Considered by many to be one of the greatest drivers in the history
of motor racing in the United States, A.J. Foyt celebrates his 83rd birthday
today, January 16.
Foyt is the all-time leader in many of IndyCar racing’s categories, including victories and championships, and was the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. But, while Foyt was well-known for his IndyCar accolades, he certainly excelled in other forms of racing. He is one of two drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 (Mario Andretti being the other); one of two drivers to win Indy and the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall (Graham Hill the other); and one of 13 Indy winners to triumph America’s top 24-hour race, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, overall.
Additionally, his 159 victories in USAC competition – spanning from IndyCars to Sprint cars, Midgets and Silver Crown cars and stock cars – are the most of any driver in the sanctioning body’s history.
Since it is Foyt’s 83rd birthday, here is a look at 83 Foyt facts, figures and statistics spanning a wide range of motorsports activity.
Foyt is the all-time leader in many of IndyCar racing’s categories, including victories and championships, and was the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. But, while Foyt was well-known for his IndyCar accolades, he certainly excelled in other forms of racing. He is one of two drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 (Mario Andretti being the other); one of two drivers to win Indy and the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall (Graham Hill the other); and one of 13 Indy winners to triumph America’s top 24-hour race, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, overall.
Additionally, his 159 victories in USAC competition – spanning from IndyCars to Sprint cars, Midgets and Silver Crown cars and stock cars – are the most of any driver in the sanctioning body’s history.
Since it is Foyt’s 83rd birthday, here is a look at 83 Foyt facts, figures and statistics spanning a wide range of motorsports activity.
IndyCar Racing:
-
Races: 369 (297 USAC/85 CART; some races were
co-sanctioned by both bodies)
o
First Race: Springfield 100, Illinois State
Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois; August 17, 1957 (finished ninth)
o
50th Race: Sacramento 100, CalExpo State Fairgrounds
in Sacramento, California; October 29, 1961 (finished 12th)
o
100th Race: Springfield 100, Illinois State
Fairgrounds in Springfield; August 21, 1965 (won)
o
200th Race: Ontario 500, Ontario Motor Speedway
in Ontario, California; September 3, 1972 (finished 30th)
o
250th Race: Ontario 200, Ontario Motor Speedway
in Ontario; March 6, 1977 (won)
o
300th Race: Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in Speedway, Indiana; May 26, 1985 (finished 28th)
o
Last Race: Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor
Speedway; May 24, 1992 (finished ninth)
o
Track with Most Races: Trenton Speedway (41);
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (35)
-
Wins: 67 (all-time record)
o
First Win: Ted Horn 100; DuQuoin State
Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois; September 5, 1960 (100 laps)
o
25th Win: Ted Horn 100; DuQuoin State
Fairgrounds in DuQuoin; September 7, 1964 (100 laps)
o
50th Win: Trenton Speedway in Trenton, New
Jersey; April 6, 1975 (134 laps)
o
Last Win: Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania;
June 21, 1981 (122 laps* shortened due to rain)
o
Wins on Pavement: 40
o
Wins on Dirt: 24
o
Wins on Road Courses: 3
o
Wins in Car No. 14: 30
o
Track with Most Wins: Trenton Speedway (12);
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (5); Ontario Motor Speedway (5)
o
Tracks with At Least One Win: 18
o
Wins in a Single Season: 10 (1964; tied for most
all-time with Al Unser)
o
Consecutive Wins: 7 (1964; all-time record)
o
Seasons With At Least One Win: 18 (all-time
record)
o
Indianapolis 500 Wins: 4 (first driver to
accomplish the feat)
o
Wins from Pole Position: 23
-
Pole Positions: 53
o
First Pole: Hoosier Hundred at Indiana State
Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana; September 16, 1961 (won)
o
Last Pole: Texas World Speedway in College
Station, Texas; July 29, 1979 (won)
-
Championships: 7
o
First Championship: 1960 (won by 290 points)
o
Last Championship: 1979 (won by 1,550 points)
-
Etc.
