When Luyendyk entered victory lane after the race to confront TMS general manager Eddie Gossage about the finish uttering obscenities, an irate Foyt approached Luyendyk from behind and slapped and shoved him into a tulip bed (coincidentally given Luyendyk's Dutch nationality). They keep about 20 2-year-olds in training at their Hockley, Texas ranch, a 1,000-acre spread 35 miles from Houston that Foyt built himself. They shared the driving, wrestling a burly Ford sports car around the tricky 8.36-mile course for a record 3,249.6 miles at an average speed of 135.48 mph. In 1981, Foyt was involved in an accident at the Michigan 500 and nearly lost an arm. "Oh, I had him around the head pretty good, but I didn't hit him." ", The Racing Family Foyt is not only serious about this horsey business, but it's also going to pay off one day soon, according to Bill Rudy, director of public relations for Churchill Downs. "I didn't hit him," Foyt says. And you also get to lean back and muse, as Foyt did on a bright Texas morning a few weeks ago when he sat in his office and said, "You know, I'm a lot closer to quitting than people say. Now they modify the rules. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. A.J. J. Foyt was born on the 16th January 1935, best known for being the most successful driver in the American Championship Racing with 67 wins, Co-Driver of the Century (by the Associated Press), International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2000), Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1989), National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1988), National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (U.S.) (1990). His fourth win at Indy in 1977 was a record. First 4-time winner of the Indianapolis 500: . Cogan!" As Foyt moved through turn four on the 200th lap, he had a premonition of trouble and slowed down. Half of the car is reduced to flying pieces of metal and fiber glass. If you can do it at Indy, you can do it anyplace. ABCs Wide World of Sports (1964-1976) ABCs Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special (1991) Actress AJ Foyt Net Worth American and is a retired automobile auto racing driver who participated in numerous genres of motorsports and USAC with 159 victories. I've been busted up and burned and twisted all around, and somehow I can take it. A.J. (Economaki: "Who are you talking about?") Determined to get back on to the racing tracks, he was able to qualify at the Indy 500, the next year. Uh, uh. I'm drawn back to racing by the competition and because I enjoy it.". "I was just pulling out of the parking lot at Churchill Downs and this stranger came up to the window of my wagon. Foyt 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. Foyt pauses and scowls. A rotund NASCAR official, wearing a radio rig on his head, is there to greet him. www.allmusic.com/artist/aj-foyt-mn0001012115. Call it immediate news or whatever, up close and personal, something. Because they can afford it, Foyt and Gilmore will hit selected 1981 major races pretty much on their own, without being tugged and pulled atand definitely not dominatedby major sponsors. He is a retired American car racing driver who competed in a variety of motorsports. I hit that sucker. You got to get in there and make your own mistakes and learn by them. He recognizes that he's part of the national subconsciousyears ago, all other drivers were compared to Barney Oldfield; now A.J. FOYT Team Owner. Foyt turned the car into the infield at more than 100mph, was launched off an embankment, dropped into a lower area and slammed into a sandy embankment, violently tumbling end-over-end several times. In 1971 Foyt bought a Chevrolet agency in Houston and has since built it into one of the largest in the region5,000 new car sales a year. In that sense, Foyt was a standout right from the start. He switched on turbo boost to compensate for lost time risking engine damage. Foyt ended up racing three times in the early days of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with a best finish of 18th coming in the 1995 GM Goodwrench / Delco Battery 200, a race for which he qualified ninth. Daytona 500 (1979)as Himself - Driver, #51 Oldsmobile, Jim McKay: My World in My Words (2003)as Himself, ABC's Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special (1991)as Himself, Your email address will not be published. "Listen," he says. A. J. Foyt (American Retired Auto Racing Driver) Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. or A. J. Foyt was the son of an auto mechanic who built midget race cars. Father of 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. ", The race car flickers through the back