Despite the various racetracks, teams and leagues John Andretti has been involved with during his career, the Indianapolis native never lost his passion for his home turf.
As Andretti continued to gain success after success in NASCAR and NHRA, he never relinquished his love for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500. After a 13-year absence, Andretti returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007. A year later, Andretti is preparing to make his first back-to-back starts at Indy since the 1993-94 races.
"When I drive through the tunnel, it just raises the hair on my back every time," Andretti said. "And I don't have much hair on my back, but it raises each strand of hair on my back every time, every time. ... To me, [Indy] is where they should race every week."
Andretti's return to the speedway this year helped fellow driver, Marty Roth, achieve a career goal of his own. Roth, a 49-year-old Toronto native, is one of two owner/drivers in this year's 33-car field, along with Sarah Fisher. Roth brought his team, Roth Racing, to Indy for the first time in 2004 and has never placed two cars into the starting grid.
Roth sought to end that drought this year, planning to have rookie Jay Howard qualify for the race in a second Roth Racing car. With the annual rainy conditions May brings to the Speedway, Roth said, there wasn't enough time to acclimate the rookie to Indy's unforgiving track.
With his back against the wall, Roth turned to an old veteran in racing circles - Andretti.
"He's no stranger to the Speedway," Roth said. "With the rain and how we've been battling for track time, it was a great call to put him in the car because of his experience. If someone's going to put it in the field and bring it home, it's John Andretti."
Roth signed Andretti to his team May 13, the morning of Pole Day. Back in his natural surroundings, Andretti immediately posted the highest speeds Roth Racing had in the previous two weeks.
Andretti didn't qualify until a week later - in the 21st position with a speed of 221.550 mph - but his opening performance left Roth beaming.
"He sure gets on it quick," Roth said. "The second lap around this place in a car he's never sat in, he was sitting at 220 mph. We were pretty happy to see that, and that's how John is. He doesn't require a lot of driving. He gets in the car and gets it done."
Roth and Andretti don't share the same logical expectations as drivers with powerhouse teams such as Target Chip Ganassi, Team Penske and Andretti Green Racing. Unlike the teams that run at the front of the pack, Roth Racing struggles for financial endorsements, resulting in lesser equipment and leaving little chance of winning the race.
"I'm expecting to finish the race at this point," Roth said, a goal he has never achieved in his previous three attempts.
Finishing this year's Indy 500 is also Andretti's goal. Driving for Panther Racing last year, Andretti was forced to leave the race after an accident on lap 95.
With a family of three children and a wife, Nancy, Andretti doesn't know how many more times he will be able to race around the most famous racetrack in the world, which conveniently sits in his backyard.
"It's something that eventually -- that bridge -- everybody has to cross it," Andretti said as he calculated his future. "And for me, I don't know if that bridge is this year or next year or 10 years from now."
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