A. J. Foyt Enterprises

A. J. Foyt Enterprises is an American racing team that currently competes in the IndyCar Series and also previously competed in the NASCAR series. It is owned by the veteran former two-time USAC National Championship champion (1975-1979) and racer in the CART IndyCar World Series and a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 A. J. Foyt. The team has been around since 1979 when its first proprietary car it entered was a Coyote in order to compete with the Gilmore Racing team, when the  CART indyCar World Series, as a single car ticket; But it wasn't until 1985 that A.J. Foyt decides to enter full time as a team until 1985. Today it is the only oldest team after Penske Racing and Dale Coyne Racing that are still in force in the oldest category on the planet, and even, It is the oldest in the IndyCar Series championship when it was created in 1996 under the name of Indy Racing League or IRL. During his years in the category, he has won the IRL only twice: the first, in his inaugural season in 1996 with Scott Sharp (this title was shared with the Bradley Motorsport with the pilot Buzz Calkins); and in 1998 with the Swede Kenny Bräck. Foyt's sons have even competed for him, as his prominent grandson A. J. Foyt IV and his adopted son and now sports co-director Larry Foyt, as regular pilots, but later retired. Larry Foyt since 2007 is the current team manager, A. J. Foyt IV would then go to the Vision Racing team.

From CART IndyCar World Series to IndyCar Series
A. J. Foyt, after his moderate seasons in the CART IndyCar World Series, decided in 1993 to fully retire from racing to dedicate himself full time to the team. He was one of the few teams to not continue with the organizers of CART, for which chose to go away to be one of the teams that founded the  IRL in  1996, which would later be rewarded by winning the titles of the IRL in  1996 with Scott Sharp (shared title as stated above) and in  1998 with Kenny Bräck, as the latter driver would also win the 1999 Indianapolis 500 for the team. Since then, the results have declined little by little, until in 2006 the team hoped to be reborn with an experienced rider: at that time they signed the Brazilian Felipe Giaffone and a one-season contract with more level sponsorships as well as a good engine supplier as is Honda. However, after a strong start to the season, where the team struggled after the Indianapolis 500, took Giaffone out of his car and replaced him after the eighth race by Jeff Bucknum, who was hired to fill his position for the remainder of the year.

In 2007 Foyt announced that his adopted son Larry Foyt would take over as crew chief and Darren Manning was signed on as the team's driver. Manning had three top-fives in his two years with the team, including a 2008 second-place finish at Watkins Glen. However, the high profile veteran Vitor Meira became available after the 2008 season, and Foyt signed him to replace Manning.

A. J. Foyt Enterprises would start the 2009 season with the sponsorship of ABC Supply Company and signed Vitor Meira, who was injured after an accident in the 2009 Indy 500. He later signed Ryan Hunter-Reay and Paul Tracy and they took over as drivers for the remainder of the 2009 season. Meira would return in 2009, but broke up with the team at the end of 2011. Mike Conway replaced him for the 2012 season, achieving a podium as the best result.

In 2013, the Japanese driver Takuma Satō would arrive, that he got behind the wheel of car # 14 his first win, breaking an 11-year drought for the team, plus second place and pole position. Japanese was confirmed for 2014, where despite continuing to show his speed (he achieved two poles), he could not get a podium due to different incidents, his best result being a 4th place.

For 2015, Foyt announced the continuity of Satō and that Jack Hawksworth would join the team driving a second car, the #41. However, the expansion to two cars did not bring the expected benefits, since it only achieved one podium in the whole year.

After another disappointing season in 2016, for 2017 the team switched to Chevrolet aerokits and recruited young Carlos Muñoz and Conor Daly as new drivers.

Other Categories: NASCAR
A. J. Foyt competed in NASCAR in 1973, doing the same as a part-inning driver for the season, driving the Purolator - Chevrolet car # º50. He drove his own car for various teams on a very limited schedule throughout the 1970s, barely posting one pole and nine top-10s. Ron Hutcherson was his first driver other than Foyt himself who drove one of his cars, and later it would be Johnny Rutherford who drove for his team in 1978. In the 1980s, Foyt was almost the The team's sole driver, and with Valvoline as sponsor, he then switched to # 14 in 1983, and would record his last race in the top five at Talladega two years later in his Copenhagen car. In 1989, Leslie Tracy drove for the team in a couple of races, finishing 20th at Michigan. Foyt did not compete during the 1991 season, in exchange he let Mike Chase compete in his stead, who finished no better than 25th in the championship. After that, Foyt would not present a team until the Brickyard 400 race in 1994, when he qualified 43rd and with the # 50 car. Foyt would try once more at Brickyard another two seasons, but failed to qualify for both races, forcing his permanent retirement. During the 1999 season, rumors began to spread that Foyt would revive a defunct team operation to compete full time in the Cup. After several months, it was announced that Foyt would hire rookie Mike Bliss as the driver of the # 14 Conseco "Pontiac Grand Prix." They managed to qualify at the time at 1999 Daytona 500, but after failing to qualify for the next three races, he was released and briefly replaced by Dick Trickle. After getting an offer from another team, Trickle would leave the team, and be replaced by Rick Mast, after he and several team members emerged from the team's bankruptcy and Larry went to Hendrick Motorsports. Mast had stayed with the team for the remainder of the season, and had two top 10s. Foyt Racing would also briefly expand to a two-car team at the end of the season, when they contested the PNA 500 where the entered car was the # 41 that his son Larry Foyt would drive, but in the end he couldn't. to compete. In 2001, Ron Hornaday was selected as the team's driver, but he would only achieve a Top 10 and was fired at the end of the season. That season, Foyt would start a team in the Busch Series, once again with the # 14 Harrah Chevrolet, but this time finally driven by Larry Foyt. Despite not finishing in the Top-10, Foyt would finish 22nd in the overall table. The team also put a second car back at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Mark Green driving, but failed to qualify.

