Former NASCAR driver John Andretti, nephew of racing legend Mario Andretti died at the age of 56 Thursday after a lengthy battled with colon cancer.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts we share that John Andretti has today lost his battle with cancer,” a statement from Andretti Autosport, shared on Twitter [@FollowAndretti] read. “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 spend 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.”
Andretti was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2017 and underwent chemotherapy. Early in 2018, he shared news that his scans showed that he was cancer free, but the cancer returned and spread a couple of months later. Andretti began a #CheckIt4Andretti social media campaign during his battle with the disease to urge other people to get colonoscopies.
Andretti began competing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1993 and contested his final race in the series in 2010. He spent much of his career at Petty Enterprises, and in 1999 returned the iconic Petty #43 to victory lane at Martinsville Speedway. That win was Andretti’s last of his two career wins at NASCAR’s top level. His first win came at Daytona International Speedway in 1997 in a car owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough. He contested 393 Cup Series races, also competing for teams including Dale Earnhardt Inc., Front Row Motorsports and BAM Racing, among others.
Andretti also contested sports car and open-wheel races, including 12 Indianapolis 500s. His best Indianapolis 500 finish was a fifth in 1991.