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John Andretti |
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 The word “versatile” fits second generation 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 his mark in all forms of auto racing - from USAC midgets to 300-plus miles per hour NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters. In 2006 Andretti will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series for the first time. Andretti will make his debut season driving the #10 Freedom Roads/Camping World Ford for ppc Racing.
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 cars the same year. Andretti found success driving IMSA 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, Pa., 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 year honors in each race 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. Although Andretti did not find victory lane, his days at Indy were not done.
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. 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, Va., 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 2004 Andretti proved, again, that he could drive for anyone at anytime.
This time Andretti took more time to make decisions- looking for only the best opportunities. Opportunity came early in the form of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Andretti drove in several races for the championship caliber team, and was one of the fastest drivers in the 2004 Daytona 500 before finishing 13th. Andretti, however, still had many questions left unanswered and he was looking for that perfect combination to bring wins and championships.
The answer came at the end of 2005.
Andretti formed a partnership with ppc Racing to be the driver to bring this championship Busch Series team more success as ppc racing is second in all time race wins in the NASCAR Busch Series. Andretti and the team also brought new faces with them as well. Freedom Roads and Camping World teamed up to complete the pieces. The team was announced in the fall of 2005 at Homestead-Miami event as the #10 Freedom Roads/Camping World Ford.
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Residence: Mooresville, N.C.
Wife: Nancy
Children: Jarett Olivia Amelia
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