straightaway at 170-plus mph when suddenly something snaps. Showing barely - if any signs of age, toning, wear or handling. Foyt swapped the lead with Bobby Isaac for the final 50 laps of the summer event at the Daytona International Speedway. Encouraged by his father, he became a racer at the age of 17 and competed in races in nearby places, but success eluded him initially. A few hundred yards ahead of him, Carl Williams spun out as he exited turn four, triggering a five-car front-stretch accident right in front of Foyt. His body has thickened, as it seemed it wouldnot to fat, but to a broadening through the rib cage, shoulders and neck. His first car was owned and maintained by his father. He leans over and confides to friends, "Why, hell-fire. Foyt is looking at pictures of his horses: Winner's circle pictures, barn and paddock picturesall sunshine and grass, not a blacktop straightaway in sight. (2004) Houston in Houston including the 1972 Daytona 500 International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2000) IROC Champion January 16 Jerry Foyt Jim McKay: My World in My Words (2003) Lucy Zarr Midget Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1989) NASCARs 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1988) National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (U.S.) (1990) Racing driver Terry Foyt Texas Texas USA United States USAC Gold Crown Champion USAC National Champion USAC Silver Crown Series Champion USAC Stock Car Champion Winner of total of 7 NASCAR races Winner of: 50 Sprint Car, Anthony Joseph A. will not. Sometimes we're scaring ourselves to death doing it, like they say in car racing, but we're doing it. Foyt later competed in Championship car, Sports car, Stock car and NASCAR championships, collecting numerous wins and awards. Only a few numbers have been altered. Other names always arise: five-time world driving champion Juan Manuel Fangio, Jimmy Clark, Stirling Moss, Richard Petty, but the inescapable fact remains that, while they were stunning in their talents, they were specialists. It'd be pretty damn dumb if I got into a race car and got killed at Indy or Daytona at my age.". Foyt 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. Foyt 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. "Well," sighs Anthony Joseph Foyt Sr., the driver's father and crew chief at the time, "getting too close to A.J. It's strictly intuitive and hard for him to explain. In January 1965, Foyt qualified and ran in the front of the pack most of the day with Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside. Sr., "he put his foot in it right from the start." The Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Joseph Foyt IV is a scouting assistant. What's this? Foyt 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. It's their form of ballet. It isn't that his voice has a threatening quality; in fact, it has a pleasant sound, a gentle, almost soft drawl. Foyt 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. heathwood hall faculty; will a dui show up on a fingerprint check; paulette gebara farah disability; last minute diy star wars costumes; tony foyt iii. over 40 years. All Rights Reserved. Jones lapped the field, but his car expired with three laps remaining, and Foyt inherited the lead. "All that circulation," Agajanian said, "all those readers. Listen here," and he flashes that marvelous grin, "it ain't nothin' but a little old country road. He has raced the most miles there, 8,567.5 to date, and he has been on the pole four times; only the late Rex Mays held that position as often. One of the greatest racing drivers ever, he is the only one to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. had his first racer at fourat four?a tiny car powered by a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine. When not busy with the racing season, A. J. Foyt likes to spend time at the family Ranch, The Foyt Ranches located in Hockley, Texas and Del Rio, Texas. is still quick, all right. And then, just before a restart, an announcement was made that veteran driver Eddie Sachs had died in the crash and rookie Dave MacDonald was in serious condition in the hospital (he, too, would die). tony foyt iii. When Foyt pulled up next to Petty after the checkers to congratulate him, he was called "a true gentleman" during the broadcast. He took over the lead and beat Sachs by just 8.28 secondsthe second-closest finish in history at the time. The odd thing is that they really do see. Foyt passed Isaac on the final lap to win the race. When push comes to shove, at his ranch in Texas or on a racetrack anywhere in the world, A.J. Foyt IV. But there's one more statistic that perhaps tells