John Andretti

John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963 – January 30, 2020) was an American professional race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was the son of Aldo Andretti, older brother of racer Adam Andretti, nephew of Mario Andretti, and the cousin to CART drivers Michael and Jeff Andretti. He was also the first cousin once-removed of Marco Andretti.

Early life and education Andretti was born on March 12, 1963, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to "Corky" and Aldo Andretti. As a member of the Andretti racing family, he was encouraged and supported by his family during his racing career. Starting with kart racing at a young age, he later graduated to junior stock car racing and USAC-sponsored midget car racing.

Andretti attended Moravian College in Bethlehem, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in business management. He later reflected that he likely would have been an investment banker or stock broker if he had not started racing.

Career 20th century

Andretti in the Petty Enterprise No. 43 Pontiac at Pocono Raceway in June 1998 In 1986, Andretti joined the BMW North America team for the 1986 IMSA GTP season. Paired with Davy Jones, he won that year's Watkins Glen International race.

The following year, in 1987, Andretti joined CART's PPG Indy Car World Series. In his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1988 Indianapolis 500, he reached as high as seventh place in the race before falling to 21st place following mechanical problems.

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

In 1991, Andretti won the only race of his CART career, the Gold Coast Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia. He finished a career-best fifth in the 1991 Indianapolis 500. The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was his last Indianapolis 500 appearance until his return in 2007.

In 1993, Andretti drove the Taco Bell Express Top Fuel Dragster, reaching the semi-finals in his first national event at Atlanta during the FRAM Southern Nationals, clocking a career-best speed of . 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.

Andretti made his Winston Cup debut in 1993, driving the No. 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 No. 14 Financial World-sponsored 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 36th in the Coca-Cola 600 after suffering mechanical failures. In the middle of the season, he switched to the No. 43 STP-sponsored Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. His best finish was eleventh place, at Richmond Raceway. He ended the season thirty-second in points and fifth in the Rookie of the Year battle.

In 1995, Andretti began driving for Michael Kranefuss in the No. 37 Kmart/Little Caesars-sponsored Ford Thunderbird. He won his first career pole at the Southern 500 and finished in the top-ten five times. He ended the season 18th in points. During the 1996 season, he switched to the No. 98 RCA-sponsored Ford owned by Cale Yarborough after Jeremy Mayfield, the previous driver of the No. 98 car, moved to Kranefuss' team. He placed fifth at the Hanes 500. In 1997, he scored his first career win at the Pepsi 400 and finished 23rd in points. He returned to the No. 43 Petty car in 1998. Although he did not win any races in 1998, he registered ten top-ten finishes and placed a career-best eleventh 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 Raceway.

21st century

Andretti driving the Roth Racing No. 24 car in practice for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Midway through the 2000 season, Cheerios became Andretti's primary sponsor. This was the precursor to Petty Enterprises' switch to Dodge as their manufacturer, and with the team pulling double duty trying to keep the Pontiacs they were currently racing and prepare the Dodges that were coming in, things began to fall apart for the organization. He fell to twenty-third in points after finishing in the top ten twice. Over the next two seasons, Andretti posted three top ten finishes including a notable second at Bristol where he finished second to Elliott Sadler (this was the last 1-2 finish for Petty Enterprises and Wood Brothers Racing), 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 No. 1 Pennzoil-sponsored Chevy for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. His best finish that year was eighth at California.

In 2001, Andretti teamed up with Kyle Petty to win the GT Class in the six-hour sports car race at Watkins Glen.

Andretti started the 2004 season driving the No. 1 part-time for DEI, but departed midway through the season. He ended the year driving the No. 14 Victory Brand-sponsored Ford Taurus for ppc Racing and finished twenty-second 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' No. 4 Lucas Oil-sponsored Chevrolet, finishing twenty-eighth at Michigan International Speedway, one lap down.

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

Andretti drove for Front Row Motorsports in 2008, driving the No. 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.

Philanthropy and broadcasting

Andretti was active in the Indianapolis-area community, working 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. In 2007, Andretti began co-hosting The Driver's Seat with John Kernan on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel 90.

