By Dick Mittman
indy500.com
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Now we know the truth. Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion A.J. Foyt Jr. can be sweet-talked into bending his life-long rules.
That's why two drivers named Foyt will be starting in this year's Indianapolis 500-Mile Race on May 30.
They are A.J. "Anthony" Foyt IV, the grandson, and Larry Foyt, the son. Foyt IV qualified on MBNA Pole Day on May 15 for his second Indy 500 start, at age 19, while Larry Foyt became a rookie qualifier at age 27. Their ages combined are the same number of years that A.J. Foyt Jr. has been a part of the 500 as a driver and team owner.
Foyt Jr. for years steadfastly refused to steer his children toward auto racing. He thought it was too dangerous.
On May 15, after Anthony joined Larry in the field as a late-day qualifier, Foyt stormed a little about engine matters. But then tears came to his eyes as he realized that two drivers who grew up in his house will start the race that made him a legend.
Mark Donohue Technical Excellence At Speed Book
Mark Donohue Technical Excellence At Speed Book.
"Oh, you're always happy to have them in the race," he said, his voice cracking. "I just wished we could have qualified a little better."
That was the soft side of A.J. that few people have seen.
In his post-qualification press conference, Larry, driver of a Coyote-red car reminiscent of his father's machine of yesteryear, told how his mother, Lucy, came to Indianapolis this weekend for his qualification run, and his dad was complaining that she never attended the time trials when he was making the race for 35 consecutive years. She did attend the races.
"She's been here, and she's really helped twist A.J. to let the kids race," Larry Foyt said.
"I think my brother older than me, Jerry, had a desire to race, but A.J. still was pretty close-minded about it. I think I was able to open some doors to get Anthony started so young. Maybe I opened them too fast. Got Anthony in there real young."
The Foyts qualified at the bottom of the lineup chart with speed averages of 214.256 mph by Anthony and 213.277 by Larry. Still, they put their Dallara/Toyota/Firestone cars into the field. Conseco sponsors Anthony's car.
"We're just really thankful to get in the first day," Anthony said. "It's been a long day having the motor problems and having to wait for everybody to get in line and run and trying to get some practice. We realized if we wanted to go get in line, we'd better go get in line, so it was a long, frustrating day, and I'm glad it's over.
"It's great to have two Foyts in the race, but it's too bad they're in the back of the field right now. Hopefully, come Race Day we'll be coming to the front."
The day, an overcast, gray one, began as a downer for Anthony. When his car was started in the pits, an electrical fire broke out in the engine's wiring loom. The car was towed back to the Gasoline Alley garages for repair.
The attention then turned to getting Larry through his first qualifying attempt in an open-wheel car at Indy. He drove in last year's Brickyard 400 but took a provisional to get in after crashing in qualifying.
As the car creeped up the line toward his turn to make a qualifying run, Foyt Jr. seemed light-hearted. He chatted and joked with two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk while Larry sat on the wall waiting to climb into the car. The Foyt NASCAR team, headed by Dane Hart, readied the machine. Anthony pulled up on a golf cart and had a few words with Larry, who then pulled on his helmet.
Linda Vaughn, the perennial race queen wearing a black-and-white checkered jacket, watched nervously close by.
"Don't think my fingers are shaking for nothing," she said.
The car was fired up as Dan Wheldon completed his first qualifying lap. A.J. Jr. donned his headphones and moved to the front of the car. The engine shut off, then restarted as Wheldon began his fourth and final circuit. Wheldon zoomed by and soon Larry Foyt was shoved off.
The laps were 213.399, 213.331, 213.244 and 213.135.
As Larry completed his cool-down lap, another four-time Indy champion, Al Unser, strode down the pits.
"He's been doing good," Unser said of Larry Foyt. "Just needs some time, poor guy. He'll be all right. Got a lot to learn."
Lucy Foyt watched the run from the Turn 2 suites. She had pulled his number in the Friday qualifying drawing.
A.J. Jr. arrived at the post-qualifying picture-taking scene on a golf cart.
"He was real consistent," he said. "He was flat-footed. That's all it would run. He did a good job."
Larry walked up to his father and said, "That's all it had."
"This is definitely more special (then being in the Brickyard)," Larry Foyt said. "Probably more of a challenge, because with these cars you're trying so hard to be smooth."
Later in the interview room, Larry said qualifying wasn't that nerve-wracking. He said his dad dialed in a conservative setup for him. He admitted to being frustrated that the car wouldn't go any faster.
"I'm glad it's over," he said.
"Most of my roots in racing were geared toward coming to this place. You've seen me here since I was yeh tall. I'm having a blast."
Now it's getting late in qualifications. Anthony isn't in yet. The crew hustles the car to technical inspection, and it passes. Anthony moves to the front of line and waits for Scott Dixon to make his qualifying run. The minute hand is rapidly approaching the 6 p.m. closing gun.
Out he shoots at 5:53 p.m. The laps are 214.135, 214.197, 214.285 and 214.406.
A second Foyt is qualified.
A.J. the car owner moans about the engines. He huffs, and he puffs. But it didn't last long.
His eyes reddened. This was a day maybe secretly he had dreamed about all these years when he said he didn't want his children to drive race cars.
On this day, two Foyts qualified for the Indy 500. It might be for A.J. Foyt Jr. a moment greater than his four victories. ***
Tickets: Tickets are available for the 2004 Indianapolis 500 on May 30. For information, log on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, or call the IMS ticket office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
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