A. J. Foyt IV

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A. J. Foyt IV bigraphy, stories - American Race car driver

A. J. Foyt IV : biography

May 25, 1984 –

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.

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.Foyt Driving at the [[Milwaukee Mile in 2007]]

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., January 18, 2007

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., Associated Press via ESPN.com, August 6, 2007 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., Vision Racing, August 11, 2007

2008

Signing autographs in 2008 Foyt returned to be one of Vision Racing’s drivers in the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona.Dagys, John. Motorsport.com, January 21, 2008 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. His Vision Racing teammate, Ed Carpenter also earned a career best start with the 2nd best qualifying time. However, both cars failed technical inspection, meaning they had to start at the rear of the field. Foyt drove his No. 2 entry from the last position (25th) to a ninth place finish in the race.

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. 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.

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. Foyt would drive to an eighth place finish. 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.