Custom Search

2010 News
2009 News
2008 News

John Andretti News Feeds:

Google News
Yahoo! News
ESPN News
Topix News

Contact Us
About Us
Sitemap

John Andretti Stats
John Andretti Bio
Andretti's 500th Start
The Other Andretti

John Andretti Fan Page Message Board

Infrared Saunas

Sites:
Real Estate Information
Real Estate Projects
Real Estate Investments
Landscaping & Gardening
Landscape & Garden
Home Improvement
Home & Garden
Infrared Saunas
Far Infrared Saunas
Home Security
Security Information
Satellite & HD TV
Wine & Spirits
Coffee
Health & Fitness
Foreign Trade
John Andretti News

John Andretti News - July 2009

Pocono II: John Andretti preview

Racing series NASCAR-CUP
Date 2009-07-28

Andretti to Make 500th Motorsports Start

Front Row Motorsports/John Andretti Career Fast Facts:

* This Sunday, John Andretti, driver of the #34 Taco Bell Chevrolet, will make his 500th professional motorsports oval start at the 2.5-mile Pocono (Penn.) Raceway. Andretti also has professional starts in the NHRA and IMSA Series not included in this fact.

* In his 22 year career, Andretti has raced in various forms of oval racing. His start list is as follows:

-376 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup -37 in the Series NASCAR Nationwide -Six in the NASCAR Camping World -73 in the Series defunct CART/Champ Car World -Seven in the IRL IndyCar Series

* Andretti has four wins, 27 top fives, and 80 top-10s, with over 750 laps led in all his previous starts. He has won two Sprint Cup events, one at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and one at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He has one CART win at Surfers Paradise, Australia.

* Front Row Motorsports will be making their second start at Pocono this weekend.

John Andretti Comments on His 500th Motorsports Start

"Well, at 500 starts I guess that means you are either old or have been doing a lot of racing. I guess I'm a little of both. I enjoy what I do. Obviously I will have many more starts, but with the way some guys are doing it today, racing two and three series at a time, they are racking up a lot of starts and a lot of miles. I just feel privileged to make any professional starts period! I get to do what I love, and I think is what everyone aspires to. I've had the opportunity to do this for a long span and had a good time. I don't know if I've had 500 good times, but I've had a few anyway.

"As far as a highlight in my career or something that sticks out, that's funny. I can remember every lap of every race, and all the things that went on during the race, but I can't remember something from five minutes ago if it's not racing related. I think one of the most significant moments would have to be the first time I qualified for Indianapolis for the ‘500'. That's the one place everyone wants to go to, and for me and my dad (Aldo), who didn't get the opportunity, it just made it that much more special.

"I'll tell you, I've really been blessed to work with a lot of good people but I have to say that the one owner that I especially enjoyed working with is Richard Petty. We used to sit down and talk, not only about racing, but about life and family. Yet it was funny, I'd go to him for advice on how to drive my race car and he'd say, ‘You know what you're doing, just go do what you know.' Here is a guy with seven championships, 200 wins who will never be matched and he's telling me I know what I'm doing. I've had guy's that I drove for who have never raced who wanted to give me advice on driving a car. So I felt very privileged to drive for him and in a lot of ways I feel like we are parts of each other's families.

"Moving forward, I hope there are another 500 starts in there somewhere. It's like I said, I'm happy racing. Front Row Motorsports is a growing team and I'm proud to be here. We're making progress, have remained in the top-35 in owner points and hopefully drawn some attention from a few guys. Bob (current car owner Bob Jenkins) is another great guy I've met in my career. He's been great to work with. We're all in this to make the team grow and I want to be a part of it. It's where I'm at right now and I'm pretty happy."

-credit: frr

Full Story on MotorSport.com

Speed Wins The Indy Battle, But Andretti Winning The War

Breaking Down the Bubble:

Sunday, NASCAR traveled to the hallowed halls of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in their annual attempt to show that if you take 43 stock cars and put them at one of the greatest tracks in the entire world, you really don’t get very good racing. While a caution with thirty laps to go made for a good finish for the fans, it was no help for several of our bubble teams, who were struggling all afternoon and wanted nothing more than for the race to be over. Scott Speed found trouble early, Bill Elliott found it late, and Robby Gordon found it both early and often. To see just what those troubles were — and if John Andretti was able to hold on to his guaranteed starting spot — read on in this week’s edition of the bubble breakdown.

