A Guinness World Record, a NASCAR Cup Series Championship, and a dozen years as a key piece on pit road for one of NASCAR’s most prestigious teams, Hendrick Motorsports. For 12 years, Tucson native John Gianninoto has played a crucial role as both a gas man and jack man, working with some of NASCAR’s biggest stars. Through it all, he’s kept a strong focus on family, a value that’s been with him since his days at Catalina Foothills High School and continues to drive him.
After a standout high school career, Gianninoto took his luck to Las Vegas as a four-year starting offensive lineman at UNLV. The Arizonan would become a team captain, meet his future wife, and play his hand to make it big time, a shot at the NFL with the Carolina Panthers.
After his hopes of an NFL career were dashed, Gianninoto found life beyond football through a NASCAR influence at UNLV that led him and his roommate from the gridiron, to the fast-pace life of pit road. With a twelve year career so far at Hendrick Motorsports, Gianninoto now fuels the No. 9 machine driven by Chase Elliott, a team and driver that he won the championship with at Phoenix Raceway in 2020. Gianninoto has traveled a long road from Tucson to Charlotte, but still discovers ways to apply the lessons he learned on the gridiron through sport and family.
Gianninoto returns to his home track this weekend as Phoenix Raceway hosts NASCAR Championship Weekend Nov. 8-10 as we crown four champions in three days.
Devon Henry
