• Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr

Foyt IV, Indianapolis, IN. Full Name: Anthony Joseph Foyt IV Birthplace: Louisville, Ky. Birthdate: May 25, 1984 Residence.

Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. was a raw, skinny Texas kid with a lot of moxie and a little racing experience when he first strode through the gates of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway five decades ago.

Foyt had competed mostly in sprint and midget cars through the early and mid-1950s, but he had to buy a ticket to watch the Indianapolis 500 from the grandstands in 1956 and 1957 and needed a lucky chain of events to get into the 1958 race.

He has remained there ever since, a testament to longevity that the Indy Racing League is celebrating this season at each of its tracks. Borderlands 2 evil smasher glitch after patch ps3.

“It means I’m getting awful damn old, that’s about it,” Foyt, 72, said in his usual irascible manner.

Gruffness aside, Foyt’s 50 years at Indianapolis mean more than that.

“Well, when I first started, everybody said I wasn’t going to live to be 22 years old,” Foyt said. “I guess I’m glad I’m still looking down at the grass and not up at it where a lot of friends of mine are.”

Foyt is the only driver to compete at Indianapolis over five decades, and the only one to win the 500 in an old front-engine roadster and in a modern rear-engine racecar.

“His evolution into rear-engine cars with ground effects and going from 138 miles per hour to about 225, no one will ever do that again,” said the I.R.L. president, Brian Barnhart.

Foyt was the only driver to win Indy, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Nascar’s Daytona 500. He was also the first to win Indy four times, a feat later matched by Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr., and he owned the car driven by Kenny Brack, who won in 1999.

He first came to Indianapolis in 1956 to race at an old quarter-mile asphalt track across 16th Street from the Speedway. The next day, he went to the Gasoline Alley gate at the big track, and asked the guard if he could come in to look around.

The guard refused, telling Foyt, “Come back when you’ve got a ride here instead of across the street.”

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So he bought a ticket and watched the race from the grandstand.

The next year, he drove in five champ car races, along with a few dozen more midget, sprint and stock car races, but again he was turned away at the Speedway. Once again, he watched from the grandstand, but the abrupt retirement of the 1957 Indy winner, Sam Hanks, gave Foyt his big chance.

Jimmy Bryan, the reigning U.S. Auto Club champion, took Hanks’s place with the Belond Exhaust team in 1958 and recommended the 23-year-old Foyt for his spot with the Dean Van Lines Special.

He qualified at 143 miles an hour and finished 16th as a rookie. Three years later, at age 26, he claimed the first of his four Indy victories. He won again in 1964, 1 of 10 victories that season, and again in 1967. After a decade of frustration at Indianapolis — but 24 more IndyCar victories at other tracks — Foyt won the big race for the fourth time in 1977, a record that was matched in 1987 by Unser and 1991 by Mears.

“He was an inspiration to me the way he was so tenacious, always so involved over the years, whether in midgets, stock cars, sprint cars, champ dirt cars,” Mario Andretti said.

There was a rivalry between Andretti and Foyt, who were named co-drivers of the 20th century by The Associated Press. But Andretti said there was admiration, too.

“You could trust A. J., always,” Andretti said. “He was the toughest guy and you wouldn’t get anything from him, but you could trust him wheel to wheel like no other.”

Foyt’s last full season of competition was 1978. He drove in seven races in 1979, winning five of them and finishing second in one, but won only once after that and closed his career in 1994 with a streak of 83 races without a victory.

Retiring was difficult, even with a record 67 career wins and seven national championships.

“Why do you think we survived that era?” Andretti said. “A lot of it is luck, but we made our luck, too. He was very calculated, very smart. I’m one that really, really knows how good A. J. was.”

Anthony Joseph Foyt IV (born May 25, 1984) is an American race car driver and also is a scouting assistant for the Indianapolis Colts.^[1] He competed in the IndyCar Series and briefly in the NASCARNationwide Series, then called the Busch Series. He is the third generation of the famous Foyt family.He began his career racing karts. He moved up through the open wheel racing ranks, winning the 2002 Infiniti Pro Series. When Foyt made his first Indianapolis 500 race in 2003, he became the youngest driver to start in the event. He continued in IndyCar for two more years until his back was injured at the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Later that season he made several NASCAR Busch Series starts. He was scheduled to continue in the Busch Series in 2006, but the team was bought out and his contract didn't allow him to race in a non-Dodge car. He returned to IndyCar late that season. He has not raced since 2009, although he drove for his grandfather's A. J. Foyt Enterprises team in trials for the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

• 4Return to IndyCar
• 6Motorsports career results
  • 6.1American Open-Wheel racing results
  • 6.3NASCAR

Personal life[edit]

Foyt was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but lists his hometown as Hockley, Texas,^[2] the long-time residence of his grandfather, racing legend A. J. Foyt, who guided him through much of his career.

