John Andretti

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John Andretti
John Andretti at Carb Day 2015 - Stierch.jpg
Andretti at Carb Day 2015 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Born March 12, 1963
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Mooresville, North Carolina, U.S.
NASCAR Cup Series career
393 races run over 17 years
Best finish 11th – 1998
First race 1993 Tyson/Holly Farms 400 (North Wilkesboro)
Last race 2010 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
First win 1997 Pepsi 400 (Daytona)
Last win 1999 Goody's Body Pain 500 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
2 37 4
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
37 races run over 3 years
Best finish 12th – 2006
First race 1998 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race 2007 Orbitz 300 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 4 0
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
6 races run over 2 years
Best finish 46th – 2005
First race 2005 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 (Kansas)
Last race 2008 Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Winn-Dixie (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 3 0
IndyCar Series career
10 races run over 5 years
Team(s) Panther Racing (2007)
Roth Racing (2008)
Richard Petty Motorsports (2009–2011)
2011 position 42nd
Best finish 30th – 2008
First race 2007 Indianapolis 500 (Indy)
Last race 2011 Indianapolis 500 (Indy)
Wins Podiums Poles
0 0 0
Champ Car career
73 races run over 8 years
Years active 1987–1994
Team(s) Curb Motorsports (1987–1988)
Vince Granatelli Racing (1989)
Porsche Motorsports (1990)
Hall-VDS Racing (1991–1992)
A. J. Foyt Enterprises (1993–1994)
Best finish 8th – 1991, 1992
First race 1987 Road America 200 (Elkhart Lake)
Last race 1994 Indianapolis 500 (Indy)
First win 1991 Gold Coast Indy Car Grand Prix (Surfers Paradise)
Wins Podiums Poles
1 2 0
Statistics current as of May 26, 2012.

John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania - January 30, 2020 in Mooresville, North Carolina) was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of racer Adam Andretti, nephew of Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, and first cousin to IndyCar champion Michael and Jeff Andretti. He was also the first cousin once-removed to IndyCar driver Marco Andretti. His father Aldo Andretti, Mario's twin brother, retired from driving a race car after he nearly died in an accident. He won races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR.

Early life

John Andretti was born on March 12, 1963 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to "Corky" and Aldo Andretti. As a member of the famous Andretti racing family, he was predestined for a racing career. Starting with karts at a young age, he graduated in time to junior stock cars and USAC midgets.

CART

Andretti won one race (Australia, 1991) and scored 61 top-ten finishes in 74 career races in CART. He joined the PPG Indy Car World Series (CART) in 1987, winning the Rookie of the Year award. In his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1988, Andretti reached as high as seventh place before mechanical problems forced him to finish 21st. The Andretti family became the first family to have four relatives (Michael, Mario, Jeff, and John) compete in the same series (CART).[1] All four family members competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1990, 1991, and 1992.

In 1991 he won the only race of his CART career, winning the Gold Coast Grand Prix in Surfer's Paradise, Australia. He finished a career-best fifth in the 1991 Indianapolis 500. A week later, at the Milwaukee Mile, Michael, John, and Mario became the only known family in motor sports history to finish first, second, and third respectively in a major auto race. In 1994, he became the first driver to attempt the "double," racing in the Indy 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., on the same day. The 1994 Indy 500 was his last appearance in that race until 2007. John also holds the distinction of being only one of three drivers in Motorsport History to have both driven a Top Fuel Dragster in an NHRA National Event, and to quality and race in the Indianapolis 500 ( the other two being Danny Ongais and Art Malone).

