AJ Foyt is 90 Today

wisenior

Member
Location
Milwaukee
4 Time Indianapolis 500 Winner
Daytona 500 Winner
24 Hours of LeMans Winner

Plus many, many more.


He has owned an Indy car team since his retirement.

Still competing.

A. J. Foyt - Wikipedia
A. J. Foyt - Wikipedia
 

I think the first time I became aware of the name AJ Foyt was in 1993 when Nigel Mansell moved from F1 to IndyCar. At the time, knowing very little to nothing about Indycar or its drivers, AJ Foyt was one name that intrigued me.
 
Foyt and Garlets are my two favorite all time racers. I prefer to watch drag racing to stock cars and the other types, but watching Foyt at the Indy 500 was always pleasurable.

I am not a true Earnhardt fan, but that man could definitely drive. I have a friend that has his whole den decorated in Earnhardt memorability, including a model train. A lot of his true to life models have lights on them and when he hits about 3 different switches and turns out the room lights, you feel like you are at a speedway. Earnhardt raced with no fear.
 

At the risk of expressing an unpopular opinion, I had some knowledge of Foyt in the 1970s when he drove for Gilmore Racing. I didn't care much for the man (nor his owner).
 
At the risk of expressing an unpopular opinion, I had some knowledge of Foyt in the 1970s when he drove for Gilmore Racing. I didn't care much for the man (nor his owner).

I think when it comes to many of the world's most successful racing drivers, their personalities or character on or off the track don’t always translate into something universally admired. They can often be quite polarising, as success in motorsport often requires traits that not everyone finds appealing. Of course, everyone’s experiences with these individuals can be different. There are quite a lot of racing drivers I wouldn't care to meet.

I wonder if someone like Stirling Moss might be an exception to some degree, often regarded as a 'racing gentleman' by many.
 
The name sounded familiar. My brother lived in Indianapolis around his time. I visited with my parents in the 70's. We went to the Indy 500 Time Trials. I'm sure that's where I heard that name.
 


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