A. J. Foyt IV
| Anthony Joseph Foyt IV | |
|---|---|
 Foyt at Homestead Miami Speedway, 2007 | |
| Nationality |  American |
| Born | May 25, 1984 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Related to | A. J. Foyt (grandfather) Larry Foyt (uncle) |
| IRL IndyCar Series | |
| Years active | 2003–2008 |
| Teams | A. J. Foyt Enterprises (47 starts) Andretti Green Racing (1 start) Vision Racing (34 starts) |
| Starts | 82 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 14th in 2007 |
| Previous series | |
| 2005–2006 2002 | NASCAR Nationwide Series Firestone Indy Lights Series |
| Championship titles | |
| 2002 | Firestone Indy Lights Series |
Anthony Joseph "A.J." Foyt IV (born May 25, 1984) is an American race car driver. He competed in the IndyCar Series and briefly in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, then called the Busch Series. He is the grandson of A. J. Foyt.
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.
Personal life
Foyt was born in Louisville, Kentucky but lists his hometown as Hockley, Texas,[1] 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[2] 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.[3]
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."
Early career in IndyCar
Foyt began racing Junior Dragsters as a nine-year-old and won two titles.[1] He then moved to karts for many years before moving to formula race cars in 2001.[1] In 2001, he won six of nine SCCA events to claim the Southwest Regional championship.[1] He finished third in SCCA's national point championships and was the series' Rookie of the Year.[1] 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.[1] Foyt competed in his first USAC Silver Crown event that August.[1] 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.[1] In 2003, he moved up to Foyt Enterprises' IRL IndyCar Series team, finishing 21st in the final standings.[1] 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.[6] The season did not improve as the team switched from Toyota to Chevrolet power mid-season[7] and Foyt was replaced for the late-season road course events by Jeff Bucknum.[8]
NASCAR
In October 2005, Foyt announced that at the end of the 2005 season, he would leave Foyt Enterprises and drive in the NASCAR Busch 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.[9] 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.[10] 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
2006
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.[11]
2007
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.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14]
2008
Foyt returned to be one of Vision Racing's drivers in the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona.[15] 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.[16] His Vision Racing teammate, Ed Carpenter also earned a career best start with the 2nd best qualifying time.[16] However, both cars failed technical inspection, meaning they had to start at the rear of the field.[16] Foyt drove his No. 2 entry from the last position (25th) to a ninth place finish in the race.[1]
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.[17] 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.[18]
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.[19] Foyt would drive to an eighth place finish.[19] 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
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.[20] Jaques Lazier was drafted in on short notice to qualify the car but failed to find enough speed to make the field.[21]
Motorsports career results
American Open-Wheel racing results
(key)
Indy Lights
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | KAN 1 |
NSH 4 |
MIS 1 |
KTY 1 |
STL 9 |
CHI 6 |
TXS 1 |
1st | 290 |
IndyCar[22]
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | HMS 17 |
PHX Ret |
 MOT Ret |
INDY 18 |
TXS Ret |
PPIR Ret |
RIR Ret |
KAN Ret |
NSH 17 |
MIS Ret |
STL Ret |
KTY 17 |
NZR 11 |
CHI 17 |
FON 17 |
TX2 Ret |
21st | 198 | |||
| 2004 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | HMS 15 |
PHX 14 |
MOT 15 |
INDY Ret |
TXS Ret |
RIR 11 |
KAN 13 |
NSH 16 |
MIL 16 |
MIS 15 |
KTY 18 |
PPIR Ret |
NZR 15 |
CHI Ret |
FON Ret |
TX2 10 |
18th | 232 | |||
| 2005 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | HMS 9 |