IMSA GTP and Rolex Sports Car Series

In 1986 Andretti drove a BMW M12 March, along with co-driver Davy Jones, in the 1986 IMSA GT Championship season. While the BMWs had limited success in IMSA competition, Andretti and Jones won the Kodak Copier 500 at Watkins Glen International on September 21, 1986.[2]

In 1989, Andretti drove the Miller High Life/BF Goodrich Porsche 962 to victory in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (called the Sunbank 24 at Daytona at the time) along with co-drivers Bob Wollek and Derek Bell. Later in the IMSA season, Andretti and Wollek won the Pontiac Grand Prix of Palm Beach, driving the same Porsche 962.[3] Andretti finished fifth in points (112) in the 1989 IMSA season, first among Porsche drivers.[4]

In 2001 Andretti teamed up with Kyle Petty to win a 6-hour sports car race at Watkins Glen.[citation needed]

Andretti returned to the 24 Hours of Daytona in the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2008. Team drivers for the Vision Racing #03 Porsche Crawford Prototype included Ed Carpenter, A. J. Foyt IV, and Vitor Meira. The team finished 25th in the race, their first Porsche Crawford Prototype entry in the 24 Hours of Daytona.[5]

NHRA Winston Drag Racing

In 1993, Andretti drove the Taco Bell Express Top Fuel Dragster for owner Jack Clark. He reached the semi-finals in his first national event at Atlanta during the FRAM Southern Nationals, clocking a career-best speed of 299 mph (481 km/h). In that race he beat 1992 T/F Champion Joe Amato in Round 1 and Mopar Express Lube driver Tommy Johnson Jr. in Round 2, but lost to Mike Dunn in Darrell Gwynn's La Victoria Salsa Car in the semi-finals. That race was won by Eddie Hill.

NASCAR

1993–1999

Andretti made his Winston Cup debut in 1993. He drove the #72 Tex Racing Chevy for Tex Powell at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he started 31st and finished 24th. After running three more races in 1993, he began the 1994 season driving the #14 Financial World Chevy for Billy Hagan. On May 29, he became the first driver in history to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He finished tenth at Indy and thirty-sixth in the Coca-Cola 600 after suffering mechanical failures. In the middle of the season he switched to the #43 STP Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. His best finish was 11th place, at Richmond International Raceway. He ended the season 32nd in points and fifth in the Rookie of the Year battle.

1997 race car
Waiting to qualify at Pocono Raceway, 1998

In 1995, he began driving for Michael Kranefuss in the #37 Kmart/Little Caesars Ford Thunderbird. He won his first career pole at the Southern 500 and finished in the top ten five times. He ended the season eighteenth in points. During the 1996 season, he switched to the #98 RCA Ford owned by Cale Yarborough (while Jeremy Mayfield, the previous driver of the #98 car, moved to Kranefuss' team). He placed fifth at the Hanes 500 and had two more top-ten finishes. In 1997, he scored his first career win at the Pepsi 400 and finished 23rd in points. He returned to the #43 Petty car in 1998. Although he won no races that season, he had ten top-ten finishes and placed a career-best 11th in points. He won his second career race in 1999 at Martinsville Speedway, where he made up a lost lap and took the lead with four laps to go. He also won the pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

File:John Andretti Petty car Pocono June 98.jpeg
Andretti in the Petty Enterprise #43 Pontiac at Pocono June 1998

2000–2005

Midway through the 2000 season, Cheerios became Andretti's primary sponsor. He fell to 23rd in points after finishing in the Top 10 twice. Over the next two seasons, Andretti posted three Top 10 finishes, before he was released midway through the 2003 season. He ran a couple of races for Haas CNC Racing and Richard Childress Racing before finishing the season in the #1 Pennzoil-sponsored Chevy for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. His best finish was 12th at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Andretti started the 2004 season driving the #1 part-time for DEI, but departed midway through the season. He ended the year driving the #14 Victory Brand-sponsored Ford Taurus for ppc Racing and finished 22nd at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Andretti started 2005 still driving with ppc, but the team was forced to dissolve due to a lack of funding. He drove four races in the Craftsman Truck Series for Billy Ballew Motorsports, and finished eighth at Memphis Motorsports Park. He also attempted a handful of Cup races for Morgan-McClure Motorsports' #4 Lucas Oil-sponsored Chevrolet, finishing 28th at Michigan International Speedway, 1 lap down.

