Former Drag Racer John Andretti to run Indy 500

[john]

for those of you old enough to remember. John Andretti drove a top fuel dragster in NHRA competition.

he'll be racing at the indy 500 this year and i just posted a podcast. If you're interested give it a listen. rpm2night

 

[Toejam]

for those of you old enough to remember. John Andretti drove a top fuel dragster in NHRA competition.

he'll be racing at the indy 500 this year and i just posted a podcast. If you're interested give it a listen. rpm2night

If my memory serves me right, I think it was just 2 races!

 

[DrRocket]

No, I think it was a few more than that Joe. I seem to remember he drove most of a season one year, and did a respectable job.

He's been involved in NASCAR too, if I remember correctly.

Good to see he's still active in the race car scene.

 

[nwspeedshots]

Saw ‘im on ‘Inside Winston Cup’ (that great, freewheelin’ show featuring Kenny Schrader, Michael Waltrip, and Johnny Benson), once. Of all the various rides he’d had, they just wanted to hear about Top Fuel.

 

[d'kid]

No, I think it was a few more than that Joe. I seem to remember he drove most of a season one year, and did a respectable job.

He's been involved in NASCAR too, if I remember correctly.

Good to see he's still active in the race car scene.

Think he drove for same cat named Petty....

d'kid

 

[.]

He drove the Taco Bell car if I'm not mistaken.

 

[DrRocket]

He drove the Taco Bell car if I'm not mistaken.

Wasn't that Jack Clark's car?

 

[.]

Wasn't that Jack Clark's car?

Yep... just did a quick google search and found this.

 

[john]

if i remember correctly, and i probably don't. i believe he won his first round at gainesville over joe amato. but, i'm probably wrong. sometimes my mind doesn't work too well! LOL

 

[BF]

Yep... just did a quick google search and found this.

I had him sign one of those at the INDY 500 2 years ago. He hadn't seen one in a while.

 

[Greg]

I'm pretty sure he only made a race or two before having to drop out in order to commit to NASCAR. Tim Ferrell was the crew chief then, and had the car running pretty strong. I believe there were a couple of other drivers of the Taco Bell car in '93....Andy Woods and Doug Foxworth. In '94 Ed McCulloch actually drove it for part of the season. Finally Jack Clark ran the car before the team just went away.

 

[kegs]

Wasn't McEwen part of this deal with Clark at the start?

 

[Greg]

Wasn't McEwen part of this deal with Clark at the start?

McEwen drove for Jack Clark when he had the Mobil 1 deal I think in '90 and '91, then Mike Dunn drove some in '92. '93 is when the Taco Bell deal came about.

 

[none]

McEwen drove for Jack Clark when he had the Mobil 1 deal I think in '90 and '91, then Mike Dunn drove some in '92. '93 is when the Taco Bell deal came about.

I remember McCulloch drove the Taco Bell car at the first two races of `94. Tim Ferrell crew chiefed. Me and my buddy kind of followed that team around both weekends in Pomona and Phoenix and was surprised when Ace told me that Phoenix was the last race. Apparently, Ed ponied up his own $$ for those races and he wasn`t going down that road.

 

[mick]

anyone know if any taco pesos were paid to clark? or was it hopeful
to gain sponsor money and ran the taco bell logo for free?
i recall a green dragster with john deere livery in kansas? once.

 

[Toejam]

anyone know if any taco pesos were paid to clark? or was it hopeful
to gain sponsor money and ran the taco bell logo for free?
i recall a green dragster with john deere livery in kansas? once.

I do remember something back in 1991 when he had Mobil on the car the entire season and got like $50,000 out of them!

 

[jm]

Hey John,
Do you remember the year Andretti split his car in 2 @ Pocono
during a run down pit road? I think he hit an open slot in the
concrete, much like Mike Waltrips deal@ Bristol when the armco
gate wasnt closed properly.
I believe that was the last indycar race at Pocono, if I am not
mistaken.
John

 

[john]

I know he crashed there in 1988, but I don't remember the details. I'll ask him, next time I talk to him.

 

[jm]

thanks! I seem to remember Aldo flipping out...