Auto racing legend A.J. Foyt was dubbed “Super Tex” early in his outstanding career with good reason. Born and raised in Houston, he is fiercely proud of his Texan heritage. Fueled by ambition and determination, he carved out a remarkable life that was filled with adventure…and a few mishaps along the way. He has been richly rewarded with a close-knit family, loyal friends and a privileged lifestyle that belies his humble beginnings in the Heights section of Houston.
Foyt’s career is a treasure trove of memorable records and incredible feats. His record of achievements may never be equaled and certainly won’t be in his lifetime. Major victories, including the Indy 500 in Indy cars, the Daytona 500 in NASCAR stock cars, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in sports cars, set him apart from all other race drivers.
At LeMans, Foyt teamed with Dan Gurney, and their victory remains as the only all-American team with an American-built car to win the prestigious international endurance race.
Winner of a record 67 IndyCar races and seven national IndyCar Series titles as a driver, Foyt is often viewed as an intimidating personality by drivers, all of whom are now two generations removed from the motorsports legend. It is an assessment he disputes.
“I don’t ask my drivers to do all that I have done, the times are different nowadays,” Foyt said. “But I do expect them to give me 100 percent. That’s the name of the game. When I was running, all I wanted to do was win, and that’s the reason I probably won as much as I did. I never did want to settle for second or third.”
Turning 89 in January, the Houstonian has seen a lot of changes in his celebrated career, which began in 1953 at Playland Park and Meyer Speedway in his hometown. He soon turned it into a globetrotting romp of racetracks throughout North America and in Europe, Australia and Asia.
However, the Texan’s most memorable races took place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he became the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977). Including the 2023 Indy 500, Foyt has competed in 66 consecutive Indy 500s—of which 35 straight were as a driver – a record unlikely to ever be broken. He holds the IndyCar Series records for most career victories (67), most national championships (7) and most triumphs in one season (10). Those 10 victories in 13 starts computes to a winning percentage of 77% – a record still unmatched in IndyCar racing.
“It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been racing cars for over 70 years,” said Foyt. “I’ve had so many good memories, and some not-so-good, but I wouldn’t trade any of it.”
Winning has been the hallmark of Foyt’s career: winning in Indy cars, NASCAR, USAC stock cars, midgets, sprints, IMSA sports cars and, of course, Le Mans. He won 14 national titles and 172 major races in his driving career, which spanned four decades and three continents. He has won in five countries—U.S.A., France, New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain—and in 15 of the 19 states in which he competed as a driver.
Yet it was through his adversities that A.J.’s qualities burned brightest. His determination and toughness set him apart from his competition and he became one of auto racing’s most inspiring champions.
Over the years, Foyt proved he was physically and mentally tough. The equipment that he drove did not have the safety features of today’s cars, tracks and personal gear. Foyt battled back from career-threatening accidents to race—and win—again.
He broke his back at Riverside, California, in 1965 and again at Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1982; he sustained burns on his face and hands at Phoenix in 1966. In 1972, he jumped from his burning race car after a pit stop at DuQuoin, Illinois only to be run over it, breaking his ankle. He nearly lost his right arm in 1981 at the Michigan Superspeedway, and in 1990, he sustained debilitating injuries to his ankles and feet—he still limps from the effects of his crash at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
“I knew people wanted me to retire, heck my own family wanted me to,” he said of that 1990 accident. “But I didn’t want to go out on crutches. I was determined to walk to my race car without crutches.”
At 56, Foyt limped to his car, without crutches, and qualified second for the 1991 Indianapolis 500! He was eliminated early when debris from another accident broke his car’s suspension, but not before he had shown his own brand of toughness before 400,000 race fans and millions of TV viewers.
After finishing ninth in his 35th straight 500 in 1992, the motorsports icon retired from driving Indy cars in 1993 on Pole Day (May 15) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His decision was as abrupt as it was final.
“When I won Indy the first time back in 1961, I had a chance to meet Ray Harroun, who won the first Indy 500 in 1911,” Foyt revealed. “I asked him when he knew when to quit. He said, ‘It’ll come to you, you’ll just know.’ And he was right.”
As a team owner, Foyt has won the national Indy car title five times: 1967, 1975, 1979, and 1996 with driver Scott Sharp, and 1998 with driver Kenny Brack. It was also with Brack that Foyt won the 1999 Indy 500 for his fifth visit to the Brickyard’s victory circle.
Since retiring from driving, Foyt has faced his most serious health issues, which include two attacks by African killer bees, three knee replacements, a hip replacement, two back surgeries, three bouts of life-threatening staph infections, and triple bypass surgery.
Foyt’s triple bypass surgery in November 2014, was followed by serious post-operative complications, leading to a nearly month-long hospital stay, and for the first time, a week-long induced sedation as doctors worked to get him back on track. Another two-week stay in the hospital in December due to more — but not life-threatening — complications set a personal record for Foyt, whose previous hospital stays (due to race-related injuries) were three weeks or less.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries from accidents and have always recovered pretty fast,” said Foyt, adding, “but this was altogether different from an accident, because it was a health problem. All during my career I never had any health problems, so I didn’t realize how serious they can be or how lucky you are when you’re healthy.”
Throughout his storied career, Foyt has defied the odds to emerge triumphant. His accolades include being named the Driver of the Year in 1975, inaugural inductions into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame (Novi, Michigan), the Sprint Car Hall of Fame and the Miami Project/Sports Legend in Auto Racing (1986). He won the American Sportscasters Association Sports Legend Award in 1993. He was named to NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers and voted Driver of the Century by a panel of experts and the Associated Press. Additionally, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
In 2019, he was honored by the Houston Sports Hall of Fame along with fellow Texans Jackie Burke, George Foreman, and “Honorary Texan” Dan Pastorini.
“I don’t care how many times you’ve been honored,” said Foyt, who now lives in the posh River Oaks section of Houston. “It is really special to be honored in your hometown.”
No one racing today can match Foyt’s career for versatility or record-setting accomplishments which he achieved in an era when racing was more dangerous and deadly. This Texan not only survived, he thrived to become a legend who is admired as much for his Texas brand of toughness and determination as he is for his unparalleled success.