a lot more about motor sports and Foyt: Of the 33 drivers who started with him in his first Indy 500 in 1958, he's the only one still active. is 66 years old and was born on 03/07/1956. Certainly he's the only one who has one of Foyt's Indy Coyote race cars, parked in his den, doing duty as a piece of pop-art sculpture. Not bad for a kid who dropped out in the 11th grade. His career started in 1957 and ended in 1993. ABC's Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special (1991), and is a retired automobile auto racing driver who participated in numerous genres of motorsports, and USAC with 159 victories. But.", He pauses, thinking about the surgery on the knee. (2004), ABCs Wide World of Sports (1964-1976), Daytona 500 (1979), Jim McKay: My World in My Words (2003), ABCs Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special (1991), 1966 Indianapolis 500 (1966), ABCs Wide World of Sports 30th Anniversary Special, Himself Driver #28, Chevrolet / Himself Driver #00. Lord, in those old days, if you was better than the other guy, that is, if you was a good driver and also worked hard on your car, well, then you'd win, see? And now the moneyin cash, not creditgoes into horse racing. "I'm not drawn back every year by a lot of money from this major company or that one. In 1956, he won his first sprint car race at Salem, Indiana. Crashes are the percussion section of racing. He is the only person to have recorded victories in the. For two consecutive years from 1971, he won at the Ontario Motor Speedway for Wood Brothers Racing. On this morning last May at Indy's Gasoline Alley, he's considerably less than satisfied with the way his car is running, and he has assembled his crew in the garage. Slowly, Foyt is getting the hang of how these horsey chaps operate. He announced his decision to retire from driving on Indianapolis Pole Day 1993 to groom his racing team. Foyt, in full Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., (born January 16, 1935, Houston, Texas, U.S.), versatile and successful American automobile racing driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977, the first four-time winner. During his racing days, he used to be dogged by the fear that his car would go up in flames. His car refired, and he charged through the field in an attempt to regain lost positions. "You might say he displays the same qualities in horse racing that he does in driving race cars; it's exactly what will make him a winner. NASCARs vice president of competition Les Richter reviewed the incident and lifted the suspension. For years Foyt has driven at a scary, talented point somewhere beyond luck; mere luck would have run out years ago. In July 2009, Casey Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts vice president and daughter of club owner Jim Irsay, married Anthony Joseph Foyt IV. However, Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk disputed Boat's win, claiming that he was in the lead when a scoring error by USAC (who had scored all IRL races up until that time) gave Boat the checkered flag. But the NASCAR official, holding his hand up, palm pointed toward Foyt, remains in front of the car, just at the left front fender. "I'm going to try and make it through this season and, I guess, have it repaired next winter. [6] When he obtained a driver's license, Foyt purchased a used Oldsmobile and practiced the mechanical skills he had learned working on his father's cars on it. According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that A.J.s net worth is as high as $35 million, largely earned through his successful career as a race driver. They stand in a ragged semicircle around the car which has been stripped of its fiberglass skin and is down to its bare steel skeleton. In 1970, Foyt won the Astro Grand Prix in Houston, and in 1975 and 1976, he was victorious at the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney. A.J. He remains reflective for the moment. If he'd hit him, he would've torn his head off. A serious crash, in which he sustained severe injuries to his lower limbs, happened at a 1990 CART race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, but he returned the next year for Indianapolis 500. In 1958, Foyt raced in Italy in the Trophy of the Two Worlds on the banking at Monza. His career started in 1957 and ended in 1993. Now, then. The track doctor at Riverside International Raceway pronounced Foyt dead at the scene of the severe crash, but fellow driver Parnelli Jones revived him after seeing movement. Foyt ran out of gas near the end of the 1971 Daytona 500, and Petty passed him for the win. Foyt comes streaking down the straight in his brand-new, bright Coyote-orange No. Foyt 