Following Hornaday's departure, Stacy Compton began driving for the team starting in 2002. After obtaining just three Top 20s, Compton left the team, and would be replaced by P.J. Jones who ran the Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen, and recorded the team's best result, taking 4th place. Mike Wallace was later designated driver, who achieved 10th place at Bristol. In the NASCAR Busch Series, Foyt already had two Top-10s and was moving up one spot in points. It had originally been announced that Foyt would have two cars in 2003, with Wallace in # 14, and Larry Foyt in the second car under Harrah's sponsorship. Unfortunately, Conseco filed for bankruptcy, leaving only one car with Larry driving. The team also changed its team from the Cup to the Dodge brand, with engines supplied by the Evernham Motorsports team. Foyt managed to qualify in 20 races with a better result achieved, in 16th place and finishing in 41st position in points. Harrah stopped sponsoring them in 2003, and Larry Foyt qualified for three races in 2004, but did not win title sponsorship, leaving the team largely inactive. Later in the season, A.J. Foyt would rent cars from the owner of the new team PPC Racing to compete in the Cup. A. J. Foyt Racing officially closed its NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team in 2006, following an auction, the NASCAR team closed the team in August for good.

CART / IndyCar World Series

 * 🇺🇸 USA A. J. Foyt (1978 - 1993) Former driver and team owner
 * 🇺🇸 USA George Snider (1979-1990; 1992) Indy 500 and some other races. Phoenix and Michigan.
 * 🇺🇸 USA Johnny Rutherford (1984-1988) (Indy 500, Pocono and Michigan)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Chip Ganassi (1985) (Indy 500)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Stan Fox (1988)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Rocky Moran (1988)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mike Groff (1991 - 1992)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Robby Gordon (1994)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Davy Jones (1987 and 1994) - 3 races in 1994
 * 🇺🇸 USA Bryan Herta (1994 - 1995) - 5 races in 1994
 * 🇺🇸 USA Eddie Cheever (1994-1995)
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico Bernard Jourdain Sr. (1991)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Al Unser Sr. (1991)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Jeff Andretti (1992)
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland Jon Beekhuis (1992)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Brian Bonner (1992)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Pancho Carter (1992)
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland Gregor Foitek (1992)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ross Cheever (1992)
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden Fredrik Ekblom (1995)

IRL Indy Racing League / IndyCar Series

 * 🇺🇸 USA Scott Sharp (1995-1997) piloted in CART in 1995 but and in IRL and was crowned champion in 1996  '(1) Title' .
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil Marco Greco (1996)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mike Groff (1996) He had already raced for the team in CART.
 * 🇺🇸 USA Davey Hamilton (1996–1997)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Scott Sharp (1996–1997)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Paul Durant (1997)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Billy Boat (1997–2000)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Greg Ray (1998, 2001–2002)
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden Kenny Bräck (1998–1999) Champion in 1998  '(2) Title'  - 1 win in the Indianapolis 500 from 1999
 * 🇺🇸 USA Robbie Buhl (1999)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Jeff Ward (2000)
 * 🇨🇱 Chile Eliseo Salazar (2000–2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Robby Gordon (2001)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Donnie Beechler (2001–2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Richie Hearn (2002)
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil Airton Daré (2002–2003)
 * 🇺🇸 USA A.J. Foyt IV (2003–2005, 2009)
 * 🇯🇵 Japan Shigeaki Hattori (2003)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Larry Foyt (2004–2006)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Jeff Bucknum (2005–2006)
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil Felipe Giaffone (2005–2006)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Al Unser Jr. (2007)
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Darren Manning (2007–2008)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ryan Hunter-Reay (2009)
 * 🇨🇦 Canada Paul Tracy (2009)
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil Vitor Meira (2009–2011)
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Mike Conway (2012)
 * 🇯🇵 Japan Takuma Satō (2013-2016)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Conor Daly (2013)
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Martin Plowman (2014)
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Jack Hawksworth (2015-2016)
 * 🇨🇴 COL Carlos Muñoz (2017-)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Conor Daly (2017-)

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series

 * 🇺🇸 USA A. J. Foyt (1973–1974, 1977–1990, 1994) Former driver and team owner
 * 🇺🇸 USA Johnny Rutherford (1977)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ron Hutcherson (1978)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Don Whittington (1980)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Tracy Leslie (1989)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mike Chase (1991)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mike Bliss (2000)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Rick Mast (2000)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Dick Trickle (2000)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ron Hornaday (2001)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Stacy Compton (2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA P.J. Jones (2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mike Wallace (2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Larry Foyt (2003–2004)

NASCAR Busch Series

 * 🇺🇸 USA Larry Foyt (2001–2002)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Mark Green (2001)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ron Hornaday (2001)
 * 🇺🇸 USA David Starr (2001)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

 * 🇺🇸 USA Joe Bessey (1997)
 * 🇺🇸 USA Ken Schrader (1997)