Focusing on the Bubble:

Scott Speed came out with guns blazing at Indy Saturday afternoon, laying down a lap of 50.634 to be good enough for 26th on the starting grid and putting him nine spots ahead of the John Andretti. But much like the last race at Chicagoland, Speed made it easy on Andretti by falling by the wayside early. Speed slapped the wall with his Red Bull Toyota, forcing him to the pits for repairs. The damage wasn’t terminal, but it did put Scott near the rear of the field where he would stay for the balance of the day. With ten cars having trouble during the afternoon, Speed was able to move up a little and salvage a 31st place finish that equaled his best run since the Coca-Cola 600 back in late May. Andretti, on the other hand, in typical fashion for this team took the green flag and did their version of points racing. They fought a tight in/loose off condition but never really pushed it to move the car ahead in the field, talking about a conservative game plan on the radio and running it to perfection on the track. The low-budget gang from Front Row Motorsports brought the car home in one piece again, finishing 32nd four laps down to the leader. While Scott Speed can take some solace in beating Andretti, he gained only three points, and at that rate they won’t get into the top 35 by the end of 2009.

Full Story on FrontStretch.com

Indianapolis: John Andretti preview

Racing series NASCAR-CUP
Date 2009-07-22

Front Row Motorsports Prepares for Indianapolis; Andretti Heads to Indy with Most Starts

Front Row Motorsports/John Andretti Brickyard Fast Facts:

* Front Row Motorsports and the No. 34 Chevrolet are currently locked into Sunday's Brickyard 400 by virtue of their 35th place standing in NASCAR Sprint Cup Owner Points.

* Team driver John Andretti will be making his 21st start in competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Andretti will be one of only three drivers (Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya) in the field to have started races competing in NASCAR, IndyCar and the former Champ Car World Series.

* Andretti will enter the race with the most race starts than any other driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

John Andretti Comments on Sunday's Brickyard 400:

"Well, I don't know what the problem with tires was last year. I think a lot of people were a little bit shocked by it. I think what happens is, when you diamond grind a track, it leaves some sharp points, basically like concrete. We have a lot of the same issues at Dover until it gets 'rubbered in' as they call it, the tires wear much quicker. Once you run enough, and the rubber fills in the gap, you then find longevity of the tires. I think that's what everybody anticipated would happen last year. It would 'rubber in' and it would be no problem and off they go. The way the tire wore, and the way the track was, it just never 'rubbered in'. I thought it was kind of cool because it was a little bit of a tire management race, but a lot of a pit crew race. It was all about the pit crew because you can make pit stops and keep moving yourself up because guys were just being careful.

"They fixed, they think, all of the tire problems from last season. They really feel they have a good handle on it, I've talked to a few of the different drivers who have tested there and they feel really good about the tire. I think everyone went in with a lot of skepticism, but all the comments have been glowing. I think Goodyear really came out with a great tire and a great result. I don't believe there are going to be any issues.

"The banking and the speeds are unique to Indianapolis, opposed to most other places. Believe it or not, we've actually run the Bristol tire at Indianapolis - kind of an odd match. So, I think that Indy is such a unique animal that it's just always going to produce unique problems. It's just a challenge. It's a challenge for the drivers, for the tire companies, a challenge for the motor builders, so I just think it's hard to do everything right and Indianapolis and that's what goes into it being such a great facility."

-credit: frm

Full Story on MotorSport.com

Andretti Team Is On Front Row Of Racing Efficiency

Submitted by Jim Pedley on Tuesday, 21 July 2009

By Jim Pedley | Managing Editor
RacinToday.com

Joliet, Ill. – In the infield of Chicagoland Speedway, John Andretti keeps motioning over his shoulder and talking about “that side of the garage”.

He’s sitting in a relatively spartan Sprint Cup hauler as he does it. He’s sitting on a well-used upholstered bench-seat which is, like, naugahyde or something, but pretty obviously not genuine Corinthian leather. There is nary a laptop computer in sight.

The hauler is clean, but institutionally white inside and devoid of just about anything that does not have a purpose.

That is, the hauler and the Front Row Motorsports team which operates out of it, is clearly not on “that side of the garage”. On its side of the garage, where NASCAR parks teams which are struggling to make races and payrolls, frills are considered to be cheese on the crew’s hamburgers.

