A.J. Foyt Remains Loyal to Indy 500

For Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr., there is no other place to be in May except the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The man known to millions of race fans as A.J. drove in the Indianapolis 500 a record 35 consecutive times, from 1958-1992, and was the first four-time winner of the world’s richest and most prestigous racing event.

This year, when a dispute caused a rift between the speedway, run by Foyt godson Tony George, and the CART-IndyCar series, Foyt was forced to choose sides. He is bringing the team he owns to Indy.

“This is the greatest race in the world,” he said. “It will always be the greatest race in the world, regardless of who runs here. This is where I wanted to be.”

Not everybody feels the same way.

The conflict began when George started the fledgling Indy Racing League, an all-oval series he said was intended to give young American drivers a better chance to get to the big time.

It escalated and became an outright war when George announced that up to 25 of the 33 starting spots in the 80th Indy 500 would be reserved for IRL participants.

That’s when CART scheduled the U.S. 500, which will be run on May 26, the same day as the 500, at Michigan International Speedway.

Most of the open-wheel sport’s biggest names will be racing at Brooklyn, Mich., that day. Foyt doesn’t think they’ll be missed.

“I think it feels better,” Foyt said, standing in his noisy, busy Gasoline Alley garage and smiling amiably. “Everybody’s more friendly. Everybody’s working together. It’s kind of like racing used to be.

“It’s gotten so much politics here in the last three or four years, it was really sickening. You couldn’t go in anybody’s garage. You couldn’t talk to anybody. They were scared you’d steal their secrets and all that. To me that isn’t racing.

“I love oval racing. I’m glad to see the (speedway owners) do what they’re doing. I think they’re doing a great thing.”

Not everyone agrees, pointing out that this year’s Indy field will have only a handful of known drivers and a large contingent of untried rookies, many of them in suspect equipment.

Foyt, who is fielding cars for veterans Scott Sharp and Marco Greco and rookie Davey Hamilton, isn’t buying that argument.

“Let’s just forget about those (CART) guys and look back at my day,” he said. “I’d have never had a chance to run here in my whole lifetime if I’d have had to do like some of the guys over in CART have.

“I was just a midget and sprint car racer and drove a few stock cars. (The IRL is) a different program completely. I think it’s a very good program. I think it’s going to be a very successful program. And I guess what I like about it, it’s given everybody kind of an equal playing field.”

Foyt doesn’t believe CART is set up that way anymore.

“Certain people get certain motors, certain people can’t get the motors, and I’ve always felt like racing is the best team, the best driver and the best owners,” said Foyt, who was involved in founding CART.

Does Foyt think the missing stars--Al Unser Jr., Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi--will affect the way people view the Indy 500?

“I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s like the Kentucky Derby. A lot of people come here because it’s a tradition event, to have an adventure.

“People are going to see some young, great race drivers that are going to be the future of racing. It’s like when A.J. Foyt came along. This is what made A.J. Foyt.”

Foyt grinned happily.

“This is the reason I’m staying here,” he said. “I love it, and it’s a great race.”