Foyt appeared in the 2005 film, The Dukes of Hazzard^[3] and is an avid Texas Longhorns fan. In March 2007, he was charged with DUI stemming from an incident in December of the previous year.^{[citation needed]}

He is married to Indianapolis Colts vice-president Casey Irsay, daughter of team owner Jim Irsay, in July 2009.^[4] On September 19, 2010, it was announced by commentators during the Indy Japan 300 that Casey Foyt had given birth to a son, A. J. Foyt V. Foyt is sometimes referred to by the nickname 'Quattro' or the stylized 'AJIV' or 'AJ4'.^{[citation needed]}

Early career in IndyCar[edit]

Foyt began racing Junior Dragsters as a nine-year-old and won two titles. He then moved to karts for many years before moving to formula race cars in 2001. In 2001, he won six of nine SCCA events to claim the Southwest Regional championship. He finished third in SCCA's national point championships and was the series' Rookie of the Year.^[2] That same year, he competed at the World Karting Association's Dirt World Championships at Daytona Beach, Florida and finished second in the Briggs Heavy feature event.^[2] Foyt competed in his first USAC Silver Crown event that August. In 2002, A.J. moved to his grandfather's team, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, in the newly formed Infiniti Pro Series and won the championship with four wins in seven events.^[2] In 2003, he moved up to Foyt Enterprises' IRL IndyCar Series team, finishing 21st in the final standings.^[2]

Foyt currently holds the record for the youngest driver to race in the Indy 500. His rookie race in 2003 occurred on his 19th birthday. He took the record from Josele Garza who was slightly over 2 months older for his first start in 1981.^[5]

He continued to struggle in IndyCars, finishing 18th in the 2004 points and 20th in 2005. In the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Foyt was involved in an accident with a top Champ Car driver, Bruno Junqueira, who suffered a broken back. The season did not improve as the team switched from Toyota to Chevrolet power mid-season^[6] and Foyt was replaced for the late-season road course events by Jeff Bucknum.^[7]

NASCAR[edit]

In October 2005, Foyt announced that at the end of the 2005 season, he would leave Foyt Enterprises and drive in the NASCARBusch Series for the #38 Akins Motorsports team and was signed as a developmental driver for Evernham Motorsports. He ran several events in the #38 late in 2005, but failed to produce results. In 2006, he was scheduled to run the entire Busch Series schedule in the #38 and be a competitor for the Rookie of the Year award.^[8] However, early in the 2006 season, Akins was purchased by Braun Racing, which switched the #38 from Dodge to Chevrolet bodies. Foyt had an exclusive contract with Dodge that prevented him from continuing with the team.^[9] After a week off, Ray Evernham found him a ride with FitzBradshaw Racing, but he failed to qualify for his first race with the team and has not attempted a NASCAR race since.

Return to IndyCar[edit]

Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr

2006[edit]

On September 5, 2006, Foyt was tabbed by the 2005 IndyCar Championship team, Andretti Green Racing, to replace injured regular AGR driver Dario Franchitti. Foyt drove the #27 Klein Tools/Canadian Club Dallara Honda in the IRL season's final event at Chicagoland Speedway and finished 14th.^[10]

2007[edit]

In January 2007, Foyt signed with Vision Racing to return to the IRL for the 2007 season as well as drive with the team in the 2007 24 Hours of Daytona.^[11]

On August 5, 2007, during the Firestone Indy 400, Foyt was involved in a spectacular seven-car crash in which Dario Franchitti's car was sent airborne and then came down on Foyt's car. While Foyt was uninjured, Franchitti's car left visible tire marks on Foyt's helmet.^[12] Foyt's crew was able to repair the car and get him back on the track where he completed enough laps to secure an 8th-place finish. The following week at the Meijer Indy 300, Foyt's crew gave him great pit stops which allowed him to take to lead with 10 laps remaining. Even though Foyt was passed a few laps later by Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon, he managed to hold on the rest of the way and drive to a career-best 3rd-place finish, the first Top-5 finish of his career. It was also the best finish in Vision Racing's team history, tying Tomas Scheckter's 3rd-place finish at the Milwaukee Mile in 2006.^[13]

2008[edit]

Foyt returned to be one of Vision Racing's drivers in the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona.^[14] He returned to the Vision team for the 2008 IndyCar Series season driving the #2 car that was formerly driven by Tomas Scheckter.

