Popular INDYCAR, Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 Veteran John Andretti Dies at
56
NDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 ... John Andretti, one of the most popular
and versatile American race drivers of his generation, died Thursday, Jan. 30
after a long, courageous battle with colon cancer. He was 56.
Andretti, a member of the famed Andretti racing family, drove and won at the
highest levels of North American motorsports in Indy cars, stock cars and
sports cars. He also competed in top-level drag racing and short-track open-
wheel racing. His career included 12 starts in the Indianapolis 500 and 11
starts in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But his tireless, selfless work on behalf of various charities, even after his
cancer diagnosis became public in April 2017, earned him even more respect and
loyalty from a legion of worldwide admirers than his significant talent behind
the wheel.
Andretti was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the son of race driver Aldo
Andretti and nephew of 1969 Indianapolis 500 and two-time Formula One World
Champion Mario Andretti.
John Andretti started his racing career in karting and won the USAC Speedrome
Regional Midget series title in 1983, at age 20. He began his professional
full-time driving career after graduating from Moravian College in his hometown
in 1985.
He found Victory Lane almost immediately in IMSA sports car racing, winning a
race with co-driver and eventual fellow Indy 500 veteran Davy Jones in
September 1986 at Watkins Glen.
That success helped launch Andretti into INDYCAR competition with Curb Racing
in 1987, joining his uncle, Mario, and cousin Michael. He was named series
Rookie of the Year in 1987.
John Andretti made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1988 with Curb Racing. He ran
as high as seventh in the No. 98 Skoal Bandit Lola Cosworth before engine
problems relegated him to a 21st-place finish.
He still competed in sports cars while making a name for himself early in his
INDYCAR career.
Andretti teamed with sports car legends Bob Wollek and Derek Bell to win the
1989 Rolex 24 At Daytona in one of the mighty Porsche 962 prototypes of the
era. Andretti and Wollek also co-drove to victory later that season at Palm
Beach, Florida, in the same Porsche, and Andretti ended up fifth in the IMSA
standings that season as the highest-ranked Porsche driver.
Andretti...s best year of INDYCAR competition arguably came in 1991 while
driving
for Hall VDS Racing. He earned his sole career INDYCAR victory, at Surfers
Paradise in Australia, and finished an Indy 500 career-best fifth in the No. 4
Pennzoil Z-7 Lola/Chevrolet.
The 1991 edition of ...The Greatest Spectacle in Racing... marked the first of
two
consecutive years in which four members of the Andretti family ... Mario,
Michael, John and cousin Jeff ... raced in the ...500....
A week after John Andretti...s career-best finish at Indy in 1991 also saw
another highlight, when Michael, John and Mario Andretti finished 1-2-3 in the
INDYCAR race at the Milwaukee Mile.
John Andretti made waves in NHRA Drag Racing in 1993 by reaching the Top Fuel
semifinals in his first national event, the Southern Nationals at Atlanta. He
clocked a career-best speed of 299 mph in that race.
Then Andretti shifted his focus to NASCAR in a partial schedule in the Cup
Series in 1993, going full time with Hagan Racing in 1994 and driving the final
third of the season in the famous Petty blue-and-red No. 43 STP Pontiac for
Richard Petty Enterprises.
In May 1994, Andretti made North American racing history by becoming the first
driver to attempt and complete ...The Double... of racing in the Indianapolis
500
and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day. He
finished 10th at Indy and 36th at Charlotte.
Andretti earned his first Cup Series victory in July 1997 at Daytona while
driving for Cale Yarborough Motorsports, but Andretti...s NASCAR career reached
its peak when he returned to Petty...s team full time in 1998. That started a
stint of nearly five seasons between two of the most famous names in American
racing.
He finished 11th in the standings in 1998 during his first season with Petty
and earned his second and final Cup Series victory with team in spring 1999 at
Martinsville Speedway.
Andretti teamed with another famous member of the Petty family ... Richard...s
son,
Kyle Petty ... to win the GT class in Porsche GT3R at a GRAND-AM sports car
race
in August 2001 at Watkins Glen.
When his full-time tenure with Petty ended during the 2003 season, Andretti
began a diverse schedule behind the wheel that included starts in the NASCAR
Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, GRAND-AM
Sports Car Series and NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Andretti made a popular return to the Indianapolis 500 in 2007 with Panther
Racing, competing in ...The Greatest Spectacle in Racing... every year through
2011. His final two ...500... starts, in 2010-11, came while driving for his
cousin
Michael...s team, Andretti Autosport.
For all of Andretti...s versatile skills as a driver, he was equally or more
admired for his charity work outside of the cockpit.
Andretti and Indianapolis-area radio personality Dave ...The King... Wilson co-
founded the ...Race for Riley,... an annual go-kart race in Central Indiana
that
has raised nearly $4 million for the Riley Children...s Hospital in
Indianapolis
since its inception in 1997.
When he announced his diagnosis with late-stage colon cancer in April 2017,
Andretti also started an aggressive campaign to urge regular colon screening,
something he admitted he didn...t do to catch his illness in its early stages.
The #CheckIt4Andretti campaign became a rallying cry during the 2017
Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, seen on many hats and T-shirts. The
hashtag and campaign saved many lives through regular colonoscopies and still
is shared frequently on social media.
Andretti is survived by his wife, Nancy, and children Jarett, Olivia and
Amelia. Jarett Andretti has followed his father...s tire tracks and drives in
sprint cars, sports cars and Indy Lights.
Fans are encouraged to continue Andretti...s legacy through regular colon
screenings and by sharing the #CheckIt4Andretti hashtag on social media.
-- ims pr
* SLMR 2.1a * I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.
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