2006–2010

In 2006, Andretti returned to ppc to drive their #10 Busch Series car. Before the season, his only Busch start came in 1998 at Daytona, where he finished 13th in the #96 Chevy fielded by the Curb Agajanian Performance Group. Despite having made over three hundred Cup starts with two victories, Andretti applied for and was accepted as a contender for Rookie of the Year. He finished runner-up to Danny O'Quinn for the award.

In 2007, Andretti drove the #10 FreedomRoads/Camping World/RVs.com Car for Braun Racing at Daytona through their affiliation with ppc Racing. When funding for the team became questionable, Andretti left Braun Racing. The team used various drivers in 2007 in an attempt to maintain a two-car team. Andretti drove four races for Petty Enterprises in the #45 car, where he filled in for Kyle Petty, who was working as a broadcaster for Turner Network Television's race coverage. He also briefly drove part-time for Front Row Motorsports. He finished the season in the #49 Paralyzed Veterans of America Dodge for BAM Racing.

2008 Sprint Cup car at Daytona

Andretti drove for Front Row Motorsports in 2008, driving the #34 Chevrolet Impala SS in the Sprint Cup Series. He raced his way into the 2008 Daytona 500 in the second Gatorade Duel race. He drove in the first ten races of the season in the 34 before leaving to focus on his IndyCar team.

Andretti returned full-time to the 34 in 2009 in a partnership between Front Row and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. The 34 had sponsorship from Window World, myAutoloan.com, and Taco Bell. He did not have a full-time ride for 2010, but drove the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry to a 38th-place finish after an accident on lap 117 in the Daytona 500.

IRL IndyCar Series

File:JohnAndrettiIndy2008.jpg
Andretti driving the Roth Racing #24 car in practice for the 2008 Indianapolis 500

In 2007, Andretti returned to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1994 when he pulled the double (competed in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day). He drove the third entry from Panther Racing, with Camping World as the sponsor. On May 19, he qualified for the 91st Indianapolis 500 with an average speed for the four lap qualifying run of 221.756 mph (356.882 km/h). He started in 24th on the eighth row, but crashed on lap 95 and finished 30th.

In 2008 Andretti replaced Jay Howard in the Roth Racing #24 Dallara-Honda. Andretti qualified for his 9th Indy 500 on May 17 with a four-lap average of 221.550 mph (356.550 km/h). This placed him 21st on the grid; he finished on the lead lap in 16th place. Andretti continued in the #24 car in the Milwaukee Mile and Texas Motor Speedway races, and on June 6 he was offered a deal that would keep him in the car the rest of the season. He did not accept.[6]

Andretti with uncle Mario at the 2007 Indy 500

Andretti’s run with Roth Racing produced some notable results for the team. He qualified 7th at the Texas Motor Speedway race. Although he had a great start, he finished 16th. He began the race at Iowa Speedway with a rough 23rd position start, but steadily worked his way through the field to capture an 11th-place finish, the best for a Roth Racing machine. His final start for the team was at Richmond International Raceway the next week, where he was knocked out by a crash. Roth Racing contracted to a single car for the rest of the season and then ceased operations. Andretti finished 30th in the 2008 IndyCar points standings.

In April 2009 Andretti and Richard Petty announced a joint venture with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, whereby Andretti would return to Indianapolis to drive the #43 car in the 93rd Indianapolis 500. As in his previous two trips to Indianapolis, Andretti did not race the Indy/Charlotte double, and also missed the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 to prepare for the race. Andretti qualified for the race on bump day in 28th, and finished in 19th place, the final car on the lead lap. Andretti returned to drive the #34 at Front Row Motorsports immediately after the Indianapolis 500, and returned for the Dover 400 in June.

