A. J. Burnett
Burnett during a pre-game warmup
Pittsburgh Pirates – No. 34
Starting Pitcher
Born: (1977-01-03) January 3, 1977 (age 35) North Little Rock, Arkansas
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 17, 1999 for the Florida Marlins
Career statistics (through May 21, 2012)
Win–loss record	123–113
Earned run average	4.12
Strikeouts	1,824
WHIP	1.33
Teams
Florida Marlins (1999–2005) Toronto Blue Jays (2006–2008) New York Yankees (2009–2011) Pittsburgh Pirates (2012–present)
Career highlights and awards
Pitched a no-hitter on May 12, 2001 Led AL in strikeouts in 2008 Led NL in shutouts in 2002 World Series champion (2009)

Allan James "A. J." Burnett (born January 3, 1977) is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Previously, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the New York Yankees. He was drafted by the New York Mets in the eighth round with the 217th overall pick of 1995 amateur entry draft.

On May 12, 2001, Burnett recorded a no-hitter in a complete game shutout against the San Diego Padres in his second start of the season.

Professional baseball career[link]

Early career (1995–1999)[link]

Burnett was an eighth-round pick of the New York Mets in the 1995 amateur draft. He was traded to the Marlins with Jesús Sánchez and Robert Stratton for Al Leiter and Ralph Milliard before the 1998 season when the Marlins dismantled their 1997 World Series championship roster. He was first called up to the Marlins from Class AA Portland in 1999, despite having a record of 6–12 and an ERA of 5.52 with Portland.

Major leagues (1999–present)[link]

Florida Marlins (1999–2005)[link]

He played parts of 1999 and 2000 with the Marlins; his first full regular season with the Marlins came in 2001, when he went 11–12 with an ERA of 4.05. On May 12, 2001, Burnett pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in a 3–0 victory, striking out seven and walking nine. His game-worn cap and a baseball from the game are on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, he held an ERA of 3.30 and finished with a 12–9 record and with 203 strikeouts, career bests that he did not top until 2008. He threw the fastest fastball of all major league starters in 2002, averaging 94.9 miles per hour.^[1]

In 2003, A.J. Burnett was limited to four starts before missing the rest of the season due to Tommy John surgery. He spent including the postseason on the injured reserve list until the Marlins won the 2003 World Series against the Yankees. He returned in June 2004 and made 19 starts for the Marlins, going 7–6 with an ERA of 3.68. Even during 2004, his first season back from having the surgery, he was able to throw 102 mph. He was shut down for most of September 2004 due to a less serious elbow injury.

The 2005 season was Burnett's last with the Marlins before he became eligible for free agency. As former teammate Carl Pavano had done in the 2004 off-season, he wanted to test the market rather than take whatever new contract the Marlins gave him. Since he was likely to price himself out of the Marlins' budget, he was sought after by several other teams before the July 31 trade deadline, but he ended up not being traded.

Burnett seemed to be pitching his best games of the season right around the trading deadline. After he took the loss in the Marlins' first game after the All-Star break, dropping his record to 5–6, he strung together seven consecutive wins. The last of those wins was on August 19, when he pitched eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He then lost six consecutive decisions, including four losses in five starts (with an ERA in that span of 5.93) during the Marlins' failed wild-card chase in September, to close out the season with a 12–12 record despite a 3.44 ERA.

On September 27, 2005, Burnett was asked by the Marlins to leave the team. The request came a day after he made comments criticizing the organization: "We played scared. We managed scared. We coached scared," he told reporters following the Marlins' 5–3 loss at Turner Field. "I'm sick of it, man. It's depressing around here. A 3–0 ballgame, I give up one run and leave guys on base, it's like they expect us to mess up. And when we do, they chew us out. There is no positive, nothing around here for anybody."^[2]

Marlins manager Jack McKeon called Burnett into his office and broke the news. Burnett shook his hand, gathered up his belongings, and left. Burnett has since apologized, saying:

"I have always been a very passionate player and person. I often wear my emotions on my sleeve, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I hope that my teammates always respect that of me, as I trust they know my commitment to winning. For those I've offended, I offer my most sincere apologies."^[3]

Because of his dismissal from the team, Burnett finished the season one inning short of receiving a $50,000 bonus for pitching 210 innings during the season; in addition, he was only two strikeouts shy of having his second 200-strikeout season of his career. After Burnett's contract with the Marlins expired, general manager Larry Beinfest did not attempt to resign him, which was unlikely to happen anyway, given Florida's financial constraints and the market for Burnett.

