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