On March 28, Foyt seemed to have earned a career best start for an IndyCar Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the 2008 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Indy 300 with the third best qualifying time.^[15] His Vision Racing teammate, Ed Carpenter also earned a career best start with the 2nd best qualifying time.^[15] However, both cars failed technical inspection, meaning they had to start at the rear of the field.^[15] Foyt drove his No. 2 entry from the last position (25th) to a ninth-place finish in the race.^[2]

Two races later at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, Foyt had his first top-10 start of the season for the Indy Japan 300 when qualifying was rained out. The starting grid was based on driver points standings. Of the drivers there, Foyt was eighth in the championship points standings.^[16] He was helped with some drivers ahead of him racing in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Foyt had contact with the wall, forcing him to retire from the race early, with a 15th-place finish.^[17]

The following week at Kansas Speedway, Foyt and his teammate Ed Carpenter shared the third row, with Foyt qualifying 5th. It was his best career start and second top-10 start in a row. In the RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300, Foyt had his chances of a high finish end as his car was caught in the pits when an accident involving Buddy Rice occurred.^[18] Foyt would drive to an eighth-place finish.^[18] Foyt's best finish of the season came in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in June at the Iowa Speedway where he finished fifth. Foyt finished 19th in points.

2009–2010[edit]

Vision Racing was unable to secure sponsorship to run a second car in 2009, leaving Foyt out of a ride. He returned to A. J. Foyt Enterprises for the 93rd Indianapolis 500, driving the #41 ABC Supply entry for his grandfather, A. J. Foyt. Foyt finished 16th on the lead lap as his teammate Vitor Meira was injured in a late-race crash. Paul Tracy was drafted as the substitute driver for Meira at the next race, but Foyt stepped into the car for his home race at Texas Motor Speedway. Ryan Hunter-Reay drove the car for the rest of the season and Texas would be Foyt's last race of 2009.

In 2010, he was again entered in a second Foyt Enterprises car for the Indy 500. After the morning practice session on the final day of qualifying A. J. Foyt IV and his grandfather got in an argument regarding the car's setup resulting in the younger A. J. quitting the team.^[19]Jaques Lazier was drafted in on short notice to qualify the car but failed to find enough speed to make the field.^[20]

Football[edit]

Foyt has been employed by the Indianapolis Colts since 2010 as a scouting assistant.^[1][21]

Motorsports career results[edit]

American Open-Wheel racing results[edit]

(key)

Indy Lights[edit]

IRL IndyCar Series^[22][edit]

¹ Run on same day.

² Non-points paying, exhibition race.

³ Foyt was entered, practiced, and made a qualifying attempt on Pole Day, but failed to make the top 24. On Bump Day, he quit the team and was replaced by Jaques Lazier.

Indy 500 results^[6][edit]

NASCAR[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'Anthony Foyt IV, Scouting Assistant'. Indianapolis Colts. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
2. ^ ^abcdef'A.J. Foyt IV'. IndyCar. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
3. ^'A.J. Foyt IV'. IMDb. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
4. ^'The Foyt Boys Are Headed for the Super Bowl'. Foyt Racing. January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
5. ^Dick Mittman (April 21, 2003). 'Young Foyt Feeling Comfortable In Big Saddle At Indy'. IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
6. ^ ^ab'A.J. Foyt IV'. ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
7. ^'Bucknum to replace Foyt at Infineon'. Crash.net. August 25, 2005. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
8. ^'Race Report: California Speedway'. FoytRacing.com. Archived from the original on 2006-03-16. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
9. ^Dave Rodman. 'Evernham looking to put Foyt back behind wheel'. nascar.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
10. ^Bob Margolis (May 13, 2007). 'Glad to be back'. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
11. ^Foyt the Fourth Official at Vision RacingArchived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, January 18, 2007
12. ^Franchitti OK after car flips sideways, turns upside down during Indy 400 wreck, Associated Press via ESPN.com, August 6, 2007
13. ^Foyt leads 13 laps and takes third as Vision Racing finishes all three cars in top-10 at KentuckyArchived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine, Vision Racing, August 11, 2007
14. ^Dagys, John. World's best flock to Daytona for 24-HourArchived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine Motorsport.com, January 21, 2008
15. ^ ^abcLewandowski, Dave (March 2008). 'Back to the Rear'. IndyCar. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
16. ^'Rain Gives Castroneves Pole at Twin Ring Motegi Japan 300'. Backstretch Motorsports. April 18, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
17. ^'Danica Patrick Wins Indy Japan 300 At Twin Ring Motegi'. V8x. April 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
18. ^ ^ab'Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 Daily Trackside Report'. IndyCar. April 27, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-01.^{[dead link]}
19. ^A.J. Foyt IV speaks out after family feudArchived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, WISH-TV, May 26, 2010, retrieved 06-05-2010
20. ^Cavin, Curt. Foyt says bump day dispute 'was no big deal', Indianapolis Star, May 25, 2010, Retrieved 06-05-2010
21. ^Wells, Brad (May 18, 2010). 'The Winds of Change: A.J. Foyt and Casey Irsay'. www.stampedeblue.com. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
22. ^A.J. Foyt IV Career Stats, IndyCar.com
23. ^'A.J. Foyt IV — 2005 NASCAR Busch Series Results'. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
24. ^'A.J. Foyt IV — 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Results'. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved December 31, 2014.

External links[edit]

• A. J. Foyt IV driver statistics at Racing-Reference