John Andretti laughed as he gained his “revenge on an obvious Jeff Gordon fan,” but Riley’s Childrens’ Hospital was the big winner Monday. By lapping radio producer Matt Hibbeln 13 times at a go-kart track in Indianapolis, Andretti was able to raise nearly $4,000 for the well-known central Indiana children’s hospital. The hospital is best known for admitting children regardless of their family’s economic status. The race at Stefan Johannson’s Karting Center – owned by the former Indy car star –
brought in a crowd of nearly 400 people on a Monday afternoon. Andretti and Chris Gardocki, punter for the Indianapolis Colts and fresh from his team’s 41-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins the day before, signed autographs throughout the three-hour event. Hibbeln, a producer at WIBC-AM in Indianapolis, had been ribbing Andretti for nearly a year during Andretti’s regular weekly call-in feature. The good-natured joking escalated to a go- kart challenge, and Andretti responded by lapping Hibbeln 13 times on a track that takes an average driver 28-30 seconds to complete. Andretti turned laps around 20 seconds consistently. Local businesses had pledged donations for every time Andretti lapped Hibbeln. Hibbeln still needled Andretti until just before race time, after which Andretti smiled and waved at him every time he passed. The crowd roared on every pass, pulling for Andretti.(Williams Company Press Release)(12-17-97)
