Video: AJ Foyt at Michigan 500 '89

[MS]

Some of his crew members probably had to update their resumes after that race...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgCP...g-vrec#t=8m25s

[jnormanh]

Some of his crew members probably had to update their resumes after that race...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgCP...g-vrec#t=8m25s

Go gettum, AJ.

Love him or hate him, he's one heckuva guy.

[Neshaminy]

Posey's comment at the end was the crusher!

[MS]

Foyt admits that his parents deaths in '81 and '83 took a lot out of him. His only race in 1983 was Indy and he never was a factor and an early retiree. He knocked around racing part time for much of the mid-80s.

He got out of his funk around '87 and was really cookin' in '89. Then his crash in 1990 pretty much ended things for him in regards to being competitive for the whole circuit. He qualified second at Indy in '91 and finished 9th in '92, and that was his last two moments in the sun.

[Doctorindy]

Foyt admits that his parents deaths in '81 and '83 took a lot out of him. His only race in 1983 was Indy and he never was a factor and an early retiree. He knocked around racing part time for much of the mid-80s.

He got out of his funk around '87 and was really cookin' in '89. Then his crash in 1990 pretty much ended things for him in regards to being competitive for the whole circuit. He qualified second at Indy in '91 and finished 9th in '92, and that was his last two moments in the sun.

Indy was his only Indycar race...but he did have a few other events (IMSA, NASCAR). He won the 1983 24 Hours of Daytona...IIRC, the story was his father was in the hospital at the time, and he brought the trophy in to the hospital room...he also won the 83 IMSA Paul Revere 250 at Daytona. In 83 he also did his annual Daytona 500 run (11th)...and a couple other Cup races.

[rjbh20]

This reminds me of why I was never a fan of A.J. -- what a classless lout. I can't imagine Dan Gurney, Roger Penske et. al. crapping on their employees on national television.

[aowzone]

This reminds me of why I was never a fan of A.J. -- what a classless lout. I can't imagine Dan Gurney, Roger Penske et. al. crapping on their employees on national television.

He's not completely classless, obviously, but he sure was harsh at times. People might sue an employer for some of the stuff he pulled.

[1969FIRST500]

If I recall, AJ still carries around a bit of the wall paint in his arm from MIS, that was one nasty crash.

I wish i could press a button and see what AJ's career would have been like 1979-1992 if he had just raced for a guy like Penske and showed up in top notch equipment each week with none of the worries and hassles of running the team.

I am guessing he would have won at least one more 500.

I still love him, warts and all.

[jnormanh]

This reminds me of why I was never a fan of A.J. -- what a classless lout. I can't imagine Dan Gurney, Roger Penske et. al. crapping on their employees on national television.

I don't suppose AJ ever had any interest in being Prom Queen. As a race driver his record speaks for itself.

[jandj]

I can hear it now:
Plaintiff: "Your honor, My employer said mean things about me and hurt my feelings"
Judge: "What was your job and who did you work for?"
Plaintiff: "I was on AJ Foyt's pit crew".
Judge:"Why did he yell at you".
Plaintiff:"I screwed up"
Judge:"What the hell did you think was going to happen? Case dismissed...and you're lucky all he did was yell at you".

[Neshaminy]

This reminds me of why I was never a fan of A.J. -- what a classless lout. I can't imagine Dan Gurney, Roger Penske et. al. crapping on their employees on national television.

I believe he was loyal to a fault with his racing crew for every part of the operation......Penske would have fired them, Gurney would have transferred them somewhere else, Foyt took his people to the greatest races in the country and for that loyalty never let his disappointment show.....many would rather be called out verbally than canned in faceless fashion.....they were all fairly anonymous to the world anyway.....he got his point across, he moved on, tomorrow was a new day and his investment in his people became experience.....sadly I don't feel his operation raced enough later on to keep everyone sharp which no doubt added to his frustration.

[MS]

If I recall, AJ still carries around a bit of the wall paint in his arm from MIS, that was one nasty crash.

I wish i could press a button and see what AJ's career would have been like 1979-1992 if he had just raced for a guy like Penske and showed up in top notch equipment each week with none of the worries and hassles of running the team.

I am guessing he would have won at least one more 500.

I still love him, warts and all.

I think he would have been in the thick of it in '82 with Mears and Johncock and his gearbox held up.

It's amazing that, as a 40-year old man, that is the only Indy 500 I remember him leading.....

[dalz]

At the 1988 CART banquet AJ was named...Most Improved Driver! Some thought it was funny, old salts like Parnelli were furious and felt it was insulting, his peers wanted to recognize a legend who was showing better form. The Man himself took it in stride and accepted it gracefully.