Personal life

Jeff is the youngest son of the legendary Italian-born Mario Andretti, younger brother of Michael Andretti, and uncle of Marco Andretti. Jeff is the nephew of Mario's twin Aldo Andretti and cousin of Aldo's sons John Andretti and Adam Andretti. The Andretti family became the first family to have four relatives (Michael, Mario, Jeff, and John) compete in the same series (CART).

Racing career

In 1983, Jeff was racing in Formula Fords, winning both the USCA Pro Ford Championship and the Skip Barber Formula Ford Eastern Series. After qualifying for his Sports Car Club of America national license in 1984, he won the Northeast Division title in Formula Ford. In the November, he made his Formula Super Vee debut at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

He continued in Formula Super Vee the following season, with the Ralt America outfit, winning the third race of the season, on the Milwaukee Mile. In the CART 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. Jeff would also win in Cleveland and Phoenix, on his way the fifth in the Robert Bosch/Valvoline Championship.

1986 saw Andretti move into the new American 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 at Pocono, as his father wins the CART race at the same meeting, after his brother, Michael had started from pole, giving the Andretti family a “clean sweep.” Jeff would go on and finish second the overall ARS standing. For 1987, Jeff switched to Arciero 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 around Tamiami Park, Miami, snatching second place in the championship away from Tommy Byrne in the process.

After in quiet 1988, Andretti took a new challenge for 1989, completing in the Toyota Atlantic, while developing a new chassis. Although the season was winless, he did earned Rookie of the Year honours, on his to sixth in the Atlantic Division.

He moved into the CART ranks in 1990, joining his father and brother, making racing history, making it the first time a father has completed against his two sons in a CART race. After failing to qualifier for the Indianapolis 500, he make his race debut with TEAMKAR International in their Lola-Cosworth T89/00 in the Miller 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 the Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix; the race incidentally won by his cousin, John, earning the CART Rookie of the Year title.

In the May of 1991, Jeff would qualify 11th for the Indianapolis 500, coupled with an outstanding performance before mechanical problems earned him the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year title. He followed his Mario and Michael in making it the first time ever, that three members of the same family have achieved this.

Earlier that year, Jeff joined Mario and Michael to race for Jochen Dauer Racing in the SunBank 24 at Daytona.Although their Porsche 962C was classified in fifth place, they failed to finish due to overheating.

Without for full-time drive for 1992, Andretti returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with A. J. Foyt Enterprises. Unfortunately, he became yet another victim of the infamous Andretti 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 in Indianapolis, before the long road to recovery, determined to race again in 1993.

It was February 1993, when Andretti set the (then) unofficial closed-course speed record for IndyCars of 234.50 mph, the fastest speed ever recorded at Texas World Speedway, while testing for the Indianapolis 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's Buick-powered Lola was prepared by Pagan Racing. It was at the Indy, that Jeff made his complete his comeback, only to record a third straight DNF.

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 with Euromotorsports, finishing 17th in the Slick 50 200, held at the Phoenix International Raceway, albeit 21 laps adrift. Come May, Jeff had switched to Hemelgarn Racing, but he’s bid for a fourth consecutive start failed due to a blown Buick engine.>

He later managed, however, to come back and race full-time in the Indy Lights with Canaska Racing in 1995, but recorded just one top-ten finish. For 1996, he step away from open-wheel racing and joined the tin-top brigade, racing to seventh place overall in the North American Touring Car Championship in a Leitzinger Racing prepared Ford Mondeo. After a gap of three year, he moved to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 94 Chevrolet for Enerjetix Motorsports, he raced in three events in 1999, posting a best finish of 30th at the Milwaukee Mile.

Andretti is now retired from competitive racing, and works as a driving instructor.