He threw the fastest fastball of all major league starters in 2005, averaging 95.6 miles per hour.^[4]

Burnett had criticized McKeon for not allowing the team's less experienced players to have much playing time. Although probably not because of Burnett's comments, McKeon decided to let rookie Josh Johnson, a September call up from the Class AA Carolina Mudcats, make his first major league start of his career on September 30, 2005. Previously, Burnett was scheduled to make his last start of the year at that game.

Burnett declared free agency on October 27, the first day after the end of the 2005 World Series.

Toronto Blue Jays (2006–2008)[link]

Burnett pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 22, 2008.

On the morning of December 6, 2005, at the Baseball Winter Meetings being held in Dallas, Texas, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Burnett to a five-year, $55 million deal.

The Toronto Blue Jays took a chance by signing Burnett to a five-year deal despite his being prone to injuries, and the 2006 season began with him going on the disabled list when a piece of scar tissue—remnants of his Tommy John surgery—broke off in his pitching arm. However, some baseball commentators like RotoWorld and Tim Dierkes still considered the signing worthwhile, since many of the other free agent pitchers that year, like Matt Morris and Paul Byrd had less impressive career stats, even though they had fewer health risks.^[5]

He was activated on April 15, 2006 and made a start against the Chicago White Sox, giving up four runs in six innings of work. In his next start against the Boston Red Sox, Burnett was removed from the game after only four innings due to soreness in his right arm. He would end up on the disabled list again, this time for over two months. Burnett finished the 2006 year on a strong note however, finishing the season with a 10–8 record and a 3.98 ERA.

After opening the 2007 season with a very poor outing against the Detroit Tigers, lasting only 2.0 innings pitched and allowing five hits and six runs (27.00 ERA), Burnett settled down in his next four starts, finishing April 2–1, with an ERA of 4.18.

The Blue Jays experienced a number of injuries early, including losing All-Star closer B. J. Ryan for the season due to an elbow injury, and Opening Day starter Roy Halladay to appendectomy for four weeks. Burnett was the only pitcher to make all his starts through the first two months of the season. In that period, Burnett posted a 3.98 ERA, throwing 71.0 innings. Unfortunately, Burnett missed 48 games during two stints on the disabled list, finishing the 2007 season 10–8 with an ERA of 3.75.

The 2008 season started off with frustration for Burnett due to a right index finger injury he suffered during the offseason, the nail of the index finger partially torn after it was caught in a closing car door.

Against Chicago White Sox pitcher Javier Vazquez in early September at U.S. Cellular Field, Burnett took a no-hitter into the 6th inning before giving up a hard hit that bounced off Scott Rolen's glove, but nevertheless got the win. Vazquez himself also pitched well, not giving up a hit until the 4th inning but ultimately took the loss.

On September 24, in his final start of the season (number 34), he pitched against the Yankees, lasting 8 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned), 7 hits and striking out 11, to finish off the season with an AL-leading 231 strikeouts. When he was relieved in the beginning of the 9th inning, he received a very long and memorable standing ovation and came out for a curtain call after being congratulated by the players. Despite his outing, he was awarded a no-decision, and the Jays lost 6–2 in extra innings.

Burnett finished the 2008 season with an 18–10 record and established career highs in almost every single pitching category. He set a career high with 18 wins, appeared in 35 games while starting 34 games, pitched 221 1/3 innings, and led the American league with 231 strikeouts. His 34 starts also led the AL, and he threw curveballs a higher percentage of the time than any other AL starter; 29.2%.^[6] His five-year contract with the Blue Jays allowed him to opt out at the end of the 2008 season, and he chose to do so, becoming a free agent.

