John Andretti: 1963-2020

NASCAR, Indycar, IMSA and NHRA driver has passed

John Andretti comes from arguably the most famous racing family there is. He was a versatile driver that ran across multiple racing disciplines.

Indycar and NASCAR are the obvious ones. But, Andretti also ran some straight line stuff in an NHRA Top Fuel dragster. He also competed in sportscars via IMSA

Andretti crossed all the fences, running open wheel and fendered machines. He made his Indycar debut in 1987. His NASCAR debut came several years later in 1993.

In 1994, Andretti became the first driver to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Both races are some of the longest on their respective schedules. He finished 10th in the Indy 500 that day followed by 36th in the NASCAR event.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017.

John Andretti passed away on Thursday, January 30, 2020. He was 56.

John Andretti was the nephew of Mario Andretti. His is survived by his wife, Nancy, and children Jarrett, Olivia and Amelia.

John Andretti 43 Indycar
John Andretti 43 Indycar

Statement on the passing from the Andretti family

The Andretti family issued the following statement:

“It with the heaviest of hearts we share that John Andretti has today lost his battle with cancer. John was a loving husband and father, a devoted son and a trusted cousin. He was a philanthropist, an advocate for the sport, a dedicated teammate, a driven competitor and most important a dear friend.”

“Through Race4Riley, John spent decades dedicating his time and fundraising attention to Riley Hospital for Children. When first diagnosed with colon cancer on 2017, John vowed to fight back and use his voice to help spread the word of prevention and early detection.”

“He fought hard and stole back says the disease vowed to take away. He helped countless others undergo proper screening and in doing so, saved lives.”

“We will forever carry with us John’s genuine spirit of helping others first and himself second. Our prayers today are with Nancy, Jarett, Olivia and Amelia, with out entire family and with fans worldwide. We urge all out followers to, please, #CheckIt4Andretti.”

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Andretti Autosport | John Andretti | Indycar | NASCAR

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