John Andretti battling Stage 4 colon cancer – Nascar

John Andretti, twice a winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, is battling Stage 4 colon cancer, according to Dave Calabro of Indianapolis TV station WTHR.

Andretti, the son of former racer Aldo Andretti and nephew of racing legend Mario Andretti, was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer earlier this year and underwent surgery to remove a portion of his colon. Additional tests eventually discovered the cancer had spread to his liver.

“Now I’m a Stage 4A,” Andretti told Calabro. “There is only a Stage 4B from my understanding, so I’m not really excited about that.

“But the good news is that we are still on the side that has a good chance of being cured.”

Andretti, 54, made 393 starts in NASCAR’s top series from 1993-2010. His first win came in the July race at Daytona while driving for Cale Yarborough Motorsports. It was his 110th career start and was the lone victory for the organization.

Two years later, Andretti was back in the winner’s circle, this time winning at Martinsville Speedway in the No. 43 Pontiac for what was then known as Petty Enterprises.

His final NASCAR start came in the 2010 Daytona 500 for Front Row Motorsports.

In 1994, Andretti became the first racer to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. After finishing 10th at Indy, Andretti was whisked away to Charlotte where he started from the rear of the field for missing the drivers’ meeting. He had previously qualified ninth for car owner Billy Hagan.

He completed 220 of 400 laps, falling out due to mechanical problems.

In addition to his two victories, Andretti also scored 13 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes. He also won four poles — at Darlington, Talladega, Atlanta and Phoenix.