New York Yankees (2009–2011)[link]

On December 18, 2008, Burnett signed a five year $82.5 million contract with the New York Yankees.^[7] On April 9, 2009, Burnett made his debut as a Yankee at Camden Yards in Baltimore. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits, one walk, while striking out 6. He picked up his and the Yankees first win of the season. He pushed the Yankees record in the season to 1–2. During his second start Burnett went 6 innings of no-hit baseball before giving up 3 straight hits to tie the game. He ended up going 8 innings and getting the win to go 2–0 on the year. On May 12, Burnett made his return to Toronto, where he was loudly booed the entire game. He went up against Roy Halladay, his mentor during his time with the Jays. Halladay allowed 5 hits and pitched a complete game while Burnett allowed 7 hits and 5 runs in 7 innings of work. Burnett fell to 2–1 on the year as the Jays beat the Yankees 5–1. In Burnett's eleventh start against Texas at home, he threw 7 solid innings giving up 3 runs, a walk and striking out 8. During the 5th inning, after Mark Teixeira was beaned for the second time by opposing pitcher Vincente Padilla, Burnett threw over the head of Nelson Cruz. Although the umpire issued no warnings prior to the inning, Burnett was suspended by MLB for six games for the gesture, a punishment later reduced to five games on appeal and after the decision was widely mocked in the press (the opposing pitcher was not suspended at all).^[8] In his next start against the Red Sox, Burnett lasted only 2.2 innings giving up 5 hits, 3 runs, walking 5 and striking out 1.^[9] When asked about his performance, Burnett made the following statement, "I don't think there's an excuse for anything...it's just the fact that I didn't execute. I felt strong out there and I was out of whack, but who's to say that's because of the extra rest? I appreciate that, but I've still got to go out and do my job." ^[10] In his next and first start in the Subway Series against the Mets, Burnett reassured the Yankees that they made the right choice in signing him. Burnett cruised through 7 scoreless innings allowing 4 hits, 4 walks and striking out 8. He got the win, making him 2–1 in his last 3 starts.^[11]

On June 20 in the third inning of a game against the Florida Marlins, he pitched an immaculate inning, striking out all three batters in three pitches each.^[12] He became the 39th person to achieve this feat.^[13]

Burnett (center) with Dave Eiland (left) and Francisco Cervelli (right)

Burnett began a tradition of giving a whipped cream/shaving cream pie in the face to whoever won a game with a walk-off run batted in.^[14] On November 4, 2009, after the final out of the 2009 World Series, Burnett pied Yankees manager Joe Girardi. On May 17, 2010, Marcus Thames hit the first walk-off of the Yankees' 2010 season, earning him a pie, he also received one later that year from Burnett after hitting a walkoff single in the tenth inning on July 4.

On June 27, Burnett pitched a 1-hit shutout against the subway rivals the New York Mets. His no-hitter was broken up in the bottom of the sixth.

On August 7, 2009, Burnett was a part of a memorable game against the Boston Red Sox. He and former Marlins teammate Josh Beckett endured a pitching duel that sparked the game to turn into a fifteen inning, five hour and thirty-three minute game. Beckett threw seven shutout innings, Burnett threw seven and two thirds. Burnett surrendered six walks, and left to a very loud ovation, in which he tipped his cap to the crowd. The Yankees eventually won the game in the bottom of the 15th with two outs, when Alex Rodriguez hit a walk-off two run home run against new Red Sox pitcher, Junichi Tazawa, who was making his major league debut.

On October 9, 2009, Burnett made his postseason debut in a win against the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the American League Divisional Series, in which he earned a no-decision. On October 17, he pitched a no-decision in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Burnett made his first ever World Series start in Game 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 29, and earned his first career post season win by pitching seven innings, recording nine strike-outs and allowing only one run. However, in Game 5, he set a dubious record when he hit Shane Victorino in the first inning, his fifth hit batter of the 2009 postseason.

Burnett started off the 2010 season strong gaining a record of 6–2 through the end of May. However, during the time Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland took a leave of absence for a few weeks, Burnett's numbers plummeted in June where he went winless. Burnett broke his winless streak upon Eiland's return, but lost again to the Tampa Bay Rays in his first start since the end of the All-Star break, a game where he injured his hand after punching a door out of frustration. He finished the season with a 10–15 record, an ERA of 5.26, and a WHIP of 1.51 all career worsts.^[15][16]

Burnett achieved a rather rare feat of striking out four batters in one inning, becoming the first Yankee to accomplish this.^[17] This occurred in the 6th inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies on June 24, 2011.