On March 31, 2010, Andretti announced that he would join forces with Richard Petty and Window World for two events. The #43 returned as the entry, which was backed by Andretti Autosport, owned by John's cousin Michael. The team's first race was the RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway on May 1. Andretti qualified 15th but finished 9th, one lap down. The team also competed in the 94th Indianapolis 500 on May 30. After failing to qualify on pole day, Andretti made the race on bump day qualifying 28th for the second consecutive year. Andretti crashed out of the race on lap 65, and was credited with a 30th-place finish.

Andretti ran in the centennial Indianapolis 500, partnered with Window World, Petty, and Andretti Autosport. He finished 22nd.

Off the track

Andretti is active in the Central Indiana community. Each year during the Brickyard 400 week, John teams up with 93.1 WIBC, and Dave "The King" Wilson, and General Mills to hold the Race for Riley, benefiting James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children. It takes place at the Mark Dismore Karting Center in New Castle, Indiana. Andretti graduated from Moravian College with degree in business management and believes he would have been an investment banker or stock broker if he had not started racing. Andretti enjoys Joe Pesci and Nicolas Cage movies. His favorite movie is the comedy Animal House, and his favorite band is the hard-rock group AC/DC. In December 2004, Andretti spent seven days in the Middle East visiting service personnel in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

Since 2007, Andretti has co-hosted The Driver's Seat with John Kernan on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel 90.

Andretti's son, Jarett, is a USAC midget driver.[7]

In April 2017, Andretti disclosed that he had stage four colon cancer. His cancer battle, originally misdiagnosed as Stage III-A cancer, was widely publicized, with him starting a Twitter hashtag called #CheckIt4Andretti, promoting getting a colonoscopy. After months of chemotherapy, Andretti was deemed cancer-free in late 2017. However, in May 2018, he suffered a relapse of the cancer, which metastasized even further. He went through another round of chemotherapy for the rest of the year, which ended in January 2019. The cancer relapsed again in late March 2019. He died on January 30, 2020, at the age of 56.

Motorsports career results

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

CART

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1987 Curb Racing United States
LBH
United States
PHX
United States
INDY
United States
MIL
United States
POR
United States
MEA
United States
CLE
Canada
TOR
United States
MIS
United States
POC
United States
ROA
6
United States
MDO
10
United States
NZR
11
United States
LS
7
United States
MIA
8
17th 23
1988 Curb Racing United States
PHX
Ret
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
Ret
United States
POR
Ret
United States
CLE
8
Canada
TOR
Ret
United States
MEA
Ret
United States
MIS
Ret
United States
POC
Ret
United States
MDO
United States
ROA
United States
NZR
Ret
United States
LS
United States
MIA
31st 5
1989 Granatelli Racing United States
PHX
United States
LBH
United States
INDY
25
United States
MIL
United States
DET
United States
POR
United States
CLE
United States
MEA
Canada
TOR
25
United States
MIS
24
United States
POC
17
United States
MDO
United States
ROA
United States
NZR
19
United States
LS
12
33rd 1
1990 Porsche Motorsports United States
PHX
Ret
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
INDY
Ret
United States
MIL
7
United States
DET
Ret
United States
POR
Ret
Canada
CLE
5
United States
MEA
Ret
United States
TOR
13
United States
MIS
7
United States
DEN
6
Canada
VAN
5
United States
MDO
13
United States
ROA
Ret
United States
NZR
Ret
United States
LS
Ret
10th 51
1991 Hall/VDS Racing Australia
SRF
1
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
PHX
11
United States
INDY
5
United States
MIL
2
United States
DET
6
United States
POR
Ret
United States
CLE
Ret
United States
MEA
4
Canada
TOR
5
United States
MIS
6
United States
DEN
7
Canada
VAN
7
United States
MDO
10
United States
ROA
Ret
United States
NZR
9
United States
LS
19
8th 105
1992 Hall/VDS Racing Australia
SRF
6
United States
PHX
6
United States
LBH
Ret
United States
INDY
8
United States
DET
Ret
United States
POR
5
United States
MIL
9
United States
NHM
5
Canada
TOR
5
United States
MIS
6
United States
CLE
12
United States
ROA
6
Canada
VAN
Ret
United States
MDO
4
United States
NZR
Ret
United States
LS
5
7th 99
1993 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Australia
SRF
United States
PHX
United States
LBH
United States
INDY
10
United States
MIL
United States
DET
United States
POR
United States
CLE
Canada
TOR
United States
MIS
United States
NHM
United States
ROA
Canada
VAN
United States
MDO
United States
NZR
United States
LS
28th 3
1994 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Australia
SRF
United States
PHX
United States
LBH
United States
INDY
10
United States
MIL
United States
DET
United States
POR
United States
CLE
Canada
TOR
United States
MIS
United States
MDO
United States
NHM
Canada
VAN
United States
ROA
United States
NZR
United States
LS
29th 3

