family, including Michael's younger brother, Jeff, and cousin, John, have raced in the 500 a total of 55 times. But the victory by the patriarch of the family in 1969 is the only time an Andretti has visited Victory Circle as a driver.

Michael's best finish in 15 starts was second in 1991, losing an epic battle with four-time winner Rick Mears. Jeff's top performance in three starts was 15th that same year as a rookie. John, making his eighth start this year, but first since 1994, also had his best showing in 1991, finishing fifth.

"Indy is a special place for our whole family," John said. "This track has hit all of us upside the head more than once. But it has also made our family famous and helped us all make a good living and helped us keep doing something we love — racing."

Michael, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing, did get to celebrate in 2005 with driver Dan Wheldon, then with AGR. But that only whet his appetite to get a sip of the traditional victory milk here.

"Yeah, I know our family's best chance to get (a win) here now is Marco," his father said. "But the only reason I'm back here now is to win this race.

"Last year, I said I came back to race with my son, but I came so close. It was within my grasp again. This time, I'll be more disappointed to finish second than eighth. I want to win this race."

Mario, retired since 1994, raced often against Michael, Jeff and John and has been his grandson's main sounding board as Marco has moved up the ladder in racing.

Mario avoided the Indy 500 for years after the bitter IRL-CART split in 1996, unhappy with IRL founder and Indy boss Tony George for creating a second open-wheel series. But he returned in 2003 when AGR joined the IndyCar Series, and now is nearly always in the pits and ready with advise and concern when Marco is in his car.

"I've never said that Indianapolis owes me or my family anything," the elder Andretti said. "But another win here would be very big for all of us. Marco should have a lot of opportunities and he's already shown he can be competitive and have a chance to win, and Michael showed everybody last year that he is still a force."

The 44-year-old Michael has led more laps here than any other nonwinner. That includes laps 194-197 of the 200-lap event last May. Marco passed his father and led laps 198 and 199, but it was Hornish, with a more powerful Honda engine, eventually charging past both of them for his first win here.

That has left a bad taste in the mouths of both of those Andrettis.

"It still hurts and it will continue to hurt every day," Marco said. "If I go on to win this thing four times, I'll still think it should have been five.

"But, the way I look at it and my mentality, how it's changed from last year, is we were 5 miles an hour off last year and we still nearly won this race," Marco said. "We've gained a little bit of speed, so let's go into the race with the same mentality as last year, you know, just maximizing everything and minimizing mistakes and we should be there at the end."

His father, who has had many more Indy disappointments, has much the same view.

"My dad should have won this thing three or four times and I probably should have won it at least three times," he said. "But this is another chance. It's the reason I'm here. I wouldn't be (driving) here if I didn't think I could win it."