Saluting A.J. Foyt- An Original Racer’s Racer

Do you remember watching your first NASCAR Cup race? Do you remember when? Where? Who was driving that day? I’m a little sketchy on the details, but I remember catching a glimpse of my first NASCAR race on ABC’s Wide World Of Sports around 1977.

I believe the race may have been at Darlington. I remember Buddy Baker running out front that day and some other familiar names- David Pearson, Bobby Allison, of course that “STP Dude” Richard Petty, a loud-mouthed young driver named Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough. Who would I root for? I didn’t know much about racing, so I didn’t know that I typically WOULDN’T find my favorite Indy car racer- A.J. Foyt out on the track. A.J. WAS out there that day.

A lot NASCAR fans may not know the 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner also made 128 NASCAR Cup starts over the course of roughly 30 years. Foyt was a major player in the 1963 Daytona 500, was actually pronounced dead at a NASCAR race At Riverside International Speedway in 1965, and he numbers among 7 NASCAR victories a 1972 win at the Daytona 500 in a walk, his first victory was the 1964 Firecracker 400. His last NASCAR event was the first ever Craftsman Truck Series race in 1996.

Foyt was one of several notable open wheelers to cross over during that era. Mario Andretti’s done it. So has Johnny Rutherford. There’s just nobody who accomplished so much in so little time.

How’s this for a resume that would even be the envy of racers like Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon? Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. is the only man to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 hours of Daytona and the 24 hours of LeMans. The Houston, Texas native made 35 starts in the Indy 500, an incredible record of durability that will likely never be broken. He finished first in the USAC & CART standings 7 times- 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1975 and 1979. Foyt was an IROC champion twice. The son of an auto mechanic who never finished high school won the USAC Stock Championship 3 times- in 1968, 1978 and 1979. Is it any wonder the Associated Press named A.J. Foyt the “Co-Driver of the 20th Century” by the Associated Press? How could you not?

That wasn’t appealed to me. As a young race fan, I was drawn to Foyt’s John Wayne swagger. He didn’t look like a matinee idol. A.J. looked like the guy who installs your furnace or drives a garbage truck. He was a man’s man and his driving often reflected it. We may not have a wealth of track stories to share about how Foyt would race you, but it was well-known you wouldn’t mess with Texas, or in this case- the Texan.

There was also an honesty about Foyt. You got the straight story at all times. Right around the beginning on the 80s, I remember a frustrated A.J. Foyt calling that year’s Indy 500 a “damn taxi cab race.” If you think about it, it’s not hard to understand why Foyt was Tony Stewart’s favorite driver growing up.

There is one story, and it comes from Foyt’s career as an owner. In the first IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway, Foyt’s driver Billy Boat appeared to have won the race. The truth is USAC made a scoring error which gave way to Boat’s win. Arie Luyenduyk rna to Eddie Gossage pitching quite a fit. Foyt jumped in and retaliated by throwing the Dutchman into a bed of tulips at trackside. The error was uncovered, Luyenduyk was awarded the win, but nobody had the cajones to ask Foyt for the victory lane trophy.

By the way, USAC was relieved of scoring duties.

With that honesty came another side of Foyt. I will never forget his tearful good-bye when he announced his retirement. I don’t think A.J. really wanted to go, but he knew it was time.

Today, (January 16) A.J. Foyt turned 74. Though I wasn’t a big time NASCAR fan in the 70’s, I was a big Indianapolis 500 viewer. If I hadn’t spotted Foyt in that first NASCAR race I watched, I might never have become a fan at all.

Happy Birthday, Anthony Joseph Foyt. Thanks for the memories.

CREDITS- (Top photo by KennethBartonMotorsports, Foyt Oldsmobile photo by Bille Crittendon, Foyt Indy Car photo by pt26gm99. All available at flickr.com/creativecommons)