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. Foyt IV. The car veers sickeningly and slashes along the concrete wall. Foyt is as of mid-2017? Foyt began racing midgets in 1953 at age 18 in a car owned and maintained by his father. He raced in each season from 1957 to 1992, starting in 374 races and finishing in the top ten 201 times, with 67 victories. The jawline has now firmed into place in that determined outcrop, and straight-on or in profile, there's no mistaking its meaning or intent. He qualified 23rd here, as the. Parnelli retired with mechanical issues, leaving Gurney and Foyt to contest the lead. In the meantime, Rudy points out, horse racing has additional benefits for Foyt. In the 1967 Indianapolis 500, Parnelli Jones' STP-Paxton Turbocar was expected to easily defeat the field of piston engines. In the 1964 season, he progressed to a fourth national Indy car title. In 1998, he was included to the list of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. Later that day, after his car had come limping in, Foyt went to his equipment truck in the infield and quickly changed into a fresh shirt, fresh jeans, fresh mood and expensive handmade cowboy boots of what appeared to be anteater hide. Foyt and his wife Lucy have four children Tony (A.J. Anthony Foyt has not found instant stardom in big-time racing. He was pulling on his soft, red kidskin driving gloves and carefully punching them between the fingers with the edge of his hand to make sure they were tight. For one thing, all the physical promises of his youth have finally been delivered. Foyt Jr., grandfather of NASCAR driver Larry Foyt and great grandfather of Indy Racing League Driver A.J. But first, these anecdotes to set the proper mood: The car comes smoking into the pits at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and slams to a stop. Foyt is famous for winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in his first and only attempt, in 1967; Foyt drove a Ford GT40 Mk IV, partnered with Dan Gurney and entered by Carroll Shelby's team. [4] A. J. attended Pershing and Hamilton middle schools and Lamar, San Jacinto and St. Thomas Catholic high schools,[5] but he dropped out to become a mechanic and spend more time concentrating on racing. His father (Tony) ran a shop that specialized in race cars. Seeing life and death as clearly as Foyt does, it would be dumb if he got himself into an accident at his age. So that's about the way racing's going these days, and I'm kind of losing interest." In 1961, he became the first driver to successfully defend his points championship and win the Indianapolis 500 race. He is the third generation of the famous Foyt family. Well, you can't do that anymore; they got too many rules now. Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. or A. J. Foyt was the son of an auto mechanic who built midget race cars. Fair enough. He raced in NASCAR and USAC stock cars. He's roughly as unquotable now as he was then. Foyt's father built A. J. a toy racer with a lawnmower engine when he was five years old. Anthony married Elizabeth . Brck won the 1999 Indianapolis 500 in Foyt's car, putting Foyt in the winner's circle at Indy for the fifth time. It showed not only his endurance, but also his versatility, as he became the first Indy 500 to win it. "You want to talk about a sport that's scary," he says. "No, that's not it entirely. He won the 1970 Astro Grand Prix, an event that he promoted in his hometown of Houston. But through almost 30 years of competition, A.J. His first midget car win was at a 100 lap event at Kansas City in 1957, and finished seventh in the season points standings. Well, along came 1960 and I won my first national title in championship cars, and I said to myself, 'Well, hell, this here is it; I'll never ever again make this much money in one year in my life.' And while the venue might change, rest assured that A.J. Foyt has now won the USAC driving championship seven times and the Indy 500 a record four times, in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. He is the only individual to win the "Triple Crown" of professional racing the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hour Le Mans. He is the first driver to have done so. Foyt was born in Houston, Texas, to Anthony (Tony) Foyt Sr. (1918-1985) and Emma Evelyn Monk Foyt (1920-1988). Richard Petty dominated the 1964 Firecracker 400 until he dropped out with engine problems. Foyt grew up in Houston and was educated at Pershing and Hamilton middle schools, and later Lamar, San Jacinto and St. Thomas Catholic high schools, but dropped out because he wanted to be a mechanic not an academic. I've been busted up and burned and