o
Laps Led: 6,621 (second all-time to Mario
Andretti)
o
Second oldest driver to compete in a race since
1946 (1992 Indianapolis 500; 57 years, 4 months, 8 days)
o
Podium/Top-3 Finishes: 119 (second all-time to
Mario Andretti)
o
Top-5 Finishes: 149 (second all-time to Mario
Andretti)
o
Consecutive Top-5 Finishes: 14 (between 1962 and
1963; second all-time to Tony Kanaan)
USAC Midgets:
-
Races: 129
o
First Race: Night Before the 500; 16th Street
Speedway in Speedway, Indiana; May 29, 1956 (finished 13th)
o
Last Race: Hut Hundred; Terre Haute Action Track
in Terre Haute, Indiana; September 7, 1975 (finished 26th after qualifying
first)
-
Wins: 20
o
First Win: Olympic Stadium in Kansas City,
Missouri; May 12, 1957 (100 laps; marked first career USAC victory)
o
Last Win: Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas;
March 14, 1970 (100 laps)
USAC Sprint Cars:
-
Races: 145
o
First Race: Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana;
August 11, 1957 (finished seventh)
o
Last Race: Indiana State Fairgrounds in
Indianapolis, Indiana; May 24, 1974 (won both 50-lap features held that event)
-
Wins: 28
o
First Win: Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana;
September 13, 1959 (100 laps)
o
Last Win: Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis,
Indiana; May 24, 1974 (50 laps)
USAC Silver Crown:
-
Races: 18
o
First Race: Tony Bettenhausen 100; Illinois
State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois; August 22, 1971 (100 laps; won)
o
Last Race: Hoosier Hundred; Indiana State
Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana; September 11, 1982 (100 laps; finished
19th)
-
Wins: 2 (won second-ever Silver Crown, then
known as Dirt Track Championship, race)
o
First Win: Tony Bettenhausen 100; Illinois State
Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois; August 22, 1971 (100 laps)
o
Last Win: Ted Horn 100; DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
in DuQuoin, Illinois; September 4, 1972 (100 laps)
USAC Stock Cars:
-
Races: 147
o
First Race: Arizona State Fairgrounds in
Phoenix, Arizona; February 5, 1961 (finished 20th)
o
Last Race: Texas World Speedway in College
Station, Texas; November 11, 1979 (finished fourth)
-
Wins: 42 (second most to Don White’s series
record of 53)
o
First Win: Ascot Park in Gardena, California;
February 25, 1962 (100 laps; only second career start)
o
Last Win: Illinois State Fairgrounds in
Springfield, Illinois; August 19, 1979 (100 laps)
NASCAR:
-
Races: 128
o
First Race: Motor Trend 500, Riverside
International Raceway in Riverside, California; January 20, 1963 (finished
second)
o
Last Race: Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in Speedway, Indiana; August 6, 1994 (finished 30th)
o
Competed in at least one race in 30 seasons and
one race for 28 consecutive seasons, between 1963 through 1990
o
Exactly half of his races, 64, were in a car he
owned
-
Wins: 7
o
First Win: Firecracker 400, Daytona
International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida; July 4, 1964
o
Last Win: Miller High Life 500, Ontario Motor
Speedway in Ontario, California; March 5, 1972
o
Four of seven victories came driving for the
Wood Brothers
Daytona 500:
-
Races: 28
-
Wins: 1 (1972)
o
Became only second driver to win both
Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 (Mario Andretti was the first, winning Daytona
in 1967 and Indy in 1969)
24 Hours of Daytona:
-
Races: 8
o
First Race: 1962
§
Finished 50th; completed two laps in No. 53
Pontiac Tempest driving for Frank Nichels in the GT+5000 category
o
Last Race: 1988
§
Finished sixth overall and sixth in GTP
category; co-drove with Al Unser Jr. and Elliott Forbes-Robinson in No. 1
Porsche 962 he owned
-
Wins: 2 overall
o
1983: Co-drove No. 6 Porsche 935L, owned by
Preston Henn, to victory with Henn, Bob Wollek and Claude Ballot-Lena (first in
GTP) by six laps
o
1985: Co-drove No. 8 Porsche 962, owned by
Preston Henn, to victory with Al Unser, Thierry Boutsen and Bob Wollek (first
in GTP) by 17 laps
24 Hours of Le Mans:
-
Races: 1
o
1967: Co-drove No. 1 Ford GT40 with Dan Gurney
to victory by four laps
o
Became first driver to win Indianapolis 500 and
Le Mans with win (Graham Hill being the other overall winner, in 1972)
Sources:
- - Wikipedia: A.J. Foyt
- - IndyCar Media Guide, 2014
- - A.J. Foyt Statistical Guide
- - USAC Media Guide
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