January 31, 2020
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Photo Courtesy of Roger Blake via Creative Commons License
One of the most famous family names in racing is now mourning the loss of one of their own.
John Andretti, the nephew of Mario Andretti, passed away on Thursday at the age of 56.
The Battle with Cancer
Once again, we have lost another American icon to the horrible disease of cancer.
Andretti had a long battle with colon cancer, and he finally succumbed to his condition.
Needless to say, family and friends were emotional, and thoughts and prayers poured in via social media outlets and press releases.
Andretti Autosport, John’s race team, stated, “It is 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 importantly 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 in 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 days 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 our entire family, and with fans worldwide.
“We urge all our followers to, please, #CheckIt4Andretti.”
Long and Successful Career
Andretti’s career has stretched over almost two decades.
In all, he ran 393 NASCAR Cup Series races, with his first race having taken place in 1993.
His first win came in 1997 at the Pepsi 400, held at Daytona.
His last win was in 1999 at the Good’s Body Pain 500, held at Martinsville.
While he only had two victories during his career, he did have 37 Top 10 finishes as well as having won four poles.
Rest in peace, John, your fans will miss you.
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