A Racer and a Gentleman

If you know me well, then you likely know my affinity for auto racing. And in my lifetime, I had the honor of having dinner with one of the great racing legends, John Andretti.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Henry had just returned from Canada and he was signed up with Dennis Macchio at Bertil Roos Racing School to be a part of their enduro race. In this particular race, each driver is partnered up with a teammate for a 1.5 hour race in a formula car. But the teammate was a surprise. Henry had no idea who he would be paired with.

Upon arriving to the track, the first person I see is John Andretti. Of course, I tried to remain calm and act casual. But there was no denying I was star struck. This was John Andretti!

And lo and behold, Henry’s partner was none other than John’s son, Jarett.

Later that evening, Henry and I had the pleasure of swapping race stories over dinner with John and Jarett. To say it was fun would be an understatement. Indy winner, NASCAR winner and 24 hours of Daytona winner. All I could think about were the titles this man held, and what an inspiration he had been to me.

Though the stories were pretty cool and his track record rather impressive, what stuck with me the most was John’s character. He was both thoughtful and humble, and not once was he or Jarett dissatisfied that he’d been partnered with Henry, just 18 years old at the time. Rather, John spoke words of encouragement into Henry, giving him practical instruction and tips while on track. He didn’t owe it to us, but he did it anyway. I even recall that when Jarett noticed Henry didn’t have tear-off’s on his visor, he prepared Henry’s helmet for the 45-minute race.

You hear people talk about random acts of kindness. And though our time was brief together, I experienced just this with John. After everything I’ve read about him, I can attest that John will not only be remembered for his talent behind the wheel, but he will also be remembered for his heart and what he did for others.

Never take for granted what kind of impact you might leave on someone else’s life. I know I will never forget the experience of meeting John and his son.