In the 2011 American League Divisional Series against Detroit, the Yankees, in a 2–1 hole, turned to Burnett to pitch a win-or-go-home Game 4 at Comerica Park. Burnett threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one run despite four walks, and, with some help from the defense, the Yankees won 10–1, shifting the series back to Yankees Stadium for a decisive Game 5. The Yankees ended up falling to the Tigers, 3–2, in that contest.^[18] Burnett's 2011 season was not much better than his 2010 campaign, as he finished with a record of 11-11, a 5.15 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.44.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2012–present)[link]

During the offseason the Yankees expressed interest in trading Burnett. Burnett reportedly invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Bobby Abreu.^[19] On February 18, the Yankees agreed to trade Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor leaguers Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno, and to pay $20 million of the remaining $33 million on his contract.^[20][21]

On March 1, 2012 Burnett was injured during batting practice, taking a bunt to the right cheek bone. The injury required surgery to determine the extent of the injury and duration of recovery, and it was reported that Burnett would be out 2 to 3 months.^[22] On April 6, 2012, Burnett began his rehab stint pitching for the Pirates High-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders.^[23] He made his first start for the Pirates on April 21 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pitching style[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011)

Burnett has recently become a three or four-pitch pitcher, while he spent most of his career using two. His four-seam fastball, as of 2011, is usually 91–94 mph. His cutter and sinker are around 88–93 mph. His changeup, which is rarely used, is around 88–91 mph. His trademark pitch, the knucklecurve, is 82–84 mph. His velocity has slightly diminished in recent years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2003.

Recently, Burnett has modified his curveball delivery from over-the-top to more of a three-quarter sidearm delivery, thus adding velocity as well as increasing the sharp movement of the pitch. He uses it often when ahead in the count, but he can also drop it over the plate for a called strike very effectively. He often uses more breaking balls early in the count the second time through the order. However, this can also make Burnett either very hittable or virtually unhittable. Because his pitches are so erratic, Burnett is known for his wild pitches, number of hit batsmen, and high walk total. In 2010 and 2011, the amount of walks he has given decreased, but his strikeouts have also decreased.

Accomplishments[link]

• Led American League with 231 strikeouts (2008)
• Led National League in shutouts (five, 2002)
• Pitched a 3–0 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres (at Qualcomm Stadium, on May 12, 2001). He walked 9 batters in this game.
• Matched his own franchise single-game record by striking out 14 batters in just 6 innings in a July 6, 2005, 12-inning 5–4 win against the Milwaukee Brewers, in which the Marlins struck out a team record 22 batters and retired 28 straight batters.
• Third all-time on the Florida Marlins' win list with 49 (behind Dontrelle Willis and Ricky Nolasco), first all-time with complete games (14), shutouts (8), and strikeouts (753)
• With 38 wins between the two in 2008, Burnett (18–10) and Roy Halladay (20–11) set a new franchise record for most wins in a season by a duo, beating out the 37 wins between Jack Morris and Juan Guzmán in the 1992 season.
• First Yankee in team history to have 4 consecutive strikeouts in one inning (at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2011)^[24]
• First Yankee pitcher to win a World Series game at the new Yankee Stadium (Game #2 versus the Philadelphia Phillies on 10/29/09).

Personal life[link]

Burnett graduated from Central Arkansas Christian Schools.^[25] His off-season home is in Monkton, Maryland.^[26] He has many tattoos, including an Aztec symbol that can be seen on his right leg in a Blue Jays commercial and an image of Bruce Lee on his left triceps.^[27]

He and his wife Karen^[28] have two children, Ashton and A. J. Jr. In December 2010, it was reported on ESPN that Burnett and his wife were divorcing. Burnett denied the report.^[29]

