A.J. Foyt

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Lore & Background

Foyt's career is etched into the asphalt of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he won the 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977—the first driver to have done so. His fourth victory came at age 42, after he ran out of fuel, made a pit stop, and had to make up around 32 seconds on Gordon Johncock. Foyt made up 1.5 to 2 seconds per lap by turning up his turbo boost, which risked destroying the engine. Johncock's engine expired after Foyt closed to within eight seconds, and Foyt passed for the win. In the 1967 race, Parnelli Jones' STP-Paxton Turbocar lapped the field but expired with three laps remaining, and Foyt inherited the lead. As Foyt moved through turn four on the 200th lap, he had a premonition of trouble and slowed down. A few hundred yards ahead, Carl Williams spun out, triggering a five-car front-stretch accident. Foyt threaded his way through the wreckage and took the checkered flag.

In Their Own Story

The air reeked of methanol and scorched rubber as the engine barked to life. At Indianapolis in 1961, Foyt made a late pit stop, but a refueling malfunction meant he returned to the race without enough fuel to finish. Eddie Sachs, unaware that Foyt's now-quicker car was light on fuel, pushed hard to keep up, and had to pit from the lead with just three laps remaining to replace a tire. Foyt also pitted again for fuel, but resumed the lead and beat Sachs by 8.28 seconds, the second-closest finish to that time. In 1964, Ford-powered entries were widely expected to dominate, but Foyt stayed with his reliable Offenhauser-engined roadster, winning a record ten of fourteen races en route to the 1964 championship, including winning his second Indianapolis 500. The race is remembered for the fiery second-lap crash that claimed the lives of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs.

Reader's Guide

Foyt's driving career spanned from 1957 to 1992, starting in 374 races and finishing in the top ten 201 times, with 67 victories. He won the Indianapolis 500 four times, in 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1977. Of his 67 career Championship Car race victories, twelve were won at Trenton. Foyt also won the Indycar Series seven times and qualified for the Indianapolis 500 race 35 times. Foyt recorded a top ten finish at Indianapolis in five consecutive decades (1950s-1990s). In the mid-1960s, Foyt became a team owner, fielding cars for himself and other drivers. After retiring from race driving, he has owned A. J. Foyt Enterprises, which has fielded teams in CART, the IndyCar Series, and NASCAR.

Did You Know?

• Foyt is the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
• He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in his only attempt, in 1967, in a Ford GT40 Mk IV, partnered with Dan Gurney.
• Foyt's first victory took place at age five after he challenged local midget champion Doc Cossey to a match race at Buffalo Stadium.
• In a 1990 CART race at Road America, Foyt's car left the track and plowed through a dirt embankment, severely injuring his legs and feet.
• Foyt holds the USAC career wins record with 159 victories.

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