Sonoma Raceway VP/Media Relations John Cardinale passed away on Thursday at his home after a two-year battle with gastric cancer. Cardinale was 47 years old and is survived by his wife, Andrea, and their two daughters. Track President & GM Steve Page in a statement said, "There is a hole in the heart of this organization. John Cardinale was as true a friend, as loyal a colleague, as devoted a husband and father and as fine a human being as you could ever hope to know. John has been a part of every good thing that has happened at this track over the last 15 years. We are all so fortunate to have had him in our lives and to have shared in his intelligence, his wit, his integrity and his brave spirit" (THE DAILY).
In Utah, Tom Zulewski wrote Cardinale was “the man in charge who made sure race newbies like myself had everything they needed, from where to sit in the media center to knowledge behind what goes into events like a NASCAR race.” Zulewski: “Race media, drivers, and PR types everywhere are mourning a big loss” (THESPECTRUM.com, 3/21).