He was recently diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, a rare but benign genetic defect in liver in which bilirubin conjugation ability may lead to mild jaundice under certain conditions.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• Major League Baseball pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr.
Born	(1935-01-16) January 16, 1935 (age 77) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Awards	Only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (four times), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee (2000) Named co-Driver of the Century by the Associated Press Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) Inducted in the first class in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (U.S.) (1990) Inducted in the first class into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1989) Inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1988)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
128 race(s) run over 30 year(s)
Best finish	40th—1989 (Winston Cup)
First race	1963 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last race	1994 Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis)
First win	1964 Firecracker 400 (Daytona)
Last win	1972 Miller High Life 500 (Ontario)
Wins Top tens Poles 7 36 9

A. J. Foyt

Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1958–1960
Teams	Kuzma, Kurtis Kraft
Races	3
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1958 Indianapolis 500
Last race	1960 Indianapolis 500

Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt (born January 16, 1935), is a retired American automobile racing driver. He raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes USAC Champ cars and midget cars. He raced stock cars in NASCAR and USAC. He won several major sports car racing events. He holds the all-time USAC career wins record with 159 victories,^[1] and the all-time American championship racing career wins record with 67.^[2]

He is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (which he won four times), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Foyt won the International Race of Champions all-star racing series in 1976 and 1977. Foyt's success has led to induction in numerous motorsports halls of fame.

Since his retirement from active racing, he has owned A. J. Foyt Enterprises, which has fielded teams in the CART, IRL, and NASCAR.

Early life[link]

Foyt was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Pershing and Hamilton middle schools and Lamar and San Jacinto high schools,^[3] but he dropped out to become a mechanic.^[4]

Driving career[link]

Midget car career[link]

Foyt in a midget car in 1961

He started his USAC career in a midget car at the 1956 Night before the 500 in Anderson, Indiana. His first midget car win was at a 100 lap event at Kansas City in 1957, and finished seventh in the season points standings.^[1] He left midget cars after the 1957 season to drive in sprint cars and Championship Car. He did occasionally compete in midget car events. He won the 1960 and 1961 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the first two years that it was held at Ascot Park. He won the 1961 Hut Hundred after starting last, and finished seventh in National Midget points that year. He won the 1970 Astro Grand Prix, an event that he promoted in his hometown of Houston. He ended his career with 20 midget car feature wins.

Championship car career[link]

The car Foyt drove to Indy victory in 1977.

Foyt racing at Pocono in 1984

In 1961, he became the first driver to successfully defend his points championship and win the Indianapolis 500 race. Late in the 500, Foyt stopped for fuel, but a refueling malfunction meant that he returned to the race without enough fuel to finish. Eddie Sachs, unaware that Foyt's now-quicker car was light on fuel, pushed hard to keep up—and Sachs had to pit from the lead with just three laps remaining to replace a shredded right-rear tire. Foyt pitted again also but only for enough fuel to finish. He took over the lead and beat Sachs by just 8.28 seconds—the second-closest finish in history at the time. He raced in each season from 1957–1992, starting in 374 races and finishing in the top ten 201 times, with 67 victories. In 1958, Foyt raced in Italy in the Trophy of the Two Worlds on the banking at Monza.

Ford-powered entries were widely expected to dominate the 1964 Indianapolis 500. Discussions between Ford officials and Foyt (who had a stock car contract with Ford at the time) took place early in the month of May about the possibility of Foyt taking over the third (backup) Team Lotus-Ford. Foyt wanted the use of the car for the entire month, but Lotus team owner Colin Chapman was reluctant to give up the reserve car in case something happened to team drivers Jim Clark and Dan Gurney, so discussions ended and Foyt stayed with his reliable, well-sorted Offenhauser-engined roadster. When the two fastest Lotus-Fords, driven by Jim Clark and Bobby Marshman, fell out of the race with mechanical problems, and Parnelli Jones was knocked out when his fuel tank exploded during a pit stop, Foyt was left alone at the front of the field, and cruised home to win his second Indianapolis 500. The race is remembered for the fiery second-lap crash that claimed the lives of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs. Foyt did not learn of the fate of his two friends until he reached victory lane and was handed a newspaper with a headline announcing the tragedy.

Also, in 1964 Foyt won a record 10 of 14 races enroute to his championship.

