INDIANAPOLIS -- John Andretti was so ashamed that he had been fired, he wanted to go into hiding. After Petty Enterprises released him in June, Andretti planned to take some time for himself and rebuild his confidence.

But his fellow Winston Cup competitors wouldn't allow that. And as a result, Andretti will race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. And for at least one weekend, everything seems right in his world.

"I'm so happy to be in the race," said Andretti, who qualified 11th for Sunday's Brickyard 400 after setting the fastest speed in pre-qualifying practice Friday. "I feel really happy right now."

Andretti was confused a month ago when Kyle Petty said he was releasing Andretti as driver of the No. 43 Dodge. So confused that he thought he would skip the next race at Michigan and not even show up to let everyone know that he was available for hire.

But Jeff Burton wouldn't allow that. He urged Andretti to play the part of a hired gun, to jump from seat-to-seat of mid- or low-grade teams and bide his time until a team owner decided they had a full-time seat for him. So Andretti did, driving the No. 0 Pontiac, but having little luck behind the wheel of it.

Then, a couple weeks ago, he got another visit and vote of encouragement from another driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he was going to field a Winston Cup car at Indy -- part of the Chance 2 Motorsports program he owns and fields a full-time Busch Series car through. And Junior wanted Andretti in the seat of the No. 81 Chevy Monte Carlo.

It's that outpouring of support from his peers that has kept Andretti's spirits up as he looks for a secure job next season.

"You feel like you've been hit with a pretty hard baseball bat and you didn't see it coming," Andretti said of his firing. "You're a little bit tail-between-the-legs, because you feel like you disappointed (the team) where you were at.

"I went (to Michigan after getting fired) thinking that I was going to walk in the garage area and have people think I had SARS. It was anything but that. They treated me with open arms and came along and people have been talking to me ever since then."

The drivers say they feel badly for Andretti, whom they view as a clean and talented racer.

"I think he'll be just fine," Burton said. "His track record is well known and I'm sure somebody will have a spot for him."

Andretti said he believes things will come together for a full-time Winston Cup ride next season, but until then he's ecstatic to be driving for Junior at Indy. You could see the excitement in his eyes when he talked of Junior's management style.

"The fact that Junior came over to my garage made me feel good," Andretti said. "He owns the car and everything, but still he didn't have to come over. There's people I have driven for that I never saw."

Andretti wouldn't say if he was referring to fellow racer/former employer Petty. Nor would he comment on his prime starting spot and the fact that the No. 43 car didn't even make the race.

That's because Andretti is over his firing. He's learned that there's more important things in life than a full-time ride in a stock car. Things like respect.

"I have been welcomed in the garage since Day One after my world turned upside down," Andretti said. "That's always been what's important to me, that you have the respect of your peers, not just other drivers but owners elsewhere. I think that's carried on. There's a lot of things going on right now and I think I'll land on my feet pretty well. I think I already have."

Andretti said he isn't concerned that he's had some poor finishes in the cars he's raced since the firing. And he isn't too concerned about Sunday. Sure, he'd love to win at this track where his uncle Mario and cousin Michael ran so well. He'd love to perform well in his home state. But none of that is going to be going through his mind Sunday, he says.

"I'm not going to lay pressure on myself; that's just going to make it more difficult," Andretti said. "I'm going to do the best that I can do. One race doesn't tell you how a guy stands, but if we keep coming out and keep running fast, that's only going to help things."

Andretti said he feels 100 percent better than the day after he was fired. He's been to several teams and raced for them, picking up a little bit of knowledge at each stop. He feels smarter and better, and confident that he'll be OK next year.

"I want to be in Winston Cup and I hope I can earn my place back in it," he said.

Rupen Fofaria is a beat writer for The Raleigh News & Observer and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at rfofaria@espnspecial.com.