Auto Racing – 1987 – Indy 500 Special – Jack Arute Profiles The Life And Career Of Driver A J Foyt

DOG ASIDE:

Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ carsand midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won several major sports car racing events. He holds the USAC career wins record with 159 victories,^[1] and the American championship racing career wins record with 67.  He is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (which he won four times), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Foyt won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977. In the NASCAR stock car circuit, he won the 1964 Firecracker 400 and the 1972 Daytona 500. Foyt survived three major crashes that caused serious injuries, and narrowly escaped a fourth. Foyt’s success has led to induction in numerous motorsports halls of fame.  Since his retirement from active racing, he has owned A. J. Foyt Enterprises, which has fielded teams in the CART, IRL, and NASCAR. 

Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years, winning it four times (the first of only three to have done so).  Foyt is the only driver to have won the Indy 500 in both front and rear-engined cars, having won twice with both configurations.  Foyt is the only driver to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500the same year in 1957.  He is the only person to have recorded victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 stock car race, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans international sports car endurance race in Le Mans, France, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring….which was his last major professional win in 1985.  He is one of only 12 drivers to have completed the Triple Crown of endurance racing (victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans).  He also has 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car, Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins.  He won the 1975 and 1976 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney, Australia…..as he has won 12 total major driving championships in various categories…..with his USAC wins tally is a record 138….plus Foyt won the 1976 and 1977 IROC championships….along with seven NASCAR races.   Foyt and Mario Andretti are the only two drivers to have won bothe the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. 

When you consider all of that…..then you can easily understand why we at ImaSportsphile are so delighted to have this piece of “pure gold” in our treasure chest of auto racing memories…..plus A J Foyt is a home grown Texas boy….which makes all of this even better.