Happy Birthday, A. J. Foyt!

AJ in his last Indy 500, 1992

 The venerable racing icon from right here in Cypress, Tx., just outside of Houston is turning 80. Its a great time to reflect on the width and height of his life's achievements in racing. In a recent article in RACER magazine, Robin Miller briefly noted some of the facts and gave these great pics.

Foyt on the front row of Indy 1991

Foyt Gilmore #14 Coyote at Brands Hatch 

Foyt after finishing 2nd at Indy 1976

Foyt winning at Pocono, 1975. One of 7 victories that year

Ontario 1971

Ford GT40MkIV at LeMans 1967

Foyt at Indianapolis 1965

Foyt has an extremely storied racing career beginning in 1956 driving his father's midget. His long list of major accomplishments:

1^st Championship: USAC Sprint Car title 1960

6 USAC titles from 1960-1975

3 USAC Stock car titles

USAC Silver Crown Series Champ 1972

USAC Gold Crown Champ 1979

Most USAC wins all time: 138

2 time IROC Champ 1976, 1977

The first 4 time Indianapolis 500 Winner who

won in both front and rear engine cars

35 consecutive starts at Indy

Only driver to win Indy 500, Daytona 500,

24 Hours of Daytona, (twice), and 24 Hours of LeMans

Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame 2000

Named Co-Driver of the Century by Associated Press

One of Nascar’s 50 Greatest Drivers 1998

Inducted in first class of National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 1990

Inducted in first class of Motorsports Hall of Fame America 1989

Inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame 1988

128 Nascar Cup races over 30 years beginning 1963 at Riverside

and ending 1994 at the Brickyard. 7 wins, 36 top tens, 9 poles

His Championship Car and USAC stats are 374 races, 201 top tens, 67 victories

From 57-92

Won “Triple Crown of Endurance Racing”: 12 Hours of Sebring,

24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of LeMans

Holds the closed course speed record driving the Oldsmobile

Aerotech at an average speed of 257.123 mph on August 27, 1987 at a 7.712

mile test track near Fort Stockton, Texas.

As an owner, his drivers Scott Sharp and Kenny Brack

had IRL titles, ‘96 and ‘98 respectively. Brack won the

1999 Indy 500 also, putting AJ in the winners circle for a

fifth time.

June 7, 1997, AJ famously slapped and shoved Arie Luyendyk

after the Dutch driver confronted USAC scoring officials who’d

given the win to AJ’s driver Billy Boat. Later, after review, USAC

reversed the finishing order giving Luyendyk the win. AJ, however,

refused to give back the victory lane awarded trophy. The IRL

subsequently relieved USAC of scoring duties.

Vintage AJ

-katykarter