John Andretti News - Biography

John Andretti

Birth Date: March 12, 1963

Height: 5’ 6” Weight: 140 lbs

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Residence: Mooresville, North Carolina

Wife: Nancy

Children: Jarett, Olivia, Amelia

College: BA in Business Management (Dean's list, Moravian College)

The word "versatile" fits second generation race driver John Andretti very well; in fact, Andretti almost redefines the word itself. A driver since the age of nine, Andretti has been behind the wheel of almost everything with four wheels underneath it, a few with two wheels and a couple with treads and runners. Starting in sanctioned go-kart racing, Andretti has made is mark in all forms of auto racing including USAC midgets, IndyCars, NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and NASCAR.

It seemed a predetermined fate that Andretti became a race car driver. Born to racer Aldo Andretti - twin to Indy car legend Mario Andretti, John Andretti had racing streaming through his blood. It doesn't stop at his bloodline however, as Andretti's Godfather happens to be another Indy car legend - A.J. Foyt. Despite the rich family history it was John who branched out, and today, has become one of the most versatile drivers on the Andretti racing family tree.

The Renaissance man of auto racing started winning at an early age, competing with and against Cousin Michael in go-karts. Andretti then made the next move up to the USAC midget division, where he claimed rookie of the year honors in 1983 winning USAC Regional Midget Championship. Never a man for staying in one place for a long period of time, Andretti jumped into USAC sprint cars the next year and also sat behind the wheel of IMSA GTP prototype sports cars the same year. Andretti found success driving WSC prototype sports cars, claiming a sixth-place finish in the 1988 24-Hours of LeMans (while teaming with cousin Michael and Uncle Mario), and one year later winning the 24 Hours of Daytona. . Born in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Andretti was raised near Indianapolis, and growing up it became - and remained - his goal to win at the "Mecca" of auto racing - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Like his father and uncle before him, Andretti first joined the big leagues of racing in the Indy PPG/CART Series in 1987. Racing in only five events, Andretti claimed rookie of the race honors in each event he entered. In 1988, Andretti made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and raced as high as seventh before mechanical woes forced him to finish 21st. Andretti's days at the most famous track in the world were just starting, and it didn't take long for long John Andretti to write his own history at the storied track.

For Andretti, success was coming in all forms of racing. In 1991 he scored his biggest win of an already impressive career, winning the Gold Coast Grand Prix in Australia in the PPG/CART Series. That same year he returned to Indy to finish a career best fifth in the Indianapolis 500. A week later in Milwaukee, Michael, John and Mario completed the trifecta dominating the podium for the only time known in motorsports history for a family to finish first, second and third respectively.

In 1994, Andretti sought another challenge to his ever-growing career, this time switching gears and trying his hands at a full-body stock car. Andretti teamed up with car owner Billy Hagan and ran his first full season in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition; first with Hagan and then with Petty Enterprises for the final 11 races of the year. The 1995 season saw Andretti move over to the Kranefuss-Haas stable where he earned his first career pole - at the legendary Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C. Along with this pole and due to a new track record speed, came the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Unocal Record Club receiving an exclusive "white" jacket only previously awarded to the likes of Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and a few select other icons of NASCAR. Learning to become versatile often comes from driving for different owners and different teams, and for the end of the 1996 and the full 1997 season, Andretti moved over to join Cale Yarborough's operation. . Already winning in two forms of major league racing series, it was time Andretti proved himself once again by winning in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series - the Pepsi 400 in July 1997, at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. The win solidified Andretti's name as one of the most successfully versatile drivers in motorsports history.

It was Memorial Day weekend of 1994 when Andretti wrote his name in motorsports history once again by becoming the first driver to run in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola World 600 on the same day. Andretti had set a trend that many have attempted but only few have succeeded. In fact, it was six years after Andretti completed the task that it was successfully completed again.

In 1998, Andretti returned to Petty Enterprises and drove once again for "The King." Andretti tallied 10 top-10 finishes, three top-fives, and won one pole to finish a career best 11th in the national points championship. He turned around in 1999 and won his second career Nextel Cup race, taking the checkered flag at Martinsville, Virginia, to go along with a pole at Phoenix, three top-fives and 10 top-tens. The most successfully versatile driver in motorsports history had proved himself a winner at any level of motorsports with any organization. The next three years Andretti stayed with Petty Enterprises, and established one the longest tenures a driver has ever had at the legendary organization. Andretti departed in 2003, giving the organization its best finishes of any other driver in four seasons.

In 2006, Andretti is ready to prove again, that he could drive for anyone at anytime. Opportunity has come in the form of ppc racing and the NASCAR Busch Series. Although Andretti will be a "rookie" having only started in one previous Busch Series event, he is setting goals on winning races with yet another team in another series. Posting the second highest point finish of non-Nextel Cup supported programs, Andretti set new challenge with a variety of teams including going "home" to Petty Enterprises.

2007 started in one direction and ended in many with teams such as Petty Enterprises, BAM Racing, Front Row Motorsports in Sprint Cup and, after a 13 year absence, Andretti went back to the Indianapolis 500 with 2-Time Championship Team, Panther Racing becoming the 8th Indianapolis 500 start in his career.

For 2008 Andretti ventured from the 50th running of the Daytona 500 to the Indianapolis 500 for his 9th appearance. Included were additional Sprint Cup races with Front Row Motorsports, IndyCar races at Milwaukee, Texas, Iowa and Richmond for Roth Racing and a couple of Craftsman Truck races for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Again, variety being the spice of Andretti's racing life!

Credit: WindowWorldRacing.com