FANTASY NASCAR Racin

was a American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won several major sports car racing events. He holds the all-time USAC career wins record with 159 victories, and the all-time American championship racing career wins record with 67. He is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (which he won four times), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Foyt won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977. Foyt's success has led to induction in numerous motorsports halls of fame. He started his USAC career in a midget car at the 1956 Night before the 500 in Anderson, Indiana. His first midget car win was at a 100 lap event at Kansas City in 1957, and finished seventh in the season points

standings. He left full time racing in midget cars after the 1957 season to drive in sprint cars and Championship Car. A picture here shows him in his #83 midget car waiting to be pushed off. Check out the scarf over his nose and mouth to help prevent breathing in so much dirt and dust. The next picture is of Foyt in his #14 sprint car. He did occasionally compete in midget car events. He won the 1960 and 1961 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the first two years that it was held at Ascot Park. He won the 1961 Hut Hundred after starting last, and finished seventh in National Midget points that year. In 1961, he became the first driver to successfully defend his points championship and win the Indianapolis 500 race. Late in the 500, Foyt stopped for fuel, but a refueling malfunction meant that 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 Sachs had to pit with just three laps remaining to replace a shredded right-rear tire. Foyt took over the lead and beat Sachs by just 8.28 seconds. The picture below is of Foyt's 1964 Indy 500 winning car. Ford-powered entries were widely expected to dominate the 1964 Indianapolis 500. When the two fastest Lotus-Fords, driven by Jim Clark and Bobby Marshman, fell out of the race with mechanical problems, and Parnelli Jones was knocked out when his fuel tank exploded during a pit stop, Foyt was left alone at the front of the field, and cruised home to win his second

Indianapolis 500. The race is remembered for the fiery second-lap crash that claimed the lives of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs. In the 1967 Indianapolis 500, Parnelli Jones' turbine car was expected to easily defeat the field of piston engines. Jones lapped the field, but his car expired with three laps remaining, and Foyt inherited the lead (1967 winning car below). But as he drove down the back straightaway on the last lap, Foyt suddenly remembered an odd premonition that had struck him the night before, when he wondered aloud what would happen in the event of a big last-lap accident. As Foyt moved through Turn 3 on the 200th lap, he slowed down. A few hundred yards ahead of him, Carl Williams spun out as he exited Turn 4, triggering a five-car front-stretch

accident right in front of Foyt. Traveling at no more than 100 mph, Foyt threaded his way through the wreckage and safely took the checkered flag. In the 1977 Indianapolis 500, Foyt ran out of fuel, 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 risks destroying the engine. Johncock's own engine expired just as Foyt had closed to within eight seconds back after both drivers' final pit stops, and Foyt passed for the win. His

record breaking fourth Indy 500 car is pictured at right. Foyt only needed 10 races to get his first NASCAR victory. Richard Petty dominated the 1964 Firecracker 400 until he went out with engine problems. Foyt swapped the lead with Bobby Isaac for the final 50 laps of the summer event at the Daytona International Speedway. Foyt passed Isaac on the final lap to win the race. Foyt ran out of gas near the end of the 1971 Daytona 500, and Petty passed him for the win. Foyt again had the car to beat in the 1972 Daytona 500, but this time succeeded in a dominating performance wheeling the famed Wood Brothers #21 machine. Only three drivers led during the race. In January 1965, Foyt qualified and ran in the front of the pack most of the day with Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones in the Motor Trend 500

at Riverside. Parnelli retired with mechanical issues, leaving Gurney and Foyt to contest the lead. Late in the race, dueling with Gurney, Foyt spun. His car refired, and he charged through the field in an attempt to regain lost positions. Late in the race, after running hard to catch leader Gurney, Foyt's brakes failed entering Turn 9 at the end of Riverside's mile-long, downhill back straight. Foyt turned the car into the infield at more than 100 mph, and the car tumbled violently end-over-end several times. The track doctor at Riverside International Raceway pronounced Foyt dead at the scene of the severe crash,

but fellow driver Parnelli Jones revived him after seeing movement. Foyt suffered severe chest injuries, a broken back, and a fractured ankle. He made a full recovery to go on and set many records. Foyt is famous for winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in his first and only attempt, in 1967; Foyt drove a Ford GT40 Mk IV (pictured here), partnered with Dan Gurney and entered by Carroll Shelby's team. Foyt also later won the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona during the 1980s driving Porsches, making him one of only 12 drivers to complete the "triple crown" of endurance racing. He was the champion in USAC's stock car in 1968, 1978, and 1979. He finished second in 1963 and 1969, and third in 1970. Among his wins in USAC stock car racing was his 1964 win at the Billy Vukovich Memorial 200 at Hanford Speedway

in California. He also was a multiple winner in USAC stock cars at Milwaukee, Texas World Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway. Foyt didn't race in NASCAR much, but holds many other incredible records. They include: Drove in Indy 500 in 35 consecutive years; Only driver to win Indy 500 in both front and rear engine cars; Only Driver to win the Daytona 500, the 24 hours of Lemans, and Indy 500; also claimed wins in the 24 hours of Daytona (twice) and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He won 12 NASCAR races; won the 1976 and 1977 IROC Championships; won 12 major driving championships in various categories; and holds the closed course speed record driving a Oldsmobile Aerotech at an average speed of over 250 MPH. He was also inducted into NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers list in 1998. AJ had one adopted son, Larry Foyt who tried his hand at NASCAR and INDY car racing, and has a grandson AJ Foyt IV who Also tried his hand racing in the INDY car and NASCAR series. After

several unsuccessful season Foyt IV took as position with the Indianapolis Colts as a scouting assistant. Tony Stewart who races in the NASCAR series recently switched car numbers to the #14, and stated AJ has always been his hero, and it is an honor to drive his car number. Current Cup driver A.J. Allmendinger is named after A.J. Foyt. Foyt has quit and extensive list of accomplishments. They include being voted Driver of the Century by a panel of expects and the Associated Press. He won: USAC Sprint Car Series Champion (1960); USAC National Champion (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967 & 1975) USAC Stock Car Champion (1968, 1978 & 1979); USAC Silver Crown Series Champion (1972); IROC Champion (1976 & 1977); and USAC Gold Crown Champion (1979). In addition he was voted into the first Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1990); first class of Motorsports Hall of Fame (1989) and National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1988). Some info from Wikipedia

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

ANTHONY JOSEPH "AJ" FOYT - 01/06/1935