JR Motorsports and driver Daniel Hemric will pay tribute to the life and legacy of John Andretti, with a tribute scheme on Hemric’s No. 8 Chevrolet during “Throwback Weekend” at Darlington Raceway.
Andretti – who passed away in January after a hard fought three-year battle with cancer — featured a paint scheme with similar colors and graphics from 1995 to 1996, when he drove the No. 37 for Kranefuss-Haas Racing.
Hemric’s No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet Camaro, will feature the memorable purple, orange and red color scheme when the NASCAR Xfinity Series hits the track at Darlington Raceway in September.
JRM is honored to pay tribute to the life and legacy of John Andretti with the No. 8 #PoppyBank Chevrolet that @DanielHemric will pilot @TooToughToTame. The colors and graphics reflect Andretti's familiar 1995-96 Cup Series scheme. #CheckIt4Andretti #JohnAndretti pic.twitter.com/6jHrmCnBhL
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) August 4, 2020
“The key to pulling off a successful throwback scheme and theme for the weekend, is having something that directly has an impact on your life and your racing career, or at least your team’s racing career and their history, Hemric said in a video posted ot JRM’s social media accounts on Tuesday. “This year, there is so much more meaning, by far the most special throwback weekend that I have been a part of, being able to pay tribute to John Andretti and the entire Andretti family.”
“John as a racer was very focused, very disciplined,” said Nancy Andretti, John’s wife. “Anything that could make the car go faster, or make him stronger, he was willing to do it. He would go the extra mile, he didn’t care what it took.”
In 2017, when Andretti initially received his diagnosis of colon cancer, he didn’t plan to go public with the news. However, Andretti realized there was an opportunity to help others not have to go through all of what he went through, announcing the launch of the #CheckIt4Andretti campaign in May 2017, in an attempt to raise awareness about colon cancer, and encourage anyone over the age of 50 or with a family history to get a colonoscopy.
“The Checkit4Andretti campaign, it’s to raise awareness and encourage people to get their colonoscopies,” said John’s daughter Amelia. “A big goal, is to decrease the age at which colonoscopies are mandatory. It can never be too early, but it can be too late, because that’s what happened with dad. He didn’t get his first colonoscopy until he was 53.”
Hemric will have John Andretti’s signature on the passenger side door of the No. 8 Poppy Bank Chevrolet, as well as #CheckitForAndretti on both sides of the vehicle, while looking for his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Darlington Raceway.