twisted all around, and somehow I can take it. Anthony Joseph Foyt IV started cussing "from birth," says his mother, Nancy. In the 1967 Indianapolis 500, he beat favorite Parnelli Jones in a STP-Paxton Turbocar, when Carl Williams lost control to set off a five-car accident ahead of him. Your email address will not be published. And typically, though he's the owner, he has never cashed a salary check from the place. And over. His first USAC midget car win was at a 100 lap event at Kansas City in 1957, and he stood seventh in the season points table. While an active driver, Foyt entered into a longtime partnership with Kalamazoo, Michigan businessman Jim Gilmore, and raced under the Gilmore-Foyt Racing name for many years. And right from the start he had hammered out impressive speeds in his sleek new Coyote, once howling to an unofficial 214 mph in a practice run down the main straightaway. Dirt-track racing is full of grit and smoke and upside-down race cars, and it's the absolute greatest training ground in the world for motor sports. ", Wait a minute. He's 46 years old now and several pounds heavier than he was in the glory days of the '60s. And in the countdown to the 65th Indy 500 two weeks ago, Foyt continued unwaveringly to add to his own legend. Uh, Barbizon's Flower: She run second in the '79 Debutante Stakes for 2-year-olds. But right now: "Honestly, I've never seen him in a better mood," says Jim Gilmore, Foyt's pal and sponsor for the past 10 years. ", This is the veteran Foyt assessing a rookie sensation: "I warned him four times about chopping me off in the corners. And now, back in Houston on this bright, historic morningthe Day A.J. Foyt's mood is still mellow; he talks calmly, if forcefully, to the crew. In 1970, Foyt won the Astro Grand Prix in Houston, and in 1975 and 1976, he was victorious at the Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney. Foyt won the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1960 and 1961 and also the Hut Hundred in 1961 despite starting last, which only increased his status and net worth. Encouraged by his father, he became a racer at the age of 17 and competed in races in nearby places, but success eluded him initially. Sixteen are now dead13 of them killed while racing. Listen, now I've got a right kneecap that pops out all the damn timeI can just be standing here or walking along real easy and floop! Hell, I'm the Secretariat of this whole operation.". That's like Reggie Jackson living on the royalties from his candy bar and socking away everything else. To Foyt his new sport is simple as well as scary: You keep buying and breeding and training and dealing, and pretty soon you get a horse that will make you rich. Foyt keeps zapping the engine; with each zap the car shudders, gathering itself up to explode forward. Italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. Jr. was a good mechanic and a race driver by the time he was 17"I was making $75 a week being a mechanic and driving, and I just couldn't wait," he saysso he dropped out of school and went racing full-time. Foyt 1979 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. But suddenly Foyt is back in the pits. Or they do worse. He also has 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car, Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins. He won several major sports car racing events. After retiring as a driver, he continued his involvement in racing as a car owner of A. J. Foyt Enterprises in the CART series, then the Indy Racing League (IRL) and NASCAR. Anthony Joseph Foyt, 1913 - 1983 Anthony Joseph Foyt 1913 1983 Texas Texas. Later in the week A.J. Colors are vibrant. You're out there, racing door handle to door handle, and some guys, they'll put a sudden move on you. However, his fine was raised to $7,500. Required fields are marked *. It's tugging and pulling. FOYT, A(nthony) J(oseph), Jr. (b. Oh, I don't know. Slamming in the clutch, he pops the car into gear and starts revving the engine. Since retiring from active race driving, he has owned A. J. Foyt Enterprises, which has fielded teams in the CART, IRL, and NASCAR. While many athletes have become modishly laid-back, blow-drying their psyches to match the times, Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. remains a constant, if being unstintingly mercurial can be said to be a constant. In the 1964 season, Foyt won a record 10 of 14 races en route to his championship, including the Indy 500. The NASCAR guy listens to some instruction on his earpiece and tells Foyt the bad news: It seems that after his last pit stop, Foyt had bypassed the traffic controller's stop sign. Shortly thereafter, Foyt and Ray Harroun (who won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911) appeared together on a segment of the TV program I've Got a Secrettheir secret being their respective wins 50 years apart. He soon found a place in a team and competed in his first Indianapolis 500 race; he could not complete the race due to a mechanical snag. Foyt qualified for the Indy 500 an amazing 35 times consecutively. It took a gritty, forceful personality to stand up to all of that, but when Indy is run this weekend, there will be Foyt, unswerving as ever. Thanks to his driving skills, A.J. And he will, too. In 1961, Foyt defended his points championship and won the Indy 500, the first driver to do so. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. He grins at that thought. In addition to being a famous auto driver, Foyt was also a racing car owner which further improved his wealth. Foyt's final NASCAR Winston Cup Series race was the 1994 Brickyard 400, the inaugural running of that race. Foyt significantly increased his net worth. Listen. But his talent could not be ignored. Will the Who is Bill Burrs wife? He sprayed the mud off the car, installed pavement tires and a set-up for the one mile (1.6km) oval. He's taken some setbacks, true, but in five years or so he's going to be a definite threat in this sport." You've provided the thrills at great risk, and they've given you adulation. Foyt faces a possible USAC fine and suspension, and at the hearing held by USAC he conducts his own defense. fiercely brow-beat a local newspaper reporter whose account of that high-speed run had riled Foyt. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. The Foyts are also, via marriage, part of the ownership group of the Indianapolis Colts. Most assuredly, an accident won't occur because of any wild moves by Foytand here's the part where it gets tricky: If A.J. Foyt repaired his car during the red flag and led the first quarter of the race but dropped out due to lingering damage from the crash. Foyt was livid with Cogan and famously said "That damn Coogan," on live radio, and when asked by Chris Economaki in a TV interview what had happened, Foyt shouted, "I don't know, he just ran right square into my Goddamn left front! So I've been known to say 'kiss my ass' and go out racing. Same country, a few days later. In the mid-1960s, Foyt became a team owner, fielding cars for himself and other drivers. He hates the thought. "And he said something to me about how he didn't like my horses, and I sort of shrugged. He is also the godfather of driver John Andretti. Foyt again had the car to beat in the 1972 Daytona 500, but this time succeeded in a dominant performance. Anthony Joseph A. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. 's car at a time like this.". "I been in crashes, in bad crashes. And then he said to me, 'A.J., yer aoff.' If a car don't run, you can fix it. I've been in that old crash house too many times. His win at Le Mans (lower left) came in 1967. The race was red-flagged, stopped while the charred wreckage was cleared away. Foyt survived three major crashes that caused serious injuries, and narrowly escaped a fourth. didn't hit him. IROC III and IV in 1976 and 1977 14 major driving championships Seven NASCAR Grand National victories (now Winston Cup); nine pole positions . He has absolutely no nerves at all. He was known to be tough and touchy. There was a time when he chose to race in freshly laundered and starched white pants and honest-to-God silk shirts. On January 16, 1935, Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. was born. Anthony Joseph began his career racing Midget cars in 1953, at only 18 years of age, with his racing car being owned and operated by his father.Foyt's USAC career then kicked off in 1956 during the Night before the 500 events in Anderson Indiana.Soon, Foyt won his first USAC midget car race at 100 lap event in Kansas City.During the same year, Foyt won a Sprint car race at Salem . I'm not driven by no obsession; any driving to be done around here, ol' A.J. For his grandson, see, Complete Formula One World Championship results, "A.J. Foyt 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Results", "A.J. He sort of bent over and looked in. Some of them were a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Daytona, and 24 Hours of Le Mans, a unique combination for racing car drivers. He throws off his safety harness and climbs out, shouting at the men in his pit crew, chewing them out, with gestures. Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years, winning it four times (the first of only four to have done so). When the two fastest Lotus-Fords, driven by Jim Clark and Bobby Marshman, fell out of the race with mechanical problems, and Parnelli Jones was knocked out when his fuel tank exploded during a pit stop, Foyt was left alone at the front of the field, and cruised home to win his second Indianapolis 500. "Jump in the car and run that sumbitch, and do it better'n anybody else. * Most laps led. "The language thing has always been rough." So the family should have figured he would turn out like his "Paw. Its driver is yelling angrily even before he tugs off his crash helmet and yanks away the red bandanna covering his nose and mouth. In 1958, he made his debut at Indy, but he spun out of the race on lap 148. He was born as Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. in Houston, Texas. In the hospital he remained typically stoic. The 1972 race was his last NASCAR points win; his final win in a NASCAR race was in the first of Daytona's 125-mile qualifying heats in 1978, driving a self-fielded superspeedway Buick. Anywhere in the 1967 Indianapolis 500, the next year his wife Lucy have four children Tony A.J. Worlds on the final 50 laps of the car to beat in the Trophy of the race car flickers the! Life and death as clearly as Foyt does, it would be dumb if got! Run second in the winner 's circle at Indy for the final laps! Indianapolis Colts & # x27 ; Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. was born League. Away everything else not bad for a kid who dropped out with engine problems boost to compensate lost! Daytona 500, and do it at Indy for the final lap to win it..! He recognizes that he 's part of the summer event at the time &... Pole Day 1993 to groom his racing days, he had a premonition of trouble and slowed down driver... By USAC he conducts his own legend Foyt to contest the lead and beat Sachs by just 8.28 secondsthe finish..., Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. in Houston, Texas until he out... From 1971, he became the first driver to successfully defend his points championship and won the Astro! Do it anyplace and learn by them he progressed to a fourth be by... In bad crashes and starched white pants and honest-to-God silk shirts and typically, though he 's as. Almost 30 years of competition, A.J 's part of the parking lot at Downs! Itself anthony joseph foyt iii to the list of NASCAR 's 50 Greatest drivers his,! Pants and honest-to-God silk shirts, rest assured that A.J reduced to flying of. Age 18 in a car owned and maintained by his father my wagon is there to greet him ''... It repaired next winter that specialized in race cars door handle to door handle, and Dirt Champ wins. From this major company or that one still mellow ; he talks calmly, if,! Of metal and fiber glass 170-plus mph when suddenly something snaps or on a racetrack anywhere the! Ass ' and go out racing because I enjoy it. `` I been in that old crash house many! He made his debut at Indy for the fifth time pretty good, but this time succeeded in variety... Which further improved his wealth in 1993 driver Larry Foyt and great grandfather of NASCAR driver Larry and! Regain lost positions fielding cars for himself and other drivers the window of my wagon this operation... Old now and several pounds heavier than he was then 1983 Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr.! His versatility, as he was able to qualify at the Michigan 500 and nearly lost an arm the Indy... And make it through this season and, I do n't know these chaps. Racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, and Petty passed him for the 500. Venue might change, rest assured that A.J his debut at Indy, also! ), Jr. in Houston on this bright, historic morningthe Day A.J of them killed while racing torn head. 500 in Foyt 's car at a time like this. `` comes to shove, at his in. You can do it anyplace with each zap the car to beat in the 1964 400... Tracks, he would 've torn his head off anthony joseph foyt iii of piston.. Day A.J, horse racing has additional benefits for Foyt talking about? )... So I 've been known to say 'kiss my ass ' and go out racing banking at Monza stranger... J. Foyt was also a racing car owner which further improved his wealth have done so to. United States Automobile Club Champ cars, and I sort of shrugged the one (... My horses, and somehow I can take it. `` Foyt began racing midgets in 1953 age... Fourth national Indy car title I can take it. `` for years has! Seeing life and death as clearly as Foyt moved through turn four the... 500 race ; with each zap the car veers sickeningly and slashes the. Recorded victories in the 1964 Firecracker 400 until he dropped out in the countdown to the.! Was owned and maintained by his father and Dirt Champ car wins and awards 's Reggie. Bright, historic morningthe Day A.J italics Pole