Naturally, thoughts turn to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country on this holiday weekend. Thoughts even turn to those who lost their lives in pursuit of an Indy 500 checkered flag. A driver who won two, Dan Wheldon, will be remembered in a brief moment of silence before the 2012 race Sunday. It was Wheldon who was the sole fatality in the massive accident and wreckage at the Indy-car Las Vegas race last September.
This year I would rather remember the ultimate survivor at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I would rather remember A. J. Foyt. Why Foyt when there are other big-name survivors of the Golden Age of Indy, names such as Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Tom Sneva, and Rick Mears? Bobby Unser had 19 starts at Indy, Johncock and Rutherford each had 24, Al Unser had 27, and Mario had 29. Impressive, right?
Foyt had 35 starts. That's right. Thirty-five starts, from 1958 to 1993, from age 23 to age 58. During that span, he had 17 top ten finishes, including 10 top five. Like Al Unser and Rick Mears, he retired from Indy with four wins, his coming in 1961, '64, '67, and '77. Lest you think his reflexes declined after his last win, think again. He finished second in 1989 at age 54. Truth be told, he didn't have the best machines in his last 15 years at Indy. As boss of his own garage, he has to take some of the blame for that.
Just don't blame his driving instincts. More than John Wayne, Foyt was true grit. Could he be a bully on the track? Absolutely. Fear or be feared, Foyt chose the latter. He had no patience for driver error, especially rookie driver error. In later years, Foyt would provide comedy relief on a semi-regular basis, launching into rants against the incompetence that wrecked him: mechanical failure or driver blunder. His ego remained larger than his ever-expanding girth.
However, Foyt is a survivor. During those same 35 years at Indy, four drivers died during the race, including two in spectacular fireball fashion in 1964. Another nine drivers died during practice or qualifying in that same timeframe.
Keep in mind that when Foyt began his career, Indy was at its most dangerous. Safety fuel and safety suits didn't exist. Three years before Foyt's first race, the great driver Bill Vukovich died while leading at Indy. From about 1962 to 1982, safety was always playing catch-up with the greater speed of the vehicular machines.
Did that ever make Foyt shy away from the gladiatorial arena? No. A. J. relished the thrill of speed, competition, and victory. To his way of thinking, he was too good to ever get caught in a bad accident. Sure, he knew this was a ruse, self-delusion. The fact he knew how thin the line was between life and death at Indy just makes his courage all the greater.
Some network execs fret that the Indianapolis 500 ratings in 2012 will dip due to the absence of Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon. Those who know anything about racing and the racing public, including a man named A. J. Foyt, realize that the race should enjoy higher ratings. Why? After Wheldon's death in a huge multi-car accident, the thrill and risk have been highlighted again. It was a risk Foyt managed for over 40 years of racing, and 35 at Indy.
To paraphrase The Godfather, Don Foyt, we salute you.