Racing record

Career highlights

Season	Series	Position	Team	Car
1985	Robert Bosch Formula Super Vee Championship	5th	Ralt American	Ralt-Volkswagen RT5
1986	CART American Racing Series	2nd	Ralph Sanchez Racing	March-Buick 86A/2
1987	CART American Racing Series	2nd	Arciero Racing	March-Buick 86A
1988	HFC American Racing Series	21st	Hemelgarn Racing Agapiou Racing	March-Buick 86A
1989	SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship - Atlantic Division	6th	Newman Racing	Reynard-Toyota 89H
	HFC American Racing Series	27th	Baci Racing	March-Buick 86A
1990	CART PPG Indy Car World Series	38th	TEAMKAR International	Lola-Cosworth T89/00
1991	CART PPG Indy Car World Series	15th	Bayside Disposal Racing	Lola-Cosworth T91/00
	USAC Gold Crown Series	15th	Bayside Disposal Racing	Lola-Cosworth T91/00
	Camel GT Championship season	29th	Jochen Dauer Racing	Porsche 962C
1992	USAC Gold Crown Series	18th	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola-Chevrolet T91/00
	CART PPG Indy Car World Series	49th	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola-Chevrolet T91/00
1993	USAC Gold Crown Series	29th	Pagan Racing	Lola-Buick T92/00
	CART PPG Indy Car World Series	53rd	Pagan Racing	Lola-Buick T92/00
1994	CART PPG Indy Car World Series	44th	Euromotosport Hemelgarn Racing	Lola-Ilmor T93/00 Lola-Buick T92/00
1995	PPG/Firestone Indy Lights Championship powered by Buick	19th	Camaska Racing	Lola-Buick T93/20
1996	North American Touring Car Championship	7th	Leitzinger Racing	Ford Mondeo Ghia
1999	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series	64th	Enerjetix Motorsports	Chevrolet Silverado

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Year	Track	Car	Engine	Class	Finish	Start	Status
1984	Road Atlanta	Swift DB1	Ford	Formula Ford	35	2	Retired

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

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)

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

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)

American Open Wheel racing results

(key)

American Racing Series / Indy Lights

American Racing Series / Indy Lights results
Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Rank	Points
1986	Ralph Sanchez Racing	PHX1	MIL	MEA	TOR	POC	MDO	ROA	LS	PHX2	MIA			2nd	107
1987	Arciero Racing	PHX	MIL	MEA	CLE	TOR	POC	MDO	NAZ	LS	MIA			2nd	123
1988	Hemelgarn Racing	PHX	MIL	POR	CLE	TOR	MEA						MIA	23rd	5
	Agapiou Racing							POC	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LS
1989	Baci Racing	PHX	LBH	MIL	DET	POR	MEA	TOR	POC	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LS	27th	3
1995	Canaska Racing	MIA	PHX	LBH	NAZ	MIL	DET	POR	TOR	CLE	NHA	VAN	LS	19th	12

CART

PPG IndyCar World Series results
Year	Team	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Rank	Points
1990	TEAMKAR International	Lola T89/00	Cosworth DFS V8t	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MIS	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LS		37th	0
1991	Bayside Disposal Racing	Lola T91/00	Cosworth DFS V8t	SRF	LBH	PHX	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MIS	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LS	15th	26
1992	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T91/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	SRF	PHX	LBH	IND	DET	POR	MIL	NHA	TOR	MIC	CLE	ROA	VAN	MDO	NAZ	LS		49th	0
1993	Pagan Racing	Lola T92/00	Buick 3300 V6t	SRF	PHX	LBH	IND	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIC	NHA	ROA	VAN	MDO	NAZ	LS		53rd	0
1994	Euromotorsports	Lola T93/00	Ilmor 265C V8t	SRF	PHX	LBH															44th	0
	Hemelgarn Racing	Lola T92/00	Buick 3300 V6t				IND	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIC	MDO	NHA	VAN	ROA	NAZ	LS

Indianapolis 500

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish
1990	Lola T89/00	Cosworth DFS V8t	DNQ
1991	Lola T91/00	Cosworth DFS V8t	11	15
1992	Lola T91/00	Chevrolet 265C V8t	20	18
1993	Lola T92/00	Buick 3300 V6t	16	29
1994	Lola T92/00	Buick 3300 V6t	DNQ

NASCAR

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

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	NCTC	Pts
1999	Enerjetix Motorsports	94	Chevy	HOM	PHO	EVG	MMR	MAR	MEM	PPR	I70	BRI	TEX	PIR	GLN	MLW	NSV	NZH	MCH	NHA	IRP	GTY	HPT	RCH	LVS	LVL	TEX	CAL	64th	213

North American Touring Car Championship

(key)

North American Touring Car Championship results
Year	Team	No.	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	NATCC	Pts
1996	Leitzinger Racing	5	Ford Mondeo	LRP	LRP	DET	DET	PIR	PIR	TOR	TOR	TRV	TRV	MOH	MOH	VAN	VAN	LS	LS	7th	106

[ Source: Wikipedia ]