MONTEREY, California -- Indy-car fans will say goodbye to two of the biggest names on the open-wheel circuit this weekend when teammates Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell race in the Bank of America 300 at Laguna Seca Raceway.


Andretti, 54, one of the great names in the auto-racing world for the past 3 1/2 decades, will retire following his 407th and last Indy-car race, while Mansell, 41, will end his two-year "adventure" in America and return to his roots in Formula One.


"For sure, it will be emotional," admits Andretti. "All my adult life, I've always had the next race to look forward to. Even when I've had days when things didn't go my way, I could always say, 'I've got another chance next week,' or 'I've got another chance at this track next year.' Not any more."


Andretti, who has 52 Indy-car victories -- second only to A.J. Foyt's 67 -- has three top-five finishes in the first 15 races this season, including a third-place in the season opener in Australia.


"I want to approach this race the same way I have every other one," Andretti said. "I want to go into it believing I can win it, and I think I can. Now that would be the right way to go out.


"But I just hope I can have a good day," he added. "Believe me, I would love to be running at the finish. I want to be on the track for the checkered flag."


In 1993, Mansell became the first reigning Formula One champion to jump to the Indy-car series, and he made the most of the move, dominating the series with five victories and winning the PPG Cup championship.


But the intensely competitive driver has not won a race in the first 15 tries this season.


"Certainly, I would love to take a win away with me," Mansell said. "This team is definitely capable of winning, but we've just had some unfortunate things happen, and the Penskes have been very, very tough all year."


Marlboro Team Penske has been just that, winning 11 races, including eight by Al Unser Jr., who has already wrapped up the 1994 series title and has a chance to break a tie with Michael Andretti, Mario's son, for the most victories in a season since Championship Auto Racing Teams became the main sanctioning body in 1979.


Unser's teammates, Emerson Fittipaldi, who has already locked up second place in the points, and Paul Tracy, who is battling the younger Andretti and Robby Gordon for third place, also will be among the favorites for Sunday's 480-kilometer race.