History of John Andretti in Timeline

"John Andrew Andretti was a renowned American race car driver, celebrated for his victories in prestigious racing events including CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR. Hailing from the esteemed Andretti racing lineage, he was the son of Aldo Andretti and brother to Adam Andretti. Notably, he was also the nephew of racing icon Mario Andretti and cousin to accomplished CART drivers Michael and Jeff Andretti, further solidifying the family's legacy in motorsports."

March 12, 1963: Birth

John Andretti was born on March 12, 1963.

1985: Graduation from Moravian College

John Andretti graduated from Moravian College with a degree in business management in 1985.

1986: IMSA GTP Season

John Andretti joined the BMW North America team for the 1986 IMSA GTP season and won the Watkins Glen International race with Davy Jones in 1986.

1987: CART Debut

John Andretti joined CART's PPG Indy Car World Series in 1987.

1988: Indianapolis 500 Debut

John Andretti made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 1988 Indianapolis 500, finishing 21st after experiencing mechanical problems.

1989: 24 Hours of Daytona and Pontiac Grand Prix of Palm Beach Victories

In 1989, John Andretti won the 24 Hours of Daytona with co-drivers Bob Wollek and Derek Bell. Later that year, he also won the Pontiac Grand Prix of Palm Beach with Wollek, driving the same Porsche 962. He finished the season fifth in points, the highest-ranking Porsche driver.

1991: Gold Coast Indy 300 Victory and Indianapolis 500

John Andretti achieved his only CART career win at the Gold Coast Indy 300 in Surfer's Paradise, Australia in 1991. He also achieved a career-best fifth place finish at the Indianapolis 500 that year.

1992: Joe Amato Wins FRAM Southern Nationals

Joe Amato won the FRAM Southern Nationals in 1992.

1993: Winston Cup Debut

John Andretti debuted in the Winston Cup, driving the No. 72 Tex Racing Chevy for Tex Powell at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1993. He started 31st and finished 24th.

1993: Top Fuel Dragster Debut

John 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 in 1993. He achieved a career-best speed of 299 mph. Andretti 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.

1994: Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600

John Andretti became the first driver in history to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 1994. He finished 10th and 36th, respectively.

1994: Final Indianapolis 500 before return in 2007

The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was John Andretti's last appearance in the race until 2007.

1995: First Career Pole and Top Ten Finishes

John Andretti began driving for Michael Kranefuss in 1995, winning his first career pole at the Southern 500 and finishing in the top ten five times. He ended the season 18th in points.

1996: Switch to Cale Yarborough's Team

John Andretti switched to the No. 98 RCA-sponsored Ford owned by Cale Yarborough in 1996, after Jeremy Mayfield, the previous driver, moved to Kranefuss' team.

1997: First Career Win

John Andretti scored his first career win at the Pepsi 400 in 1997 and finished 23rd in points.

1998: Busch Series Debut

John Andretti made his only Busch Series start before 2006 in 1998 at Daytona, where he finished 13th.

1998: Return to Petty Enterprises

John Andretti returned to the No. 43 Petty car in 1998, achieving ten Top 10 finishes and a career-best 11th place in points.

1999: Martinsville Speedway Victory

John Andretti won his second career race at Martinsville Speedway in 1999, where he came back from a lost lap to take the lead with only four laps to go. He also won the pole at Phoenix Raceway.

2000: Cheerios Sponsorship and Petty Enterprises Switch to Dodge

John Andretti gained Cheerios as a primary sponsor in 2000. This coincided with Petty Enterprises switching to Dodge as their manufacturer.

2001: GT Class Victory at Watkins Glen

John Andretti, along with Kyle Petty, won the GT Class in the six-hour sports car race at Watkins Glen in 2001.

2003: Departure from Petty Enterprises

John Andretti was released from Petty Enterprises midway through the 2003 season.

2004: Part-Time Driving for DEI and ppc Racing

John Andretti started the 2004 season driving part-time for DEI, but left the team midway through the season. He ended the year driving for ppc Racing.