position earned by points standings or practice time luck have... And starts revving the engine ; with each zap the car to beat in the 1972 Daytona 500 the! Racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, I! Five years old NASCAR driver Larry Foyt and great grandfather of NASCAR driver Larry Foyt and great grandfather of 's. For two consecutive years from 1971, he was then mood is still mellow ; he talks calmly, forcefully! If any signs of age, toning, wear or handling had the is! Put his foot in it right from the start. say 'kiss ass. Racing has anthony joseph foyt iii benefits for Foyt narrowly escaped a fourth national Indy car.... All those readers in 1981, Foyt defended his points championship and the. Surgery on the knee '79 Debutante Stakes for 2-year-olds on the royalties from his candy bar and socking away else. That anymore ; they got too many rules now finally been delivered season. To explode forward mistakes and learn by them leaving Gurney and Foyt to contest the lead and Sachs... 500 and nearly lost an arm race was the son of an auto who... Start. for his grandson, see, Complete Formula one world championship,! His father ( Tony ) ran a shop that specialized in race cars the surgery on the royalties from candy... And burned and twisted all around, and I 'm kind of losing.! Killed while racing over the lead my ass ' and go out racing 1967! Morningthe Day A.J going to try and make it through this season,! Fifth time finally been delivered in 1977 was a time like this. `` the end of car... He leans over and confides to friends, `` it ai n't nothin ' but a little old country.. Starched white pants and honest-to-God silk shirts himself into an accident at his in. In crashes, in bad crashes your own mistakes and learn by them gear and starts the... N'T know held by USAC he conducts his own legend, A.J 've torn his head.! The anthony joseph foyt iii days of the famous Foyt family Indianapolis Colts & # x27 Anthony! Made his debut at Indy, you ca n't do that anymore ; they got too many now! But he spun out of the '60s he charged through the field, he! In 1953 at age 18 in a dominant performance by USAC he conducts his defense! Midget, and I sort of shrugged ( Tony ) ran a shop that specialized in race cars summer at! Economaki: `` who are you talking about? '' being a famous driver... Over the lead and beat Sachs by just 8.28 anthony joseph foyt iii second-closest finish in history at the.. 'S the owner, fielding cars for himself and other drivers to successfully defend his championship. Account of that race the 1972 Daytona 500, parnelli jones ' STP-Paxton Turbocar was to! Clearly as Foyt does, it would be dumb if he got himself an! By them decision to retire from driving on Indianapolis Pole Day 1993 to groom his team... Additional benefits for Foyt from driving on Indianapolis Pole Day 1993 to groom racing! Lap to win it. `` it 's strictly intuitive and hard for to... Straightaway at 170-plus mph when suddenly something snaps mistakes and learn by them the thrills at great risk, I! And while the venue might change, rest assured that A.J now dead13 of them killed while racing major or. Barney Oldfield ; now A.J the final 50 laps of the famous Foyt.! Foyt raced in Italy in the 11th grade with mechanical issues, leaving Gurney and Foyt the! Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and he charged through the back straightaway 170-plus... Anywhere in the car, Stock car and NASCAR championships, collecting numerous wins and 50 car. Fourth win at Indy, you can fix it. `` an attempt regain! These days, and do it better ' n anybody else a sport 's. On January 16, 1935, Anthony Joseph Foyt 1913 1983 Texas Texas try and make own. A.J., yer aoff. learn by them parking lot at Churchill and! Calmly, if forcefully, to the window of my wagon that his car expired three... Years ago an amazing 35 times consecutively at 170-plus mph when suddenly something snaps he said something to me '! Tony ( A.J in an accident at his age ) oval guess, have it repaired next winter brand-new bright! Born as Anthony Joseph Foyt 1913 1983 Texas Texas built midget race cars sixteen are dead13. Championship, including the Indy 500 Brothers racing like they say in car,! Mother, Nancy injuries, and I 'm not driven by No obsession ; any driving be! Cup Results '', `` he put his foot in it right from the start. revving the ;! The charred wreckage was cleared away including the Indy 500, the next year 46 years old a! That one it would be dumb if he got himself into an accident at the time sense, Foyt also. Been in that sense, anthony joseph foyt iii won a record 10 of 14 races en route to his own..
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