Legendary Reunion


dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
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A.J. FOYT HONORED WITH SPIRIT OF FORD AWARD

LONG BEACH, Calif. – A.J. Foyt, one of the most legendary American drivers in history, was presented with the prestigious Spirit of Ford Award in a ceremony at the Road Racing Driver’s Club dinner last evening.

The Spirit of Ford Award is Ford Motor Company's highest honor in auto racing, recognizing lifetime achievement and contribution to the industry both on and off the race track. Foyt becomes the 26th recipient, joining an international list of honorees from all forms of racing and racing media.

Foyt was presented the award during the RRDC dinner by Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford and a member of the company's board of directors.

Foyt was on hand for the dinner along with Dan Gurney, as part of an event helping commemorate the 50th anniversary of the duo’s victory at the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours, the first and only victory at Le Mans by an All-American team featuring All-American drivers.

"A.J. was one of my heroes in racing when I first followed the sport,” said Ford. “When looking back at his magnificent career, the question isn’t what did A.J. drive, but more what didn’t he drive and win in? His passion for driving and his commitment to the sport since his retirement have made him more than worthy for all the halls of fames he is part of. Many of his most significant victories – including the ’67 Le Mans win – came with Ford power, and it’s truly my honor to be able to present him with our Spirit of Ford Award."

Foyt is best known as being the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, but his career spanned into many forms of racing. He has a record 67 wins and seven championships in Indy Car racing. He also was a seven-time winner in the NASCAR Cup series, and has a total of 172 victories and 14 championships during his career.

He is also the only driver in history to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona.

He is currently still involved in the sport as the owner of the two-car A.J. Foyt Racing team that competes in the Verizon IndyCar Series.

Spirit of Ford Awards Winners
-Bill Stroppe, 1988
-Bob Glidden, 1989
-Chris Economaki, 1990
-Richard Petty, 1992
-Bob Bondurant, 1993
-Mario Andretti, 1994
-Jackie Stewart, 1994
-Bud Moore, 1995
-Parnelli Jones, 1996
-Jim Clark, 1997
-Phil Hill, 1998
-Stirling Moss, 1998
-Bill France, Sr., 1998
-Bill France Jr. 1998
-Junie Donlavey, Jr., 1999
-Glen Wood, 1999
-Leonard Wood, 1999
-Dan Gurney, 1999
-Denise McCluggage, 2000
-Bill Elliott, 2000
-Carroll Shelby, 2001
-Wally Parks, 2001
-Ned Jarrett, 2003
-Mose Nowland, 2005
-Jack Roush, 2006
-John Force, 2010
-Kevin Kennedy, 2011
-A.J. Foyt 2017
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
Awesome and so well deserved
 

Vince H

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 23, 2012
2,417
Southern California
Well deserved to one of the greatest. Looks like that was certainly an event to attend.

Vince H
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,832
Largo, Florida
Very cool. Two legends who drove my favorite GT40.
 

Awsum GT

GT Owner '18
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 17, 2005
3,985
Carmel & Cntrl Ca
Love it... I remember watching AJ when I was younger. A big name from our past!

A few of his accomplishments:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Foyt

Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years, winning it four times (the first of only three to have done so).
Foyt is the only driver to have won the Indy 500 in both front and rear-engined cars, having won twice with both configurations.
Foyt is the only driver to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 the same year (1967).
He is the only person to have recorded victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 stock car race, the 24 Hours of Daytona (1983 and 1985 with co-driver Bob Wollek), the 24 Hours of Le Mans international sports car endurance race in Le Mans, France, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring (his last major professional win, in 1985, with co-driver Bob Wollek).
He is one of only 12 drivers to have completed the Triple Crown of endurance racing (victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans).
He also has 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car, Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins.
He won the 1975 and 1976 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney (in Australia midgets are called Speedcars).
He has won 12 total major driving championships in various categories.
His USAC wins tally is a record 138 (The late Rich Vogler is second with 132.)
Foyt won the 1976 and 1977 IROC championships.
Foyt won seven NASCAR races.
Foyt and Mario Andretti are the only men to have won both the Indianapolis and Daytona 500s.
Foyt holds the closed course speed record driving the Oldsmobile Aerotech at an average speed of 257.123 miles per hour (413.799 km/h). He set the record on 27 August 1987 at a 7.712-mile (12.411 km) test track near Fort Stockton, Texas.
Despite having won more USAC sanctioned events than any other driver Foyt never won a CART sanctioned event.
 
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GTdrummer

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 13, 2010
2,104
Richmond Virginia
No better driver than AJ.
 

STORMCAT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 25, 2006
7,549
Ft. Lauderdale
Nice !!!
 

Apollo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 5, 2006
2,499
Pahrump, NV
Me too. I followed all of the racing series and drivers that ran for Ford when I was young. A.J. Foyt is my all time favorite. When he and Dan Gurney won LeMans it was such a big thrill for me. I still have my hot wheels MK IV that I never lost a race in our weekly schoolboy series.
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Love it... I remember watching AJ when I was younger. A big name from our past!

A few of his accomplishments:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Foyt

Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years, winning it four times (the first of only three to have done so).
Foyt is the only driver to have won the Indy 500 in both front and rear-engined cars, having won twice with both configurations.
Foyt is the only driver to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 the same year (1967).
He is the only person to have recorded victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 stock car race, the 24 Hours of Daytona (1983 and 1985 with co-driver Bob Wollek), the 24 Hours of Le Mans international sports car endurance race in Le Mans, France, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring (his last major professional win, in 1985, with co-driver Bob Wollek).
He is one of only 12 drivers to have completed the Triple Crown of endurance racing (victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans).
He also has 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car, Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins.
He won the 1975 and 1976 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at the Liverpool International Speedway in Sydney (in Australia midgets are called Speedcars).
He has won 12 total major driving championships in various categories.
His USAC wins tally is a record 138 (The late Rich Vogler is second with 132.)
Foyt won the 1976 and 1977 IROC championships.
Foyt won seven NASCAR races.
Foyt and Mario Andretti are the only men to have won both the Indianapolis and Daytona 500s.
Foyt holds the closed course speed record driving the Oldsmobile Aerotech at an average speed of 257.123 miles per hour (413.799 km/h). He set the record on 27 August 1987 at a 7.712-mile (12.411 km) test track near Fort Stockton, Texas.
Despite having won more USAC sanctioned events than any other driver Foyt never won a CART sanctioned event.