Personal life Andretti's son, Jarett, currently races a GT Porsche in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship with co-driver Gabby Chaves. Jarett formerly competed in the USAC National Sprint Car Championship and the GT4 America Series.

Illness and death In April 2017, Andretti disclosed that he had stage four colon cancer. His cancer battle, originally diagnosed as Stage III-A cancer, was widely publicized, with him starting a Twitter hashtag called #CheckIt4Andretti, promoting preventative colonoscopies. After months of undergoing chemotherapy, Andretti was deemed cancer-free in late 2017. However, in May 2018, the cancer reemerged, and metastasized 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.

On January 30, 2020, Andretti died of colon cancer in Mooresville, North Carolina, at age 56, eleven months before the death of his father.

After his death, #CheckIt4Andretti became a foundation to provide colonoscopies for those without health insurance.

In 2021, Andretti Motorsports announced a partnership with Jarrett and Unite Health Share Ministries for the "Steer Clear of Cancer" campaign, to raise donations for the foundation during Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Motorsports career results American open–wheel racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

PPG Indycar Series

IndyCar Series Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Pts Ref 2007 Panther Racing 33 Dallara IR-05 Honda HMS STP MOT KAN INDY30 MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO MCH KTY SNM DET CHI 35th 10 2008 Roth Racing 29 HMS STP MOT1 LBH1 KAN INDY16 MIL19 TXS16 IOW11 RIR21 WGL NSH MDO EDM KTY SNM DET CHI SRF2 30th 71 2009 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 43 STP LBH KANINDY19 MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL TOR EDM KTY MDO SNM CHI MOT HMS 37th 12 2010 Andretti Autosport SAO STP ALA LBH KAN9 INDY30 TXS IOW WGL TOR EDM MDO SNM CHI KTY MOT HMS 32nd 35 2011 STP ALA LBH SAO INDY22 TXS TXS MIL IOW TOR EDM MDO NWH SNM BAL MOT KTY LVS3C 42nd 16 1 Run on same day. 2 Non-points-paying, exhibition race. 3 The Las Vegas Indy 300 was abandoned after Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in a 15-car crash on lap 11.

Indianapolis 500 results Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1988 Lola T88/00 Ford Cosworth DFX 27 21 Curb Racing 1989 Buick 12 25 Vince Granatelli Racing 1990 March 90P Porsche Motorsports 10 21 Porsche 1991 Lola T91/00 Chevrolet 265A 7 5 Hall/VDS Racing 1992 Lola T92/00 14 8 1993 Ford XB 24 10 A. J. Foyt Enterprises 1994 Lola T94/00 10 10 2007 Dallara Honda 24 30 Panther Racing 2008 21 16 Roth Racing 2009 28 19 Richard Petty/DRR 2010 28 30 Richard Petty/Andretti Autosport 2011 17 22

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Car Co-driver Class Position Laps 1988 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore VL Garry Rogers Gr.A DNF 37

24 Hours of Le Mans Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1988 Porsche AG Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Porsche 962C C1 375 6th 6th

24 Hours of Daytona Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Position Class Pos. 1989 Miller High Life/BF Goodrich 962 Derek Bell Bob Wollek Porsche 962 GTP 621 1st 1st 1993 Jaguar Racing David Brabham Davy Jones John Nielsen Jaguar XJR-12 LM 92 58th 2nd 2008 Vision Racing Ed Carpenter A. J. Foyt IV Tony George Vítor Meira Crawford DP08 DP 615 25th 12th 2012 Yellow Dragon Motorsports Jarett Andretti Taylor Hacquard Anders Krohn Mazda RX-8 GT 270 50th 36th

