Motor racing autobiographies run the gamut from Damon Hill’s superb “Watching the Wheels” to Jenson Button’s “Life to the Limit” (best regarded as if every copy came with free Covid-19) “Racer” lies somewhere in the middle.Febru| By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Undertaking the project with established US motorsport journalist was a great call, giving structure, pace and polish to the narrative. We take drivers’ fearlessness on the track for granted clearly Andretti confronted his disease with the same bravery. There is also a lot of detail about Andretti’s illness, and there is a push throughout the book to raise awareness of colon cancer. At times this comes across in an ‘aw, shucks’ tone, which can grate, and those hoping he has any great secrets to uncover can look elsewhere. As he tells it in the book, Andretti by sticking to his word, was on the wrong end of several ‘sliding doors’ moments throughout his career.

Furthermore being a member of US motorsport’s key racing families he offers unique insight, giving many of the stories a true insider edge.Īndretti is freshingly frank about the role his surname had on his career – on one hand knowing it marked him out as a scalp to take in his early days, but also that it (and maybe some quiet calls from Mario) opened a lot of doors.Īlthough a race winner in both Ind圜ar and NASCAR, Andretti isn’t quite one of the greats of the era. He gives a first-hand perspective of Ind圜ar – both pre- and post-split – NASCAR, sportscars and other forms of racing spanning three decades. This member of the Andretti clan, one of the great racing dynasties, may not have had his uncle’s success, but nor did most racing drivers with a different surname. Happily there is a lot to enjoy about “Racer”. Particularly when Andretti comes across as such a likeable character, and his recent passing must still be felt very keenly by everyone who knew him. Some proceeds from the book are going to charity, so clearly what isn’t needed here is a nit-picking critic giving you a reason not to buy it. He narrated much of “Racer” to author Jane Gurss in the months before he passed away. John Andretti, a racer every bit as versatile as his famous uncle Mario, passed away in January having being diagnosed with colon cancer.

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