Foyt, A. J.

A. J. Foyt

1935-

American race car driver

A. J. Foyt Jr., is unique in the world of auto racing. While others have matched some of his most impressive records, such as his four Indianapolis 500 victories, nobody can compete with the astonishing longevity and variety of his racing career. Foyt's professional career spanned four decades, from the 1950s to the 1990s, which is an accomplishment in of itself in auto racing. However, the fact that he remained competitive during this entire time, despite a number of debilitating injuries, has made Foyt's career even more outstanding. In addition, while most auto racers specialize in driving a certain type of car or racing on a certain type of terrain, Foyt has raced in—and won—premier auto-racing events in radically different cars on a variety of road and track courses around the world. For these reasons, in 1999, Supertex, as he is known to his legions of fans, was named by the Associated Press, along with Mario Andretti , as the Driver of the Century.

Born to Drive

Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. was born January 16, 1935, in Houston, Texas. Foyt's father, Tony, a mechanic and auto racer himself, owned Burt and Foyt Garage, which specialized in race cars. Foyt quickly became interested in the sport. When he was three years old, Tony built him a small open-wheel racecar to drive around their backyard. When he was five, Tony built him a midget-type racer and arranged a three-lap duel between Foyt and Doc Cossey, a local adult racer, at the Houston Speed Bowl. Foyt won the duel, and decided that he wanted to race cars for the rest of his life.

Foyt adored his father and strove to earn his approval. Yet, no matter how hard Foyt tried or how good he became in a race car, Tony never praised his son, which made Foyt work even harder. While Foyt adored his father, he also feared him. Tony was a tough man with a wild temper, which Foyt experienced on several occasions,

such as when he was eleven, and he and some friends stole his father's midget racecar off of its trailer. They drove it around the yard until the engine burst into flames. While this was bad, the highest offense in Tony's eyes was lying. When Foyt was sixteen, he and some friends went hot-rodding through Houston in his 1950 Ford, until the police saw them and chased them. Foyt and his friends ditched the car, then Foyt lied to his father, saying that it had been stolen. When Tony found out the truth from the police, he imposed the strongest punishment he could think of by taking away Foyt's car for a year. Lessons like these helped Foyt to become an honest, loyal person, both on and off the track.

However, it was his tough-as-nails attitude and flat-out driving style that quickly distinguished Foyt in his races. After leaving high school during his junior year to pursue racing full-time, he quickly became the best-known driver in Texas. This was as much for his dressing style as his racing prowess. For every race, Foyt would wear silk shirts and fancy white pants, which earned him the nickname, "Fancy Pants." When he was twenty, Foyt married Lucy Zarr, and the two began attending the Indianapolis 500 as spectators. In 1957, Foyt joined the United States Auto Club (USAC) racing circuit.

The Move to Indy Cars

The same year, Foyt qualified for his first Indy car race. In 1958, he made his debut at the Indianapolis 500, where he finished 16th. The 1958 Indianapolis 500 was a dangerous event, which started out with a fourteen-car pileup and ended with a death and eight cars knocked out of commission. Foyt barely escaped injury himself, sliding backwards almost a thousand feet on an oil slick and avoiding a near crash. For Foyt, racing Indy cars, especially at Indianapolis—the premier auto-racing venue at the time—was a dream come true.

The next two decades intensified that dream, and not just in Indy cars. Success came quickly for Foyt, who dominated the Indy car circuit. In 1960, Foyt won his first Indy car race, then went on to win three more races that season as well as the national Indy car championship. In 1961, at twenty-six, Foyt won his first Indianapolis 500, setting a new average-speed record for the race in the process. He also won his second national Indy car championship and won a record twenty United States Auto Club (USAC) races during the year. As a testament to his versatility, these races included midget cars, sprint cars, and Indy cars. The next year, he won his first USAC stock car race, proving that he could drive all of the major varieties of racecars. In 1963 and 1964, he won his third and fourth national Indy car championships. In the latter year, he also won his second Indianapolis 500, once again breaking the race record for average speed. In addition, in the 1964 season, he won a record ten races, out of only thirteen starts.

