Jeff Andretti
Andretti in 2012
Nationality	American
Born	(1964-04-14)April 14, 1964 (age 60) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Awards	1991Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year 1991CART Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year
Champ Car career
21 races run over 5 years
Years active	1990–1994
Team(s)	TEAMKAR International (1990) Bayside Motorsports (1991) A. J. Foyt Enterprises (1992) Pagan Racing (1993) Euromotorsports,Hemelgarn Racing (1994)
Best finish	15th (1991)
First race	1990Miller Genuine Draft 200 (Milwaukee)
Last race	1994Slick 50 200 (Phoenix)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR driver
NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career
3 races run over 1 year
Best finish	64th (1999)
First race	1999Pronto Auto Parts 400K (Texas)
Last race	1999NAPA Autocare 200 (Nazareth)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Jeff Andretti (born April 14, 1964) is a formerAmerican professionalrace car driver. He competed in theChamp Car World Series and was the series' Rookie of the Year in 1991.

Andretti was born inBethlehem, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 1964, the youngest son of Dee Ann (Hoch)^[1] and Italian-born1969 Indianapolis 500 and1978 Formula 1 World ChampionMario Andretti. His older brother isMichael Andretti, and his uncle isAldo Andretti. His nephew isMarco Andretti, who is the son of his brother, Michael. He is also the cousin of Aldo's two sons,John Andretti andAdam Andretti. The Andretti family became the first family to have four relatives (Michael, Mario, Jeff, and John) to compete in the same series, which occurred during theCART series.^[2]

In 1983, Andretti was racing inFormula Fords, winning both theUSAC Pro Ford Championship and theSkip Barber Formula Ford Eastern Series. After qualifying for hisSports Car Club of America national license in 1984, he won the Northeast Division title in Formula Ford. In November, he made hisFormula Super Vee debut, atCaesars Palace, Las Vegas.^[3]

He continued in Formula Super Vee the following season, with theRalt America outfit, winning the third race of the season, on theMilwaukee Mile. In theCART race at the same event, Mario did the same, marking the first time a father and son had started from pole and won races on the same track, in the same weekend. Andretti would also win inCleveland andPhoenix, on his way the fifth in the Robert Bosch/Valvoline Championship.^[3][4]

In 1986, Andretti moved into the newAmerican Racing Series with Ralph Sanchez Racing. Like his Milwaukee win the previous year, his only race win was a "family affair". He earned his first ARS victory, atPocono, as his father won the CART race at the same meeting, after his brother, Michael had started from pole, giving the Andretti family a "clean sweep". Andretti went on to finish second the overall ARS standings. For 1987, Andretti switched toArciero Racing for another attempt at ARS, winning the opening race of the season, in Phoenix. He would revisit the top step of the podium in the series finale, in the race aroundTamiami Park, Miami, snatching second place in the championship away fromTommy Byrne in the process.^[3][5][6]

In 1989, Andretti competed in theToyota Atlantic, while developing a new chassis. Although the season was winless, he did earn Rookie of the Year honours, on his way to sixth in the Atlantic Division.^[3][5][7]

He moved into the CART ranks in 1990, joining his father and brother, making racing history, making it the first time a father has competed against his two sons in a CART race. After failing to qualify for theIndianapolis 500, he make his race debut with TEAMKAR International in theirLola-Cosworth T89/00 in theMiller Genuine Draft 200 on the Milwaukee Mile, only to suffer mechanical problems and not finish. He sat out the rest of the season, returning in 1991, doing a full season with Bayside Disposal Racing, driving their Texaco Havoline Star sponsored Lola-Cosworth T91/00. With four top ten finishes throughout the season, three of which were the first three races, the best being a 7th place in theGold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix; the race incidentally won by his cousin, John, earning the CART Rookie of the Year title.^[3][8][9]

In May 1991, Andretti qualified 11th for theIndianapolis 500, coupled with an outstanding performance before mechanical problems earned him the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year title. He followed Mario and Michael in making it the first time ever that three members of the same family had achieved this.^[10]

Earlier that year, Jeff joined Mario and Michael to race forJochen Dauer Racing in the SunBank 24 at Daytona. Although theirPorsche 962C was classified in fifth place, they failed to finish due to overheating.^[11]

Without a full-time drive for 1992, Andretti returned to theIndianapolis Motor Speedway withA. J. Foyt Enterprises. However, he became yet another victim of the infamousAndretti Curse at the famed race track when on lap 109, a right rear wheel came loose off his car at turn 2 and he crashed violently head-on into the wall, smashing both his legs. He spent three weeks at the Methodist Hospital inIndianapolis, before the long road to recovery, determined to race again in 1993.^[3][12]

It was February 1993, when Andretti set the unofficial closed-course speed record for IndyCars of 234.50 mph, the fastest speed ever recorded atTexas World Speedway, while testing for theIndianapolis 500. This marked his first time back in an IndyCar since the accident the previous year. Andretti's fast run came at the conclusion of two days of testing where he consistently posted laps in the 230 mph range. Andretti'sBuick-poweredLola was prepared byPagan Racing. It was at the Indy, that Andretti made his complete his comeback, only to record a third straightDNF.^[3][13]

The accident severely hampered Andretti's career, at least in terms of his competitiveness, since he was never the same afterwards. In 1994, Jeff did a one-off race withEuromotorsports, finishing 17th in theSlick 50 200, held atPhoenix Raceway, 21 laps adrift. In May 1994, Jeff switched toHemelgarn Racing, but his bid for a fourth consecutive start failed due to a blown Buick engine.^[14][3]

He returned to racing full-time at theIndy Lights with Canaska Racing in 1995, but recorded just one top-ten finish. In 1996, he stepped away from open-wheel racing and joined the tin-top brigade, racing to seventh place overall in theNorth American Touring Car Championship in a Leitzinger Racing preparedFord Mondeo. After a gap of three year, he moved to theNASCARCraftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 94 Chevrolet forEnerjetix Motorsports, he raced in three events in 1999, posting a best finish of 30th at theMilwaukee Mile.^{[3][5][15][16]}

Andretti is now retired from competitive racing, and works as a driving instructor.^[17]

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1984	901 Shop	Mike Schaefer Nick Nicholson Jeff Refenning	Porsche 911 SC	GTU	258	43rd (DNF)	12th (DNF)
1988	Buick Momo March	Steve Phillips Michael Roe	March-Buick 86G	GTP	485	53rd (DNF)	14th (DNF)
1991	Jochen Dauer Racing	Mario Andretti Michael Andretti	Porsche 962C	GTP	663	5th (DNF)	3rd (DNF)

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1993	Auto Toy Store	Wayne Taylor Morris Shirazi	Spice-Chevrolet SE90P	GTP	165	37th (DNF)	7th (DNF)

(key)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJeff Andretti.

• Jeff Andretti driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Jeff Andretti at Champ Car Stats
• Official Andretti family website

• Living people
• 1964 births
• 12 Hours of Sebring drivers
• 24 Hours of Daytona drivers
• A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers
• American people of Italian descent
• Andretti family
• Atlantic Championship drivers
• Champ Car drivers
• EuroInternational drivers
• IMSA GT Championship drivers
• Indianapolis 500 drivers
• Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year
• Indy Lights drivers
• NASCAR drivers
• Nazareth Area High School alumni
• North American Touring Car Championship drivers
• Racing drivers from Pennsylvania
• SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers
• SCCA National Championship Runoffs participants
• Sportspeople from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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