In 1966 at the Milwaukee, WI. August 200-mile (320 km) Championship Car race his rear engined Lotus pavement car was not at the track so Foyt unloaded the Offenhauser engined dirt track car he had won the 100-mile (160 km) race with at Springfield, Il. the previous day sprayed the mud off the car, installed pavement tires and a set-up for the one mile (1.6 km) oval. He received permission to take two extra warm up laps during qualifying as he had no time for practice and then qualified the car on the pole, led the race for 18 out of 200 laps but then had to stop for a new rear tire, and finished 2nd to Gordon Johncock driving a rear engined Gerhardt-Offy indy car.

In the 1967 Indianapolis 500, Parnelli Jones' STP-Paxton Turbocar was expected to easily defeat the field of piston engines. Jones lapped the field, but his car expired with three laps remaining, and Foyt inherited the lead. But as he drove down the back straightaway on the last lap, Foyt suddenly remembered an odd premonition that had struck him the night before, when he wondered aloud what would happen in the event of a big last-lap accident. As Foyt moved through Turn 3 on the 200th lap, he slowed down. A few hundred yards ahead of him, Carl Williams spun out as he exited Turn 4, triggering a five-car front-stretch accident right in front of Foyt. Traveling at no more than 100 mph, Foyt threaded his way through the wreckage and safely took the checkered flag. The race took two days to complete when rain stopped the race on the 18th lap on the first day.

In the 1977 Indianapolis 500, Foyt ran out of fuel, and had to make up around 32 seconds on Gordon Johncock. Foyt made up 1.5 to 2 seconds per lap by turning up his turbo boost, which risks destroying the engine. Johncock's own engine expired just as Foyt had closed to within eight seconds back after both drivers' final pit stops, and Foyt passed for the win.

He won the Indianapolis 500 4 times, in 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977. He was the first driver to do so. The feat has since been matched by Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991). Of his 67 career championship car race victories, twelve (12) were won at Trenton (NJ) Speedway. Foyt also won the Indycar Series 7 times; a record that still stands.

In a 1990 CART race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Foyt was involved in a serious crash that damaged his legs and feet severely. He would return the following year for the 1991 Indianapolis 500 to qualify 2nd.

Stock car career[link]

USAC Stock Car[link]

He was the champion in USAC's stock car in 1968, 1978, and 1979. He finished second in 1963 and 1969, and third in 1970.^[5]

NASCAR[link]

Foyt only needed ten races to get his first NASCAR victory. Richard Petty dominated the 1964 Firecracker 400 until he went out with engine problems. Foyt swapped the lead with Bobby Isaac for the final 50 laps of the summer event at the Daytona International Speedway. Foyt passed Isaac on the final lap to win the race.

In January 1965, Foyt qualified and ran in the front of the pack most of the day with Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones in the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside. Parnelli retired with mechanical issues, leaving Gurney and Foyt to contest the lead. Late in the race, dueling with Gurney, Foyt spun. His car refired, and he charged through the field in an attempt to regain lost positions. After running hard to catch leader Gurney, Foyt's brakes failed entering Turn 9 at the end of Riverside's mile-long, downhill back straight. Foyt turned the car into the infield at more than 100 mph, and the car tumbled violently end-over-end several times. The track doctor at Riverside International Raceway pronounced Foyt dead at the scene of the severe crash, but fellow driver Parnelli Jones revived him after seeing movement. Foyt suffered severe chest injuries, a broken back, and a fractured ankle. Footage of his flipping #00 Ford, owned by Holman Moody, is featured in the final scene of the movie Redline 7000.

Foyt ran out of gas near the end of the 1971 Daytona 500, and Petty passed him for the win. Foyt again had the car to beat in the 1972 Daytona 500, but this time succeeded in a dominating performance. Only three drivers led during the race.

Foyt won the 1971 and 1972 races at the Ontario Motor Speedway for Wood Brothers Racing. The track was shaped like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 1972 race was his last NASCAR win.