As Andretti says with yet another motion over his shoulder, “We don’t have an engineering department here. We have an engineer.”

But Front Row does have some things going for it. Good things, mostly good people. And in times like these (read: in times of economic chaos), it is running relatively well and perhaps standing as a model as how to do more with less in NASCAR.

Read More

Riley & Racin': West TH youngsters get up close and personal with IndyCar during Andretti race shop tour

By Howard Greninger
The Tribune-Star
July 20, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS — Eight-year-old brothers Creed and Christopher Fritz eyed a shiny, blue and white, open wheel IndyCar, then quickly turned around as the car’s famous driver stood between them Monday for a photograph.

Retired CART and Formula One driver Michael Andretti, now co-owner of Andretti Green Racing, opened his championship IndyCar race shop in Indianapolis to five past and current patients of Riley Hospital for Children.

The car, one of two in the lobby of Andretti Green Racing, was driven by Andretti to victory in the 2002 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Andretti’s last victory as a driver.

In addition, Andretti’s cousin, NASCAR driver John Andretti, walked through the facility with the youngsters. He is preparing for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard race on Sunday. The Andrettis teamed with Riley Children’s Foundation for the tour.

Full Story on TribStar.com

Bubble Driver Review: David Ragan Biggest Disappointment Amongst This Group In 2009

35th: Front Row Motorsports’ No. 34 Chevrolet driven by John Andretti and Tony Raines. If you told me back in February that this team would be in the top 35 at this point, I would have thought you were nuts. But with several teams folding, Andretti has been able to keep this underdog organization in the top 35 despite struggling to run anywhere close to the front. The team has just one top 20 start and three top 25 finishes, with one of those by substitute driver Tony Raines. However, the key to their success has been running at the finish of all but one race, enabling them to post results in the 27th to 32nd place range while maintaining the 35th position in the owner standings. Based on the fact that this is a small budget team which has managed to stay in the top 35, I am giving them a B- for the first half of 2009.

Full Story on FrontStretch.com

Front Row Motorsports, Doing It The Right Way

July 15, 2009
by Clayton Caldwell BleacherReport.com

When Daytona hit in 2009, there was one team most people thought were doomed. Front Row Motorsports. Yes, they were locked into the first five races, but they had been downright awful in the four years prior to 2009.

Even hardcore NASCAR fans thought little of Front Row Motorsports. They were given the nickname "Last Row Motorsports", and have been laughed at numerous times when their qualifying speed was two seconds off the pace.

Plus, how could a small operation like FRM, compete with the Hendricks, Roushs, and Childresses of the world? They are a single car operation, and that is unheard of now days.

Most fans and the media thought that after Bristol they wouldn't be around anymore.

But here we are, going to the Brickyard 400, and John Andretti and his Front Row Motorsports team are still in the top 35. Not only that, they are 190 points ahead of Scott Speed's #82 team, putting them in great shape for 2010.

The question is, why? Why is this little team with little sponsorship beating Scott Speed and his multi-million dollar team in Red Bull Racing?

The answer is simple; smart ownership.

Read More

Long John Silver's on the #34 & #37; Free Tacos Tuesday:

July 9, 2009

Front Row Motorsports and Long John Silver's will be looking to hook your attention this weekend during the LifeLock.com 400 Sprint Cup Series event at the Chicagoland Speedway. Long John Silver's has partnered with Front Row Motorsports to help promote Baja Fish Taco Day on the hood of both the #37 entry driven by Tony Raines and the #34 entry driven by John Andretti.

Race fans will be reminded each time they see the Front Row Motorsports entries on the track that Long John Silver's will celebrate Baja Fish Taco Day on Tuesday, July 14, when fans can enjoy a free Baja Fish Taco at participating restaurant locations across the country from Open to 2:30 p.m.(Front Row Motorsports PR)

Full Story on Jayski.com

Front Row Motorsports mid-season report

Front Row Motorsports Gives Mid-Season Report Complete with Free Baja Fish Taco Offer

Statesville, N.C. (July 8, 2009) -- This weekend Front Row Motorsports, with drivers John Andretti and Tony Raines head to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway located in Joliet, Ill. for Sunday's LifeLock.com 400. The team will be promoting Long John Silver's Baja Fish Taco Day on July 14 on the hood of their cars.

Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, currently fields a full-time entry in both the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Andretti and the No. 34 Chevrolet team are 35th in Sprint Cup owner points heading into this weekend's race. The team has raced competitively against other teams with larger budgets and resources and continues to grow.

Front Row Motorsports is currently in its fifth season of operation and have settled their Sprint Cup operation in a sprawling Statesville, N.C. facility housing both the No. 34 and 37 machines. The teams have been primarily sponsored by Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, Window World and Gander Mountain in the 2009 season.

John Andretti, Driver No. 34 Long John Silver's Baja Fish Taco Chevrolet:

"Front Row Motorsports is a whole new team. At Daytona, and then beyond there too, we've moved into a different race shop, been building race cars and sort of haven't had time to catch our breath yet. There has been one weekend off and that's hardly enough time. We are just plowing away to get to the next few races. I think that now, just past mid-season, we can kind of get to this break coming up and it will be good for the team.

"It will be good for the road guys to get that little bit of time off. Being a small team, everybody pulls a lot of extra weight. Driver's always say they want to thank all of their guys back at the shop for all of the hard work. Let me tell you something, when you do it on the amount of people that we do it on, there is a tremendous amount of hard work out of every individual. Saying that, I think that Front Row Motorsports has done a great job and from a standpoint of a grade, you can't look at the results and say that is how you determine it, I give it a B plus. I think that the quality and the workmanship of what they do I think is just amazing. I think they have really come out with great products so overall I'm real proud of them.

"Our sponsorship has been great this season. We've been fed well with Taco Bell and Long John Silver's. Long John Silver's has a new Baja Fish Taco that's coming out, and this coming Tuesday actually, you can go to any Long John Silver's in the nation and from the time they open until 2:30 p.m. you can go in and get a free Baja Fish Taco. Now it sounds a little weird, the Baja Fish Taco does, but believe me they taste great. You can get them in your car and get a couple of them and head on down the road. It's a great lunch.

"Today, sponsorship is the blood of any major sport and you know it is no different for racing. Motorsports has grown up into a sponsorship-driven environment where teams aren't just owned by individuals. Our team owner is very committed and probably financially committed almost more than any other team owner in the garage in a lot of ways. So we're all in the same pack and we're growing Front Row Motorsports. I think that you know look at us in another five years from now and sponsorship is going to be a big part in taking us to that next level."

-credit: frm

Full Story on Motorsport.com

John Andretti Finishes 27th at Daytona

July 4th, 2009 - Daytona International Speeday

John Andretti wheeled the #34 Taco Bell Chevy to a 27th place finish this evening in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. After starting 35th due to qualifying being rained out for the second week in a row, the Front Row Motorsports team avoided carnage all evening, including a last-lap melee, to hold on to 27th place.

The team struggled throughout the race with a lack of power, but was able to avoid numerous accidents. Andretti stayed out early to lead a lap and pick up the precious 5 bonus points which helped the team gain another 17 points over the 36th position in owner's points. Andretti goes into Chicago next weekend in 35th position in the owner's point with a 172 point cushion.

JohnAndrettiNews.com

John Andretti Awarded "Underdog of the Week" on Sports Illustrated's NASCAR Power Rankings

July 1, 2009

excerpt

Underdog of the Week: A few weeks ago, I was bombarded with emails from John Andretti fans requesting that he and the Front Row Motorsports organization be featured as the Underdog of the Week. Well, guys, now is your time to shine! The FRR #34 team has been one of the pleasant stories of the year, going from a single-car team on the edge of extinction to one that's locked inside the top 35 in owner points. While Andretti hasn't been spectacular, he's been steady, allowing this once struggling operation to gain a foothold in a series it's tried to tackle with little success for the past four years.

Sunday at New Hampshire, the team used pit strategy to record its best finish of the season to date. With Andretti stretching a little extra fuel out of his tank, he was up to 16th, on the lead lap, when the final caution fell for rain on Lap 268. That not only gave the team a solid top 20, but more importantly -- with rival Scott Speed crashing out -- it gave them almost a 160-point cushion on their nearest challenger for 35th. That means for the foreseeable future, Andretti and Co. will be qualifying on speed every week, a small but necessary comfort as they try to compete with the big multi-car teams at the top.

Full Story on SI.com