Ice Loves Marco: Ice-T Tops Celebrities Rooting For Andretti

Ice-T might be on the set of Law & Order when he takes a call to jet off to some far-flung destination with Marco Andretti and his celebrity pals.

This guy vacations with Ludacris and Kevin Hart. Who the (heck) does that, Ice-T asked with a laugh. They call me up like, Yo, Ice, were in Africa. You should come. Im like, you (guys) is rich. Ive got to work. What the (heck) are you talking about?

The fact that Ice-T — one of the first gangsta rappers — has his number flagged in Andrettis favorites — the driver now an Indianapolis 500 pole sitter and a member of racing royalty — seems an unlikely friendship. The actor straight out of South Central says the bond runs deep: They are related by dog.

Its true. When his bulldog Maximus produced a litter of puppies, Andretti adopted one and named him Moodie.

Ice-T is the top dog among Andrettis inner circle of A-list friends. Even for race car drivers, who love to schmooze with entertainments elite, Andrettis crew boasts enough star power to film a reality show. His sister-in-law is a model and actress; comedian Jeffrey Ross and actress Nina Dobrev are friends; he paddleboards with Ludacris and Hart; gets shoutouts from Paris Hilton; and his nearly decade-long bromance with Ice-T has made him the envy of the paddock.

Andrettis IndyCar friends are thrilled to tag along on his lifestyles of the rich and famous getaways.

He gets to hang with cool people because he is a cool person, IndyCar driver and friend Conor Daly said. Marco invited me to (Miami). We picked up Ludacris in an Uber and we went to a yacht and spent a day on a yacht. Was that potentially the coolest time I ever had in my life? Yes. Did I deserve to be there? Absolutely not.

Cool times?

Ice-T knows a thing or two about that when hes out hanging with the 33-year-old Andretti. Like when Andretti hopped behind the wheel of Ice-Ts Bentley GT and whipped it around the neighborhood. Or the time Marcos grandfather Mario, the 1969 Indianapolis 500 champion, took Ice-Ts son for a spin around the race familys Nazareth, Pennsylvania, neighborhood in a Lamborghini.

Their friendship was forged years ago in the Bal Harbour shopping district when Ice-T was in town for the IndyCar race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ice-T was friendly with another of IndyCars great racing families, the Rahals, and was invited to attend the race. Ice-T was with his wife while they were out shopping when he was spotted by Andretti.

At that time, I couldnt have picked Marco out of a crowd. I knew the name but I didnt know him, Ice-T told The Associated Press. So we had common likes. I like racing. Im also friends with Lewis Hamilton. I like the racing scene. And he likes hip-hop. It was like a tradeoff.

He can get me to the races and keep me in the race world and I can walk him through hip hop, he added. “We were able to facilitate each others likes without going in our pocket! Thats how the friendship really began.

Take an August 2019 tweet when Andretti wrote, dropping it straight, point blank and untwisted. No imagination needed, cause I lived it.

Indy Driver @MarcoAndretti knows the words! ???? the rapper replied to the lyics of his hit O.G. Original Gangster.

When hes around me, we dont even talk a lot about racing, Ice-T said. We talk about having fun and family. Hes more into that hip hop (music). Hes always like, send me something new, send me something nobodys got.

Ice-T has an understanding of the enormous amount of pressure Andretti is under as the favorite to win Sundays race. Andretti has only two wins in 240 career IndyCar starts and none since 2011. Andretti has finished all over the map at Indy, from runner-up his rookie year to a disastrous 26th last season.

I think for himself, taking the pole proves that, I can win and go as fast and faster than anybody here, Ice-T said.

He had it on Sunday. Even Team Penskes drivers, among his biggest rivals and watching from inside the garage, cheered Andrettis pole-winning moment.

I think what people like that like about me is that I dont treat them any different, Andretti said. A lot of people, when they get to that stature, you can say, they have a lot of yes men. I call it how it is and they like that. I just try and be down to earth and good people.

Ice-T fits that bill as well. Its one reason why the Andrettis enjoy their time with Ice and Cocoa.

He also knows when Marcos in my world, hes safe, Ice-T said, laughing. Marcos not running around with Little Pookie or some (stupid) young rapper where he can end up in some (trouble). Hes with Ice. We got him. He aint go no problems with us.

Ice-T might have hit Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 under a normal year. Hes gone before but will be at home Sunday.

Im like, dude, were going to be home rooting for you. Youve got to win this, Ice-T said. I just want him to have a fair race where the car runs. I dont want 200 miles and then some kind of mechanical (stuff). That would be unacceptable.

_____

AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this story.

___