Career summary[link]

• Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years, winning it four times (the first of only three to do so).
• Foyt is the only driver to win the Indy 500 in both front and rear-engined cars, winning twice with both configurations.
• Foyt is the only driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 the same year (1967).
• He is the only person to record victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 stock car race, the 24 Hours of Daytona (twice, 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). Foyt had never competed in European sports-car racing or driven at LeMans prior to his 1967 winning performance in a Ford Mk. IV co-driven by Dan Gurney. He reportedly only got 10 laps of pre-race practice on the fast, intimidating tree-lined course. When Gurney overslept and missed a driver change in the middle of the night, Foyt was forced to double-stint and wound up driving nearly 18 hours of the 24-hour race. While being sprayed with champagne on the victory podium, he is reported to have asked, "Do I win Rookie Of The Year?"
• He also has 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car, Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins.
• 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, including the 1972 Daytona 500.
• Foyt holds the closed course speed record driving the Oldsmobile Aerotech at an average speed of over 250 mph (400 km/h).
• Despite having won more USAC sanctioned events than any other driver Foyt never won a CART sanctioned event.

Awards[link]

• Foyt was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2000.
• Foyt was named to NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers list in 1998.
• He was named to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1990.
• He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as the only open wheel driver in the first class of 1989.
• He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.

Indianapolis 500 records[link]

Foyt has numerous career records at the Indianapolis 500: the first of to date three drivers to win a record four times, the most consecutive and career starts (35), most races led (13), most times led during the career (39), and most competitive laps and miles during a career (4,909 laps, 12,272.5 miles). In the 1961 Indianapolis 500 Foyt won over Eddie Sachs with a lead of 8.28 seconds, the second closest finish in Indianapolis history at the time.

As of November 2011, Foyt stands as only the third-oldest living winner of the Indianapolis 500 (Parnelli Jones and Bobby Unser are older), but the longest-ago living winner (1961).

Car owner[link]

A. J. Foyt (right) and former driver Darren Manning (left) at the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

While an active driver, Foyt entered into a longtime partnership with Kalamazoo, Michigan businessman Jim Gilmore, and raced under the Gilmore-Foyt Racing name for many years.

After retiring as a driver, he continued his involvement in racing as a car owner of A. J. Foyt Enterprises in the CART series, then the Indy Racing League (IRL) and NASCAR.

Scott Sharp took a share of the 1996 Indy Racing League (IRL) title driving for Foyt while Kenny Bräck won the 1998 IRL title, also in a Foyt car. Bräck won the 1999 Indianapolis 500 in Foyt's car, putting Foyt in the winner's circle at Indy for the fifth time. The current driver for his IRL team, A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is Mike Conway.

On June 7, 1997, Foyt (as an owner) was involved in an incident that helped shape the history of the Indy Racing League and added to his reputation as a man of little patience. One of his drivers, Billy Boat, had been declared the winner of the inaugural IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway that had been held that night, and his other driver, Davey Hamilton, had come in second. However, Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk disputed Boat's win, claiming that he was in the lead when a scoring error by USAC (who had scored all IRL races up until that time) gave Boat the checkered flag. When Luyendyk entered victory lane after the race to confront TMS general manager Eddie Gossage about the finish uttering obscenities, an irate Foyt approached Luyendyk from behind and slapped and shoved him into tulips (ironically given Luyendyk's Dutch nationality). Luyendyk then requested a review of the race; a few days later, USAC reversed its position and declared Luyendyk the winner; Foyt kept the victory lane-awarded trophy. Following the controversy, the IRL relieved USAC of the scoring duties for its events.

Family[link]

Foyt is the grandfather of A. J. Foyt IV. Foyt is the grandfather and adoptive father of Larry Foyt. He is also the godfather of driver John Andretti. When not busy with the racing season, A.J. Foyt likes to spend time at the family Ranch, The Foyt Ranch located just outside Del Rio, Texas.

Racing record[link]

Complete Formula One World Championship results[link]

(key)