IndyCar Series

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points
2007 Panther Racing United States
HMS
United States
STP
Japan
MOT
United States
KAN
United States
INDY
30
United States
MIL
United States
TXS
United States
IOW
United States
RIR
United States
WGL
United States
NSH
United States
MDO
United States
MIS
United States
KTY
United States
SNM
United States
DET
United States
CHI
35th 10
2008 Roth Racing United States
HMS
United States
STP
Japan
MOT1
United States
LBH1
United States
KAN
United States
INDY
16
United States
MIL
19
United States
TXS
16
United States
IOW
11
United States
RIR
21
United States
WGL
United States
NSH
United States
MDO
Canada
EDM
United States
KTY
United States
SNM
United States
DET
United States
CHI
Australia
SRF2
30th 71
2009 Richard Petty Motorsports
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
United States
STP
United States
LBH
United States
KAN
United States
INDY
19
United States
MIL
United States
TXS
United States
IOW
United States
RIR
United States
WGL
Canada
TOR
Canada
EDM
United States
KTY
United States
MDO
United States
SNM
United States
CHI
Japan
MOT
United States
HMS
37th 12
2010 Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport Brazil
BRA
United States
STP
United States
ALA
United States
LBH
United States
KAN
9
United States
INDY
30
United States
TXS
United States
IOW
United States
WGL
Canada
TOR
Canada
EDM
United States
MDO
United States
SNM
United States
CHI
United States
KTY
Japan
MOT
United States
HMS
32nd 35
2011 Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport United States
STP
United States
ALA
United States
LBH
Brazil
SAO
United States
INDY
22
United States
TXS1
United States
TXS2
United States
MIL
United States
IOW
Canada
TOR
Canada
EDM
United States
MDO
United States
NWH
United States
SNM
United States
BAL
Japan
MOT
United States
KTY
United States
LVS
42nd 16
1 Run on same day.
2 Non-points race.
Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums
(Non-win)
Top 10s
(Non-podium)
Indianapolis 500
Wins
Championships
4 4 9 0 0 0 1 0 0

Indy 500 results

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1988 Lola T88/00 Ford Cosworth DFX 27 21 Curb Racing
1989 Lola T88/00 Buick 12 25 Granatelli Racing
1990 March 90P Porsche 10 21 Porsche
1991 Lola T91/00 Chevrolet 265A 7 5 Hall/VDS Racing
1992 Lola T92/00 Chevrolet 265A 14 8 Hall/VDS Racing
1993 Lola T92/00 Ford XB 24 10 A.J. Foyt Enterprises
1994 Lola T94/00 Ford XB 10 10 A.J. Foyt Enterprises
2007 Dallara Honda 24 30 Panther Racing
2008 Dallara Honda 21 16 Roth Racing
2009 Dallara Honda 28 19 Richard Petty/DRR
2010 Dallara Honda 28 30 Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport
2011 Dallara Honda 17 22 Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

Busch Series

Camping World Truck Series

References

External links