| A.J. Foyt is one of the stellar names in the history | | | | that era did not have many safety features, and |
| of motorsports. This Texan started his racing | | | | accidents often caused severe injury to the |
| career on a small dirt track in the town of | | | | drivers. In 1965, an accident in Riverside, California |
| Springfield, Illinois in 1957. Though his career had | | | | left him with a broken ankle, a broken back, and |
| him traveling over a large part of the world, the | | | | severe chest injuries. A doctor pronounced Foyt |
| most exciting races were those in America. He | | | | dead at the scene, but driver Parnelli Jones say |
| became the first four time winner of the | | | | some movement and revived him. Only ten |
| Indianapolis 500, on that famous motor speedway. | | | | weeks later, Foyt was back behind the wheel, |
| He has competed in 35 Indy 500s as a driver, | | | | winning five races that season. The next year his |
| which is a record that probably will stay | | | | car hit the wall in Wisconsin, causing the fuel tank |
| unchallenged. A.J. has driven in a number of | | | | to rupture, and burning A.J.'s hands and face. The |
| different venues: NASCAR, midgets, sprints, and | | | | rest of that season was a difficult one to finish, |
| even Le Mans. He won over 150 major races | | | | and his point ranking put him 13th in the list. Other |
| during his driving career, which has been over | | | | people began talking about his retiring from the |
| more than four decades. Not only is this man | | | | track. This caused A.J. to make 1967 a banner |
| talented and versatile, but his long career has | | | | year, and he won the national title for the fifth |
| showed off two of his major character qualities: | | | | time. This included his third win at Indianapolis. The |
| perseverance and toughness. Not only has A.J. | | | | Indy 500 that year had a remarkable finish. A.J. |
| instilled a love of cars and racing to his children, he | | | | was in front by nearly one lap, and as he was |
| himself received it from his father. His father was | | | | making the last lap, there was a large group of |
| an auto mechanic that loved racing, and would tell | | | | cars in front of him. All of a sudden, a number of |
| A.J. stories of the auto racing of years gone by. | | | | cars were spinning, and bouncing off the walls. A.J. |
| They worked on cars together, as his father had | | | | dropped his car into second gear, deciding he was |
| them as a hobby as well as a business. He took | | | | going to win even if he had to push a few cars |
| one of the cars from his father and started out | | | | ahead of him across the finish line. Many more |
| on the racing circuit in the years 1953 through | | | | notable successes came, along with a number of |
| 1957. Though he persevered, driving the tow | | | | other injuries, through the 1970s and 1980s. One |
| vehicle to get the racer to the various tracks, | | | | of the worst happened in 1990, when his brakes |
| success did not happen often. However, other | | | | failed and the car sailed off of the track at 190 |
| race car owners noticed the young man, and | | | | mph and landed in a dirt wall. Though the injuries |
| made him offers to be a driver for more | | | | were not life threatening, both of his legs were |
| established teams. The year 1958 was his first | | | | shattered. The pain was intense, and required |
| year driving in the Indy 500. He got past the | | | | several surgeries. After another six months of |
| rookie weedout, and finished 16th in the race, | | | | therapy, he limped to his car to qualify second for |
| actually earning several thousand dollars for the | | | | the Indy 500. Though he did not complete this |
| effort. This was a great encouragement for | | | | race due to a mechanical malfunction, the heart |
| someone used to sleeping in the towing vehicle, or | | | | and determination of this great racer is |
| on an extra cot in someone's house. The cars of | | | | exemplified by this victory over circumstance. |