He’s seen a lot of races, and when Eric Rowe wants to remember them, he has only to look at his collection of Andretti racing memorabilia and he’s right there again.
“There are nights I could just sit in here and stare at everything, you know. I remember every piece,” he said, standing in his home office — his “man cave” — and indicating three wooden display cases of model cars, trading cards, hat pins, bobbleheads, and more. Each piece brings back the excitement and history of the many races he’s attended in person.
“I recognize every car,” he said.
Rowe became a Mario Andretti fan when he was a kid in the mid-1960s. His uncle lived in Nazareth, Pa., Andretti’s hometown. That personal connection led to his lifelong collection, especially of scale model racing cars.
“I have an affinity, or fondness or whatever you want to call it, for model cars,” he said, adding quickly, “But not the model cars you make.” He has models of all sizes but his favorite is the super-small, incredibly detailed 1/43rd scale. He recently found a 1/43rd Beatrice racing car like the one Mario drove in 1985.
“I didn’t even know that they made a scale model of it until it showed up one day on eBay,” he said, holding the 4- or 5-inch car in his hand and admiring its detail. “They’re pretty remarkable, what they can do.” The first item Rowe bought was a T-shirt — in the early ’70s, at Watkins Glen, N.Y. And he still has it along with about 50 other T-shirts down in the basement.
All together, his collection totals 300 or 400 pieces, including, among other items, framed artwork, model helmets, wine bottles, and four 1994 Arrivederci Andretti Coca-Cola cans — he originally purchased a six-pack and planned to save the whole thing, but while he was out of the house one day his kids got thirsty, found the six-pack, and drained it. He was able to save only four of the cans.
“Oh, well,” he said with a wry shrug.
He even has an Andretti (chocolate) bar, still in its original red, white, and black wrapper. “I don’t know how old it is,” he said, “but I don’t think I’d want to eat it.” Rowe could dress like a racer if he wanted to – he bought a Michael Andretti (Mario’s son) race suit at the Geisinger Children’s Miracle Network. Both Michael and his famous father had donated racing suits to the fundraiser.
“I wasn’t able to get Mario’s, but I was able to get Michael’s,” he said. “It’s a pretty old suit. That must go back to the mid-’80s or early ’80s.” Rowe has a picture of him and Michael holding the white, autographed suit.
He enjoys collecting memorabilia from all the Andretti’s, including Mario and his son, Michael; Mario’s nephew, John; and Michael’s son, Marco.
“It continues the legacy,” he said. “A lot of times you have someone you followed as a child, but then they retire. But Andretti racing continues today in both open wheel and NASCAR.”
His favorite piece might just be a whiskey bottle, Rowe said, holding the blue racecar-shaped bottle. “I’ve never seen this piece on E-Bay, so it must be pretty rare.”
Though he cannot explain what drives him to collect Andretti racing items, Rowe is pleased to show his collection to other racing fans. When he learned that Paul Kieffer of Kieffer Physical Therapy, in Selinsgrove, was a racing fan, he ended up displaying some of his framed artwork there.
Saying he’s “like an addict” when searching eBay for new pieces, Rowe wishes he had thought ahead when starting his collection.
“The one thing I regret is not writing the date and the amount I paid for everything,” he said, gazing at the hundreds of Andretti pieces on his shelves. “What it’s worth, I have no idea.”
-- Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Send e-mail comments to her at Cindyherman1@yahoo.com.
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Checkered collection speeds race memories
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