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 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 1993 Tex Racing 72 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS24 CLT31 CAR39 PHO40 ATLDNQ 50th 250 1994 Hagan Racing 14 Chevy DAY42 CAR24 RCH30 ATL42 DAR38 BRIDNQ NWS31 MAR35 TAL29 SON19 CLT36 DOV22 POC35 MCH36 DAY35 NHA27 POC25 TAL40 IND28 GLN 32nd 2299 Petty Enterprises 43 Pontiac MCH17 BRI30 DAR16 RCH11 DOV25 MAR21 NWS17 CLT24 CAR25 PHO43 ATL13 1995 Kranefuss-Haas Racing 37 Ford DAY27 CAR13 RCH10 ATL20 DAR10 BRI19 NWS17 MAR32 TAL41 SON11 CLT17 DOV39 POC30 MCH4 DAY33 NHA33 POC38 TAL34 IND12 GLN7 MCH37 BRI19 DAR12 RCH7 DOV39 MAR13 NWS17 CLT13 CAR25 PHO15 ATL15 18th 3140 1996 DAY38 CAR38 RCH12 ATL21 DAR40 BRIDNQ NWS34 MAR36 TAL9 SON11 CLT27 DOV33 POC16 MCH24 DAY23 NHA40 POC23 TAL39 IND19 GLN26 MCH31 BRI38 DAR5 31st 2621 Cale Yarborough Motorsports 98 Ford RCH36 DOV14 MAR5 NWS24 CLT39 CAR26 PHO19 ATL24 1997 DAY25 CAR34 RCH31 ATL15 DAR25 TEX12 BRI24 MAR28 SON30 TAL4 CLT30 DOV29 POC40 MCH37 CAL21 DAY1* NHA14 POC24 IND17 GLN20 MCH35 BRI11 DAR37 RCH22 NHA17 DOV15 MAR29 CLT32 TAL3 CAR31 PHO39 ATL22 23rd 3019 1998 Petty Enterprises 43 Pontiac DAY18 CAR13 LVS41 ATL20 DAR13 BRI19 TEX42 MAR18 TAL33 CAL31 CLT7 DOV12 RCH22 MCH20 POC13 SON3 NHA6 POC12 IND7 GLN8 MCH9 BRI38 NHA3 DAR14 RCH5 DOV9 MAR37 CLT12 TAL21 DAY14 PHO6 CAR34 ATL32 11th 3682 1999 DAY43 CAR19 LVS12 ATL28 DAR9 TEX38 BRI4 MAR1 TAL9 CAL17 RCH39 CLT19 DOV13 MCH8 POC28 SON3 DAY19 NHA18 POC42 IND37 GLN29 MCH10 BRI40 DAR18 RCH9 NHA41 DOV41 MAR43 CLT17 TAL32 CAR7 PHO8 HOM16 ATL33 17th 3394 2000 DAY22 CAR12 LVS25 ATL18 DAR20 BRI33 TEX32 MAR14 TAL11 CAL25 RCH18 CLT31 DOV13 MCH9 POC21 SON43 DAY14 NHA40 POC41 IND42 GLN37 MCH27 BRI20 DAR37 RCH11 NHA7 DOV22 MAR13 CLT18 TAL20 CAR23 PHO28 HOM37 ATL19 23rd 3169 2001 Dodge DAY39 CAR21 LVS37 ATL14 DAR6 BRI2 TEX31 MAR35 TAL37 CAL26 RCH34 CLTDNQ DOV19 MCH37 POC39 SON30 DAY22 CHI23 NHA23 POC27 IND14 GLN14 MCH26 BRI21 DAR21 RCH30 DOV19 KAN39 CLT26 MAR33 TAL34 PHO39 CAR29 HOM22 ATL25 NHA36 31st 2943 2002 DAY37 CAR15 LVS36 ATL36 DAR22 BRI34 TEX22 MAR42 TAL38 CAL24 RCH20 CLT15 DOV32 POC31 MCH23 SON10 DAY24 CHI22 NHA25 POC23 IND26 GLN11 MCH20 BRI19 DAR42 RCH29 NHA22 DOV29 KAN14 TAL18 CLT23 MAR13 ATL43 CAR18 PHO14 HOM39 28th 3161 2003 DAY34 CAR39 LVS18 ATL29 DAR38 BRI31 TEX19 TAL14 MAR30 CAL8 RCH30 CLT39 DOV34 POC23 MCH SON DAY CHI 38th 2379 Haas CNC Racing 0 Pontiac NHA41 POC33 GLN19 MCH BRI DAR Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 81 Chevy IND43 1 RCH14 NHA12 DOV34 KAN19 CLT30 MAR31 ATL22 PHO16 CAR30 HOM42 Richard Childress Racing 90 Chevy TAL15 2004 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. 1 Chevy DAY13 CAR29 LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT19 DOV POC MCH SON DAY43 CHI16 NHA 45th 818 8 POCRL† IND GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN Ppc Racing 14 Ford CLT22 MAR ATL25 PHO31 DARDNQ HOM20 2005 DAY31 CAL29 LVS28 ATLDNQ BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN 55th 304 Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Chevy MCH28 BRI CALDNQ RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 2007 Front Row Motorsports 37 Dodge DAY CAL34 LVSDNQ ATLDNQ BRI MAR TEXDNQ PHODNQ TALDNQ RCH DAR CLT DOV POC 48th 932 Petty Enterprises 45 Dodge MCH27 SON NHA42 DAY28 CHI18 IND POC GLN BAM Racing 49 Dodge MCH37 BRI40 CAL37 RCH37 NHADNQ DOV37 KAN33 TAL33 CLT42 MAR33 ATL28 TEXDNQ PHODNQ HOMDNQ 2008 Front Row Motorsports 34 Chevy DAY40 CAL35 LVSDNQ ATLDNQ BRIDNQ MARDNQ TEX40 PHODNQ TALDNQ RCHDNQ DAR CLT DOV POC MCH SON NHA DAY CHI IND POC GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 62nd 149 2009 DAY19 CAL31 LVS28 ATL29 BRI34 MAR35 TEX26 PHO38 TAL27 RCH32 DAR CLT DOV34 POC35 MCH33 SON30 NHA16 DAY27 CHI30 IND32 POC30 GLN30 MCH28 BRI30 ATL31 RCH29 NHA26 DOV27 KAN33 CAL19 CLT36 MAR26 TAL23 TEX24 PHO34 HOM33 36th 2597 2010 Ford DAY38 CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR PHO TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT POC MCH SON NHA DAY CHI IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH NHA DOV KAN CAL CLT MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 71st 49 † - Relieved Dale Earnhardt Jr. during race

