A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977)

Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., is arguably the greatest racer of all time due to his success in all series. He is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.

But there is little question that when you think of the Indy 500, you probably think of A.J. Foyt.

That's what happens when you start in 35 straight Indianapolis 500 Miles Races from 1958 and 1992, including four times drinking the milk during that streak. Even after his retirement from racing when he was unable to qualify for the '93 race, his name still floats around the Speedway. He became and continues today as a car owner, winning the 1996 and 1998 Indy Racing League crown with Scott Sharp and Kenny Brack, respectively. He also owned the 1999 Indy 500 winning car driven by Brack.

It's safe to say that Foyt is the most well-known and successful person, in all aspects, to take place in Month of May festivities at the Brickyard.


A.J. Foyt led in a record 13 of his 35 career races for a total of 555 laps. He started eight times from the front row (half of those from the pole position). His greatest feats are in his ability to finish the race, though. He finished in the top six a total of 12 times, and in the top three 9 times. You could talk about Foyt's success in just about any race in which he competed. We'll focus just on his trips to Victory Lane.

1961 - Foyt starts seventh and stays steady before taking the lead on lap 80. He stays near the top until lap 160 when a fueling rig breaks during his final pit stop. Being low on fuel, and his car therefore lighter, he is able to pull ahead of his two main competitors Rodger Ward and Eddie Sachs. He needs a little help, though, to get enough fuel. His crew was able to borrow a fueling rig from another team so that Foyt could make a splash-and-go stop on lap 184. He's now 25 seconds behind Sachs, but Indy claims another victim in disappointment as Sachs makes an emergency stop just 10 miles before the finish to get a fresh rear tire. In the second closest finish to date, Foyt wins by 8.28 seconds.

1964 - Parnelli Jones leads on lap 55 when he pits for fuel. Static electricity causes the fuel tank on his car to explode. Luckily he only suffers minor burns. The explosion puts Foyt to the lead, a lead he would not relinquish. He leads the last 146 laps to win in record time. Taking only two pit stops in the race, Foyt wins by over a lap over Ward yet again.

1967 - It took Foyt the longest to get to the lead in the 1967 race - Monday. The race was stopped on lap 18 due to rain and postponed to the next day. Even then, it wasn't until Parnelli Jones makes his second pit stop on lap 131 that Foyt takes the lead. He trails again though on lap 193 by 43 seconds. On lap 197, the Indy gods play to Foyt's favor again. The crowd erupts as Tom Carnegie announces over the PA system that Jones is in trouble. He rolls to pit lane, out of the race after leading 171 laps and just three laps short of the checkered flag. Foyt then cruises to victory (though having to avoid a five-car wreck in front of him on the last lap), his third win and another victory in record time.

1977 - More help from the Indy gods made A.J. Foyt the first four-time winner at Indy. He battles back and forth with Gordon Johncock through most of the race. On lap 180, Johncock relinquishes the lead to Foyt when he makes his last pit stop. Foyt still has to stop, which he does three laps later. Then, on the next lap, Johncock suffers a broken crankshaft and parks in the grass, waving to Foyt as he passes by on the way to an easy victory. He wins by 29 seconds over Tom Sneva, the only other car on the lead lap.

It's tough not to say that A.J. Foyt is the greatest to Race at Indy. His #14 is legendary at the Brickyard, making him the perfect champion to chronicle on the 14th of May!

(Oh, by the way, we're half way through the month to race day!!!!!)