INDIANAPOLIS – Mike Tirico has done “Monday Night Football.” He’s broadcast the Olympics and the World Cup, golf’s majors and tennis’ grand slam events. College championships. The first disqualification in Kentucky Derby history . Lots and lots and lots of amazing stuff. Incredible experiences.

Then there was Wednesday.

Four days before serving as host for NBC’s first Indianapolis 500 broadcast, Tirico was picked up at the airport by 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti in a street-legal Indy car.

“OK, so that was the coolest freakin’ thing I’ve ever done in sports,” Tirico said Thursday.

“In 33 years now … my 33rd year of being on TV covering sports – I did start as a kid – but man, that was awesome. I land at the airport and got into an Indy car, street-legal, with Mario Andretti, 50 years after he won the 500, and we drove on the highway.”