Pit stop in Indy is just what the doctor ordered for John Andretti
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH-TV) — John Andretti feels good to be back at the track. The 54-year old has been busy waging war with stage four colon cancer back home in North Carolina, a fight that blindsided him.
“Immediately after the colonoscopy they scheduled surgery a few days later to have a tumor removed along with another cancerous spot,” Andretti said. “Unfortunately, the tumor had spread outside the colon.”
Andretti’s doctors believe the cancer is present in his liver and spleen. He will undergo one round of chemotherapy here in Indianapolis ahead of an important surgery next month in North Carolina.
With all of this on his mind, a pit stop in Indianapolis couldn’t be passed up according to the 12-time Indy 500 competitor. The first order of business is The Race for Riley which raised $400,000 dollars for a children’s hospital in 2016. And of course, there is a good seat waiting for him at the 101st big race.
“This is the most special place on the planet for me and my family,” Andretti said. “This place gives me energy.”
Andretti is also organizing a new race called “Check It For Andretti” which aims at getting adults to schedule a colonoscopy. After 17 seasons in NASCAR, Andretti is making this the biggest race of his life.
“It sends chills through me because I never figured people would get onboard so quickly and in such volume that they have,” Andretti said.
“I love people telling me that they are going to get a colonoscopy, which I never thought would ever be in my vocabulary.”
Are you in it to win it this May? Prove it and check it For Andretti.