USAC results[link]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Rank	Points
1975	Gilmore Racing	ONT1 1	ONT2	ONT3 1	PHX 3	TRE 1	INDY 3	MIL 1	POC 1	MIS 1	MIL2 20	MIS2 7	TRE2 2	PHX2 1						1st	4920
1976	Gilmore Racing	PHX 21	TRE 18	INDY 2	MIL 17	POC 31	MIS 3	TWS 1	TRE2 19	MIL2	ONT 23	MIS2 1	TWS2 11	PHX2 WD						7th	1720
1977	Gilmore Racing	ONT 1	PHX 2	TWS 14	TRE	INDY 1	MIL WD	POC 15	MOS 1	MIS DNS	TWS2 19	MIL2	ONT2 2	MIS2	PHX2					4th	2840
1978	Gilmore Racing	PHX 3	ONT 4	TWS 17	TRE 2	INDY 7	MOS 16	MIL 19	POC 8	MIS 16	ATL 4	TWS2 1	MIL2 4	ONT2 28	MIS2 5	TRE2 19	SIL 1	BRH 4	PHX2 2	5th	3024
1979	Gilmore Racing	ONT 1	TWS 1	INDY 2	MIL 1	POC 1	TWS2 1	MIL2 12												1st	3320
1980	Gilmore Racing	ONT WD	INDY 14	MIL	POC 19	MDO														35th	45
1981-82	Gilmore Racing	INDY 13	POC 1	ILL	DUQ	ISF	INDY 19													4th	1045

CART results[link]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Rank	Points
1979	Gilmore Racing	PHX	ATL1	ATL2	INDY 2	TRE1	TRE2	MIS1	MIS2	WGL	TRE3	ONT	MIS3	ATL3	PHX2				NC	-
1980	Gilmore Racing	ONT WD	INDY Ret	MIL	POC Ret	MDO	MIS1	WGL	MIL	ONT2	MIS2	MEX	PHX						44th	45
1981	Gilmore Racing	PHX1	MIL1	ATL1	ATL2	MIS Ret	RIV	MIL2	MIS2	WGL	MEX	PHX2							NC	0
1982	Gilmore Racing	PHX1	ATL	MIL1 2	CLE Ret	MIS1 Ret	MIL2	POC Ret	RIV	ROA	MIS2 Ret	PHX2							28th	22
1983	Gilmore Racing	ATL	INDY Ret	MIL	CLE	MIS1	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MIS2	LVG	LS	PHX					NC	0
1984	Gilmore Racing	LBH	PHX1	INDY 6	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MIS1 Ret	ROA	POC Ret	MDO	SAN	MIS2 DNS	PHX2 Ret	LS	LVG Ret		21st	22
1985	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	LBH	INDY Ret	MIL	POR	MEA Ret	CLE DNS	MIS DNS	ROA	POC Ret	MDO	SAN Ret	MIS2	LS	PHX Ret	MIA Ret			NC	0
1986	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	PHX Ret	LBH	INDY Ret	MIL Ret	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MIS 9	POC 4	MDO	SAN	MIS2 16	ROA	LS	PHX Ret	MIA Ret	21st	16
1987	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	LBH	PHX	INDY Ret	MIL 6	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MIS Ret	POC 7	ROA	MDO	NZR 7	LS	MIA Ret			23rd	14
1988	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	PHX 4	LBH 11	INDY Ret	MIL 5	POR 15	CLE 11	TOR 15	MEA Ret	MIS WD	POC Ret	MDO Ret	ROA 10	NZR Ret	LS Ret	MIA Ret			16th	29
1989	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	PHX Ret	LBH Ret	INDY 5	MIL Ret	DET Ret	POR WD	CLE	MEA Ret	TOR 17	MIS Ret	POC Ret	MDO Ret	ROA Ret	NZR Ret	LS			18th	10
1990	Copenhagen/Gilmore Racing	PHX Ret	LBH Ret	INDY 6	MIL 9	DET Ret	POR 10	CLE 7	MEA 5	TOR 16	MIS 6	DEN 10	VAN 13	MDO 15	ROA Ret	NZR	LS		11th	42
1991	Copenhagen Racing	SRF	LBH	PHX	INDY Ret	MIL Ret	DET Ret	POR 16	CLE Ret	MEA 13	TOR	MIS Ret	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NZR Ret	LS	32nd	0
1992	Walker Motorsport	SRF Ret																	26th	4
	Copenhagen Racing		PHX DNQ	LBH	INDY 9	DET	POR	MIL	NHM	TOR	MIS	CLE	ROA	VAN	MDO	NZR	LS
1993	Copenhagen Racing	SRF	PHX	LBH	INDY DNQ	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIS	NHM	ROA	VAN	MDO	NZR	LS		NC	-