PHX 14 |
STP Ret |
MOT 14 |
INDY Ret |
TXS 18 |
RIR 14 |
KAN 16 |
NSH 12 |
MIL Ret |
MIS 12 |
KTY 9 |
PPIR Ret |
SNM |
CHI 11 |
WGL |
FON Ret |
20th | 231 | ||
| 2006 | Andretti Green Racing | HMS |
STP |
MOT |
INDY |
WGL |
TXS |
RIR |
KAN |
NSH |
MIL |
MIS |
KTY |
SNM |
CHI 14 |
26th | 16 | |||||
| 2007 | Vision Racing | HMS Ret |
STP 13 |
MOT 13 |
KAN 9 |
INDY 14 |
MIL 13 |
TXS Ret |
IOW Ret |
RIR 13 |
WGL 15 |
NSH 12 |
MDO 13 |
MIS Ret |
KTY 3 |
SNM Ret |
DET Ret |
CHI 10 |
14th | 315 | ||
| 2008 | Vision Racing | HMS 9 |
STP 11 |
MOT1 Ret |
LBH1 DNP |
KAN 8 |
INDY 21 |
MIL 17 |
TXS 12 |
IOW 5 |
RIR Ret |
WGL Ret |
NSH Ret |
MDO 18 |
 EDM 12 |
KTY Ret |
SNM 20 |
DET 10 |
CHI 13 |
 SRF2 17 |
19th | 280 |
| 2009 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | STP |
LBH |
KAN |
INDY 16 |
MIL |
TXS Ret |
IOW |
RIR |
WGL |
TOR |
EDM |
KTY |
MDO |
SNM |
CHI |
MOT |
HMS |
33rd | 26 | ||
| 2010 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises |  SAO |
STP |
ALA |
LBH |
KAN |
INDY Wth3 |
TXS |
IOW |
WGL |
TOR |
EDM |
MDO |
SNM |
CHI |
KTY |
MOT |
HMS |
NC | – |
- 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.
| Years | Teams | Races | Poles | Wins | Podiums (Non-win) |
Top 10s (Non-podium) |
Indianapolis 500 Wins |
Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 84 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Indy 500 results[7]
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dallara | Toyota | 23 | 18 | Foyt |
| 2004 | Dallara | Toyota | 21 | 33 | Foyt |
| 2005 | Dallara | Toyota | 28 | 28 | Foyt |
| 2007 | Dallara | Honda | 18 | 14 | Vision |
| 2008 | Dallara | Honda | 31 | 21 | Vision |
| 2009 | Dallara | Honda | 25 | 16 | Foyt |
| 2010 | Dallara | Honda | DNQ | Foyt | |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "A.J. Foyt IV". IndyCar. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "A.J. Foyt IV". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Foyt IV Charged with DUI". speedtv.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Foyt Boys Are Headed for the Super Bowl". Foyt Racing. January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Dick Mittman (April 21, 2003). "Young Foyt Feeling Comfortable In Big Saddle At Indy". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Kate Shaw. "Bruno Junqueira recovering from surgery after Indy 500 crash". rfm sports. Retrieved 2005-05-30.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)[dead link] - ^ a b "A. J. Foyt IV". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Bucknum to replace Foyt at Infineon". Crash.net. August 25, 2005. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Race Report: California Speedway". FoytRacing.com. Archived from the original on 2006-03-16. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Dave Rodman. "Evernham looking to put Foyt back behind wheel". nascar.com. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Bob Margolis (May 13, 2007). "Glad to be back". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Foyt the Fourth Official at Vision Racing, January 18, 2007
- ^ Franchitti OK after car flips sideways, turns upside down during Indy 400 wreck, Associated Press via ESPN.com, August 6, 2007
- ^ Foyt leads 13 laps and takes third as Vision Racing finishes all three cars in top-10 at Kentucky, Vision Racing, August 11, 2007
- ^ Dagys, John. World's best flock to Daytona for 24-Hour Motorsport.com, January 21, 2008
- ^ a b c Lewandowski, Dave (March 2008). "Back to the Rear". IndyCar. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ "Rain Gives Castroneves Pole at Twin Ring Motegi Japan 300". Backstretch Motorsports. April 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ "Danica Patrick Wins Indy Japan 300 At Twin Ring Motegi". V8x. April 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- ^ a b "Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 Daily Trackside Report". IndyCar. April 27, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-01. [dead link]
- ^ A.J. Foyt IV speaks out after family feud, WISH-TV, May 26, 2010, retrieved 06-05-2010
- ^ Cavin, Curt. Foyt says bump day dispute 'was no big deal', Indianapolis Star, May 25, 2010, Retrieved 06-05-2010
- ^ A.J. Foyt IV Career Stats, IndyCar.com
External links