In 1965, Foyt won a record ten pole positions, including the pole at the Indianapolis 500. In 1967, he repeated his impressive performance from 1964, once again winning the Indianapolis with a record average speed, and once again winning the national Indy car championship. By this point, Foyt had won countless races and championships in Indy cars, stock cars, midget cars, and sprint cars. Foyt seemed truly unstoppable when it came to racing, and it was at this point that he extended his dominance outside of America. In 1967, Foyt and fellow American racer Dan Gurney teamed up to race in France's 24 Hours of Le Mans, an endurance road race that is widely considered by Europeans to be their version of the Indianapolis 500. Foyt and Gurney won the event, becoming the first Americans to do so, and in the process they beat the track record by the largest margin in Le Mans history.

The next year, Foyt continued his pattern of scoring championship victories in radically different racing events, by winning his first USAC stock car championship. In 1972, he won the crown jewel of stock car racing, the Daytona 500. The same year, he also won the USAC dirt car championship. In the late 1970s, now in his early forties, Foyt continued to score victories. In 1975, he won his sixth national Indy car championship. In 1977, he won his record fourth Indianapolis 500. In 1978, he won the USAC stock car championship. In 1979, he won his record seventh national Indy car championship. He also became the first driver to win USAC's national Indy car and stock car championships in the same season.

Chronology

1935	Born January 16 in Houston, Texas
1938	Father builds him a small race car to drive around the backyard
1955	Marries Lucy Zarr
1957	Wins first USAC (United States Auto Club) midget race
1958	Finishes 16th in his first Indianapolis 500
1959	Wins first USAC sprint car race
1960	Wins first Indy car race at the Duquoin 100
1962	Wins first USAC stock car race
1964	Wins first NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) race
1965	Breaks his back and foot during the Riverside Motor Trend 500 NASCAR race and is presumed dead by medics who arrive on the scene
1965	Ten weeks later, he wins the pole at a Phoenix Indy car event
1966	Sustains severe burns in an Indy car during practice
1972	Sustains burns and a broken leg in a dirt car race in Duquoin, Illinois
1981	Fractures right arm at Michigan 500
1981	Mother dies of heart failure on the night that Foyt qualifies for Indianapolis 500
1983	Father dies of cancer on the night that Foyt qualifies for Indianapolis 500
1983	Breaks two vertebrae during practice; nevertheless, he wins the Paul Revere 250 sports car race the same night
1988	Fined $5,000 and suspended from the NASCAR circuit for six months after he nearly hits several race officials with his car at the Winston 500
1990	Sustains serious leg injuries in Indy car race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
1992	Races in last Indy car race at the Indianapolis 500
1993	Announces his retirement from Indy car racing shortly before he is scheduled to qualify for the Indianapolis 500
1994	Competes in his last NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Brickyard 400
1996	As a team owner, wins first Indy Racing League title with driver Scott Sharp
1998	As a team owner, wins second Indy Racing League title with driver Kenny Brack
1999	As a team owner, wins Indianapolis 500 with driver Kenny Brack

While many men in their mid-forties start slowing down, Foyt sped up. In 1981, Foyt won the Pocono 500. This victory was his record ninth victory in 500-mile Indy car races. While Foyt continued to race Indy cars for another twelve years, the 1981 Pocono 500 was the last Indy car victory in his career. However, the same was not true in other areas of his racing. In 1983, Foyt won the 24 Hours of Daytona, a tough endurance race for anybody, but especially for a man pushing fifty. As if to prove that this wasn't a fluke, Foyt won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1985, two years later. From this point on, Foyt did not win any more races, although he participated in several, and remained competitive against racers half his age. In 1992, he set his last record when he qualified for his 35th consecutive Indianapolis 500. This was also his last Indy car race before he announced his retirement shortly before the 1993 Indianapolis 500. Foyt's retirement did not spell the end of racing for the Foyts, however. Foyt gained a passion for the sport through his father, Tony. Likewise, Foyt has passed the auto-racing bug down to other members of his family, including his grandson, A. J. Foyt IV, who is one of the new sensations in auto racing.