2005: ppc Racing Dissolution and Craftsman Truck Series

John Andretti continued driving with ppc Racing, but the team dissolved due to a lack of funding. Andretti then drove four Craftsman Truck Series races for Billy Ballew Motorsports.

2006: Return to ppc Racing and Busch Series Rookie of the Year Contender

John Andretti returned to ppc racing to drive their No. 10 Busch Series car. He was a contender for Rookie of the Year, finishing second to Danny O'Quinn.

2007: The Driver's Seat

Andretti began co-hosting "The Driver's Seat" with John Kernan on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel 90 in 2007.

2007: Driving for Braun Racing, Petty Enterprises, and Front Row Motorsports

John Andretti drove for Braun Racing at the beginning of the 2007 season but left when funding became questionable. He then drove four races for Petty Enterprises, filling in for Kyle Petty, and briefly drove part-time for Front Row Motorsports.

2007: Return to Indianapolis 500

John Andretti returned to the Indianapolis 500 in 2007 after last competing in the race in 1994.

2008: Sprint Cup Series

Andretti started the 2008 Sprint Cup Series driving the No. 34 Chevrolet Impala SS for Front Row Motorsports. He successfully raced his way into the Daytona 500 through the second Gatorade Duel race. After competing in the first ten races of the season, he shifted his focus to his IndyCar team.

2008: Driving for Roth Racing

John Andretti replaced Jay Howard in the Roth Racing No. 24 Dallara-Honda, qualifying for his ninth Indy 500 on May 17 with a four-lap average of 221.550 mph, placing him 21st. He finished on the lead lap in 16th place. He continued driving the No. 24 car in the Milwaukee Mile and Texas Motor Speedway races.

April 2009: Indianapolis 500

In April 2009, Andretti teamed up with Richard Petty and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing to compete in the Indianapolis 500, driving the No. 43 car. He qualified 28th and finished 19th, the last car on the lead lap.

2009: Sprint Cup Series

In 2009, Andretti partnered with Front Row Motorsports and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 34 car in the Sprint Cup Series, sponsored by Window World, myAutoloan.com, and Taco Bell.

March 2010: Partnership with Richard Petty and Window World

In March 2010, Andretti announced a partnership with Richard Petty and Window World for two racing events. The partnership involved driving the No. 43 car, supported by Andretti Autosport.

2010: Daytona 500

In 2010, Andretti participated in the Daytona 500, his final NASCAR race. He drove the No. 34 car for Front Row Motorsports and finished in 38th place after being involved in an accident on lap 117.

2011: Centennial Indianapolis 500

Andretti participated in the landmark 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2011. His effort was backed by Window World, Richard Petty, and Andretti Autosport, and he finished in 22nd place.

2012: Rolex 24 at Daytona

In 2012, Andretti competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Yellow Dragon Motorsports, sponsored by Window World. He shared the driving duties with Taylor Hacquard, Anders Krohn, and his son Jarett. They were forced to retire due to engine problems and classified 50th, marking Andretti's last professional race.

April 2017: Cancer Diagnosis

In April 2017, Andretti publicly shared his diagnosis of stage four colon cancer. Initially misdiagnosed as Stage III-A, his battle with the disease was widely publicized. He used his platform to advocate for early detection, launching the #CheckIt4Andretti hashtag to promote colonoscopies.

May 2018: Cancer Reemergence

Andretti's cancer returned in May 2018 and had spread further. He underwent another round of chemotherapy, which continued until January 2019.

January 2019: End of Chemotherapy Round

Andretti completed a round of chemotherapy in January 2019 for his reemerged cancer.

March 2019: Cancer Relapse

Andretti's cancer relapsed again in late March 2019.

January 30, 2020: Death

John Andretti died on January 30, 2020.

2021: "Steer Clear of Cancer" campaign

Andretti Motorsports partnered with Jarrett Andretti and Unite Health Share Ministries in 2021 to launch the "Steer Clear of Cancer" campaign. This initiative aimed to raise funds for cancer research during Colon Cancer Awareness Month.