![]() “When something was on his mind or in his heart, John got it done,” McBride said. In August 2018, Window World gave Andretti a humanitarian award that was inscribed with “Love deeper. John Andretti signed autographs on in New York in a celebration of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images).Īfter Andretti traveled thousands of miles to secure the signatures of more than 250 drivers, the car was auctioned in 2016 for $1 million that was donated to St. Jamie McBride, a board member for Window World (which sponsored Andretti in three Indy 500s and NASCAR), began working closely in 2011 with Andretti as he spearheaded a five-year project to have every living driver who raced the Indy 500 sign “The Stinger,” a replica car of the Marmon Wasp (which won the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911). ![]() The whole racing world and more were watching that.”Īndretti leveraged the awareness to help causes that were both charitable and personal. He was the first to come up with that idea who was brave enough and tough enough to do that. Two of the biggest events in motorsports, he started it. That’s legacy stuff, and 25 years later, we still are talking about the potential of someone doing that. ![]() The exposure that gave our sport was unbelievable. “When he ran the doubleheader on the same day, that was crazy. “It’s just amazing what he was able to do. “For an Andretti that might be normal, but for the rest of us you don’t do that,” Burton said. In 1994, Andretti became the first to race the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He also reached the semifinal round of an NHRA Top Fuel event. The most impressive was his diverse resume, which included wins in Cup, Ind圜ar, the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and sprint cars. The smartest thing John ever did was marry Nancy.” A year later, Nancy agreed to go out with John again, they got married for 30 years and had great kids. “Nancy decided no more with this guy, but that wasn’t what John had on his mind. “It was a complete failure,” Burton said with a laugh. When her parents got her to relent after Andretti’s nonstop phone calls, they went to dinner at an expensive French restaurant. If something was on his mind, he’d make it happen.”īurton recalled the best example as Andretti’s pursuit of his wife, Nancy, who initially rejected his overtures. “I knew John to be a guy who made stuff happen. We spent a lot of time at racetracks, on airplanes and at holidays together. We were always together and became really close. “I wanted to understand what he was about. “To be blunt, I didn’t know why an Andretti was coming to NASCAR racing,” Burton said, drawing chuckles from an audience that included Ind圜ar legends Mario and Michael Andretti. NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton, who entered the Cup Series with Andretti as rookies in 1994, eulogized his close friend as a fierce competitor with bedrock principles, a redoubtable spirit and a devoted family man. The versatile racer, who died of colon cancer at 56 last Thursday, was remembered during a three-hour visitation and 45-minute memorial service at Saint Mark Catholic Church that drew hundreds (including NASCAR president Steve Phelps and several drivers, crew chiefs and team executives) to a suburb just north of Charlotte, North Carolina. – Whether excelling in myriad racing disciplines, tirelessly raising awareness (and money) for passionate causes or relentlessly wooing his wife, John Andretti and his indomitable will were celebrated Monday night.
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