No Pain, No Gain

While Foyt racked up impressive records and statistics in his long racing career, he also racked up several injuries, some of which were life-threatening. In a sport as dangerous as auto racing, injuries are common. What is uncommon is the fact that Foyt repeatedly bounced back from injuries that might convince other racers to pack it in. His first serious injury came in 1965 during a NASCAR race in Riverside, California. His brakes failed, and he tried to avoid crashing into Junior Johnson and Marvin Panch, two racers who were in front of him. In the process of avoiding this crash, Foyt flipped his car down an embankment, breaking his back and fracturing his heel in the process. By the time the medics, a fellow racer, and a team owner descended the 25-foot embankment and reached Foyt's car, Foyt was not breathing, his skin was blue, and they assumed he was dead. However after noticing some slight movement, and scooping the mud out of Foyt's mouth, he was able to breathe again and they took him to the hospital.

Foyt has been severely burned on several occasions, as in 1972, during a dirt-car race in DuQuoin, Illinois, when he was set on fire. During a pit stop, the fuel hose broke lose and sprayed two gallons of alcohol-nitro mixture onto Foyt's head. Assuming that it would evaporate, Foyt started to drive out of the pits. Unfortunately, one of his car's side-mounted exhaust pipes backfired, setting Foyt's head ablaze. In his panic, he jumped out of the car, intending to jump into a lake in the infield. However, the car was still moving, and the left rear tire rolled over his leg, breaking his leg and ankle. Still on fire, Foyt attempted to hobble to the infield, while his father chased after him, eventually catching up to him and spraying him with a fire extinguisher.

Awards and Accomplishments

Foyt won a career record seven Indy car national championships (1960-61, 1963-64, 1967, 1975, and 1979).
Foyt won a career record sixty-seven Indy car races.
Foyt won a career record nine 500-mile races (the Indianapolis 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977; the Pocono 500 in 1973, 1975, 1979, and 1981; and the California 500 in 1975).
Foyt is the only driver who has won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Foyt is the only driver who has won the Indianapolis 500 in both a front-engine and a rear-engine race car.
Foyt's USAC career record for total victories is 158. He is the only driver who has won twenty or more victories in USAC's four major categories: Indy cars, stock cars, sprint cars, and midget cars.
1960-61, 1963-64, 1967, 1975, 1979	National Indy car championship
1961	Wins Indianapolis 500 race at an average speed of 139.130 mph, a new race record
1961	Wins record twenty USAC (United States Auto Club) races in one year
1964	Wins Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 147.350, a new race record
1964	Wins a record ten Indy car season victories (out of thirteen starts)
1965	Wins a record ten pole positions in Indy cars this season, including the Indianapolis 500
1967	Wins Indianapolis 500 at an average speed of 151.207 mph, a new race record
1967	Foyt and teammate, Dan Gurney, become the first Americans to win France's 24 Hours of Le Mans race
1968, 1978	USAC stock car championship
1972	Daytona 500
1972	USAC dirt car championship
1977	Wins record fourth Indianapolis 500
1979	Becomes first driver to win USAC's national Indy car and stock car championships in the same season
1981	Wins record ninth victory in 500-mile Indy car races at the Pocono 500
1983, 1985	24 Hours of Daytona
1985	12 Hours of Sebring
1989	Inaugural inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame
1991	USAC and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) reserve the number fourteen for the exclusive use of Foyt as either a driver or team owner, to be retired upon Foyt's retirement from the sport; this is the first time either of the two organizations have retired a racing number
1992	Qualifies for record thirty-five consecutive Indianapolis 500 races
1993	Wins the American Sportscasters Association Sports Legend Award
1999	Foyt named Driver of the Century by the Associated Press (along with Mario Andretti)