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1994 Hagan Racing Chevrolet 15 42 1995 Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 38 27 1996 6 38 1997 Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 32 25 1998 Petty Enterprises Pontiac 17 18 1999 36 43 2000 30 22 2001 Dodge 26 39 2002 16 37 2003 12 34 2004 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 29 13 2005 Ppc Racing Ford 42 31 2008 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 22 40 2009 37 19 2010 Ford 33 38

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 1998 Andretti-Laird Racing 96 Chevy DAY13 CAR LVS NSV DAR BRI TEX HCY TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV RCH PPR GLN MLW MYB CAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT GTY CAR ATL HOM 93rd 124 2005 Ppc Racing 10 Ford DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL NSH BRI TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOMDNQ NA - 2006 DAY34 CAL19 MXC23 LVS42 ATL20 BRI9 TEX19 NSH28 PHO34 TAL16 RCH19 DAR15 CLT17 DOV19 NSH18 KEN15 MLW12 DAY10 CHI25 NHA18 MAR7 GTY26 IRP27 GLN5 MCH30 BRI14 CAL29 RCH16 DOV19 KAN23 CLT25 MEM35 TEX15 PHO25 HOM16 12th 3562 2007 Toyota DAY39 CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 147th 46

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts Ref 2005 Billy Ballew Motorsports 15 Chevy DAY CAL ATL MAR GTY MFD CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW KAN9 KEN MEM8 IRP36 NSH11 BRI RCH NHA LVS MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 46th 465 2008 Billy Ballew Motorsports 15 Toyota DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA LVS4 TAL14 MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 53rd 291