John Andretti was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017 Maria Pasquini is the senior news editor for the human interest vertical at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2017.

John Andretti wasn’t just any driver. He was a fighter, a guy who raced with his whole heart, whether it was in NASCAR or IndyCar. Back in 1998, he climbed into Petty Enterprises’ iconic No ...