Foyt experienced his most painful injury during an Indy car race in 1990, at the Road America course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Once again, as in the 1965 NASCAR race, Foyt's brakes failed. Since he was going 190 mph and was coming up on a 90-degree turn, Foyt did the only thing he could to avoid a fatal roll—he plowed straight through the wooden wall, sending his car airborne into a dirt embankment. In the process, Foyt broke his left knee, dislocated his left tibia (which shot up his leg, through his knee, and into his thigh muscle), crushed his left heel, dislocated his right heel, and suffered compartment syndrome in both feet. Foyt remained awake as the rescuers tried to unearth him, and he pleaded with them to hit him in the head with a hammer and knock him out so he would not have to feel the excruciating pain. Following these massive injuries, Foyt's peers assumed that he would announce his retirement. However, Foyt surprised everybody by undergoing a grueling physical therapy regimen with the Houston Oilers's strength-and-rehabilitation coach, Steve Watterson, in an attempt to come back and win a fifth Indianapolis 500 race. Although he did not win the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, he did compete in it that year and in 1992, the latter at the seasoned age of fifty-seven.

Foyt's Legacy

In this age of slick, specialized auto racers with multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals, Foyt is a throwback to the old days of grit-tough racing. An expert auto mechanic, Foyt knew how far to push a car to its limits, and on some occasions finished the race right before the car was about to break down or blow a tire. During one race, a radius rod—a piece of Foyt's suspension—snapped and started to fall off. Instead of taking himself out of the race as most drivers would do, Foyt grabbed the piece of metal and held it in place with one hand, while using his other hand to finish, and win, the race.

While driving, Foyt's technique was nearly flawless. Fellow racers noted on several occasions that Foyt was cool as ice while he drove. Foyt almost never made mistakes, and would never let his emotions affect his driving as some other racers did and still do. Out of the car, however, it was a different story. While Foyt's racing prowess was legendary, so was his hot temper. When he was angry, he berated his pit crew, officials, reporters, or whoever else got in his way. Sometimes, he would beat on his race car with a hammer if it didn't run the way he wanted it to, regardless of who was watching. During the 1985 Indianapolis 500, Foyt's pit crew misunderstood what needed to be fixed on the car, so Foyt jumped out, irate, and tried to fix the problem himself. Unfortunately, he accidentally set the car on fire and knocked himself out of the race in the process.

Despite his short fuse, Foyt's loyalty to his fellow racers is also legendary. On several occasions, he has gone out of his way to help other racers' careers, such as when he let Al Unser Sr. , a rookie, drive Foyt's backup car in the 1965 Indianapolis 500. Foyt was also famous for helping keep racers safe. His knowledge of what cars could do, coupled with his driving talent and instinct, saved himself and others on many occasions, as he helped to avert potentially fatal accidents during a race. He also helped out during bad accidents, such as in 1968 when he pulled fellow racer, Johnny Rutherford, from Rutherford's burning Indy car.

Most importantly, Foyt was totally committed to his racing throughout his career. Enamored of the sport since he was five years old, Foyt's passion never flagged for more than fifty years, despite the fact that he sustained injuries that could—and have—crippled others. In the end, Foyt's amazing drive helped him to become one of history's most amazing drivers.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: A. J. Foyt Enterprises, 6415 Toledo St., Houston, TX, 77008-6226.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY FOYT:

(With Bill Neely) A. J.: My Life As America's Greatest Race Car Driver, Times Books, 1983.

Crash Course in Racing, Videocassette. Hallmark Entertainment, 1989.

Related Biography: Auto Racer A. J. Foyt IV

Anthony Joseph Foyt IV was born on May 25, 1984, in Hockley, Texas. Like his namesake, Foyt IV started driving race cars at an early age. When he was nine, his uncle Jerry (Foyt's son) asked Foyt IV to race a junior dragster. From this first driving experience, Foyt IV moved on to gokarts, where he quickly demonstrated his driving prowess. On the karting circuit, he won races and championships in both the International Karting Federation (IKF) and the World Karting Association (WKA). In 2001, he moved from karting to the Formula Continental Series, where he won the 2001 southwest regional championship and was named Rookie of the Year. Foyt IV also finished third in the point standings of this series, despite the fact that he had to miss three events to fulfill his commitment to working on his grandfather's Indy pit crew.

Foyt IV's pit-crew experiences exposed him to Indy Racing League cars, and also gave him the opportunity to test the cars out at the track. However, it was not long before he was driving his own. Although Foyt initially did not encourage Foyt IV to follow in his footsteps, once he saw his grandson's talent, he expressed his faith in his grandson the best way he knew how—by giving him an Indy car for his 18th birthday. The gift did not go to waste, as Foyt IV used it in 2002 to win the inaugural Infiniti Pro Series championship. The Infiniti Pro Series is an IRL-sanctioned series designed to groom young drivers to race in regular IRL competition. In October 2002, shortly after the conclusion of the series, Foyt IV passed his rookie test for his Indy Racing League license. In 2003, Foyt IV will enter regular IRL competition driving for his grandfather.

Where Is He Now?

Foyt lives in Hockley, Texas. Although he is retired from racing as a driver, Foyt remains active in the sport as a team owner, through A. J. Foyt Enterprises and Team Conseco. While team ownership initially meant Indy cars, in 2000 Foyt formed a NASCAR Winston Cup team, which is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Foyt's youngest son, Larry, is in charge of this team. Foyt continues to promote the Indy Racing League (IRL), which is attracting an increasing number of drivers away from the rival Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). One of the newest IRL drivers is Foyt's grandson, A. J. Foyt IV. Foyt is also on the board of directors of Riverway Bank and Service Corporation International, the nation's largest funeral service business.

A. J. Foyt: Champion for Life, Videocassette. Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1992.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Engle, Lyle Kenyon. The Incredible A. J. Foyt. New York: Arco, 1977.

Foyt. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1974.

Kupper, Mike. Driven to Win: A. J. Foyt. New York: Raintree/Steck Vaughn, 1975.

Libby, Bill. A. J. Foyt: Racing Champion. New York: Putnam, 1978.

Lincoln Library of Sports Champions. Columbus: Frontier Press Company, 1989.

May, Julian. A. J. Foyt: Championship Auto Racer. New York: Crestwood House, 1975.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, five volumes. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000.

Wilker, Josh. A. J. Foyt (Race Car Legends). New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1996.

(With Bill Neely). A. J.: My Life As America's Greatest Race Car Driver New York: Times Books, 1983.

Periodicals

Handzel, Will. "For a Winner." Hot Rod (October 1994): 104.

Moses, Sam. "Day and Night, A.J. Was Just Right." Sports Illustrated (April 1, 1985): 24.

Nack, William. "Twilight of a Titan." Sports Illustrated (September 30, 1991): 64.

Neely, Bill. "A.J. The Racer As National Institution." Motor Trend (June 1985): 162.

Plummer, William. "A.J.'s Back on Track: Returning from a Crippling Crash, 'the Master' Gears Up for One Last Indy 500." People Weekly (May 13, 1991): 77.

Other

A. J. Foyt: Champion for Life, Videocassette. Greenwich, CT: Cabin Fever Entertainment, 1992.

Crash Course in Racing, Videocassette. New York: Hallmark Entertainment, 1989.

Foyt Racing. http://www.foytracing.com (November 22, 2002).

Motor Sports Hall of Fame. http://www.mshf.com (November 25, 2002).

Schwartz, Larry. "A.J. Foyt: King of the Indy 500." ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014199.html (November 22, 2002).

Sketch by Ryan Poquette