Larry Foyt
Encyclopedia
Larry Joseph Roberds Foyt is a semi-retired NASCAR
and IndyCar
driver. He is the biological grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt
, and a biological cousin (and uncle by adoption) of A. J. Foyt IV
. His biological mother (and half-sister by adoption) is Terry Lynn Foyt, daughter of A. J. Foyt
, who divorced his biological father Larry Gene Roberds when he was an infant. He also drove in the 2004
, 2005
, and the 2006 Indianapolis 500
for A. J. Foyt Enterprises
.
Foyt began racing in 1993 in the go-kart
ranks, and won his first race two years later. He would win the state championship in his first year in 125cc competition one year later. In 1997, he began running USAC's
Formula 2000 series. He won two races in the SCCA series in 1999. The next year, he made his stock car racing debut in the American Speed Association
, where he won a pole at Winchester Speedway
and had four top-tens. In addition, he made his first attempt at a Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway
in his father's backup car, but missed the field. The same year, he graduated from Texas Christian University
with a degree in communication
s.
In 2001, Foyt moved to the Busch Series
, driving the #14 Harrah's Chevrolet Monte Carlo
. He had five top-twenties and finished 22nd in points, third in the Rookie of the Year
championship. The next year, he had two top-tens and finished 20th in points. He moved to Cup full-time in 2003, and had a best finish of 16th at Homestead-Miami Speedway
, finishing 41st in points. After the team lost its Harrah's sponsorship, Foyt ran just three races before the team closed its doors.
In 2005, Foyt ran one race in ARCA and finished in the twelfth in the race. He ended up missing most of the season after suffering back injuries in a crash in the Indy 500. He hoped to make the Daytona 500
in the #50 owned by Arnold Motorsports
, but missed the race. Early in the season, he announced the formation of his own Busch Series team, but after sponsorship failed to materialize, the team dissolved. He also ran the Indianapolis 500 again, finishing 30th after suffering handling problems.
A.J. Foyt announced in July 2006 that Larry would be assuming more management responsibilities at A.J. Foyt Enterprises and eventually assume the role of team manager by the end of the 2007 season
. He returned to NASCAR driving the #44 Key Motorsports
Chevy with sponsorship from Silestone by Cosentino for one race, but wrecked early in the 2007 Chevy Silverado HD 250, finishing 32nd. He attempted the Pepsi 400 in NEXTEL Cup with BAM Racing
, however qualifying was rained out, forcing him to miss the race. He competed that weekend in the Daytona Busch Series race for Mac Hill Racing, finishing 38th after a wreck. He made his second career Craftsman Truck race in 2008 at Daytona, starting 36th and finishing 18th.
Foyt attempted both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck races at Daytona in 2009, for Mac Hill Motorsports and Derrike Cope, Inc., respectively. He failed to qualify for the Nationwide Series race and finished 20th, 15 laps down, in the Truck Series race.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
and IndyCar
IndyCar
IndyCar is the trade name of an American-based open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. IndyCar sanctions three racing series, the premier IZOD IndyCar Series with its centerpiece Indianapolis 500, and developmental series Firestone Indy Lights and the U.S...
driver. He is the biological grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , 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...
, and a biological cousin (and uncle by adoption) of A. J. Foyt IV
A. J. Foyt IV
Anthony Joseph "A.J." Foyt IV is an American race car driver. He competed in the IndyCar Series and briefly in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, then called the Busch Series. He is the grandson of A. J. Foyt....
. His biological mother (and half-sister by adoption) is Terry Lynn Foyt, daughter of A. J. Foyt
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr., or as he is universally known as in motorsports circles, A. J. Foyt , 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...
, who divorced his biological father Larry Gene Roberds when he was an infant. He also drove in the 2004
2004 Indianapolis 500
The 2004 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Pole winner Buddy Rice led the most laps and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.After...
, 2005
2005 Indianapolis 500
The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag...
, and the 2006 Indianapolis 500
2006 Indianapolis 500
The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final straightaway, about 450 feet from the finish line...
for A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...
.
Foyt began racing in 1993 in the go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
ranks, and won his first race two years later. He would win the state championship in his first year in 125cc competition one year later. In 1997, he began running USAC's
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
Formula 2000 series. He won two races in the SCCA series in 1999. The next year, he made his stock car racing debut in the American Speed Association
American Speed Association
The American Speed Association is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana and currently is headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. ASA was most famous for a national touring series which began in 1973 but was...
, where he won a pole at Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
and had four top-tens. In addition, he made his first attempt at a Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
in his father's backup car, but missed the field. The same year, he graduated from Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
with a degree in communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s.
In 2001, Foyt moved to the Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
, driving the #14 Harrah's Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
. He had five top-twenties and finished 22nd in points, third in the Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
championship. The next year, he had two top-tens and finished 20th in points. He moved to Cup full-time in 2003, and had a best finish of 16th at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
, finishing 41st in points. After the team lost its Harrah's sponsorship, Foyt ran just three races before the team closed its doors.
In 2005, Foyt ran one race in ARCA and finished in the twelfth in the race. He ended up missing most of the season after suffering back injuries in a crash in the Indy 500. He hoped to make the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
in the #50 owned by Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports
Arnold Motorsports was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team owned by Don Arnold. 1983 Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison was the Vice President of operations and also served a consultant. The team debuted in 2003 as the #79 car , with All-Pro driver Billy Bigley Jr. driving, the team originally planned...
, but missed the race. Early in the season, he announced the formation of his own Busch Series team, but after sponsorship failed to materialize, the team dissolved. He also ran the Indianapolis 500 again, finishing 30th after suffering handling problems.
A.J. Foyt announced in July 2006 that Larry would be assuming more management responsibilities at A.J. Foyt Enterprises and eventually assume the role of team manager by the end of the 2007 season
2007 in IRL
The 2007 IndyCar Series season began with a night race on Saturday March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The season's premiere event, the 91st Indianapolis 500 was held May 27. The season finale was held at Chicagoland Speedway on September 9...
. He returned to NASCAR driving the #44 Key Motorsports
Key Motorsports
Key Motorsports is a NASCAR team owned by Curtis Key. The team currently fields the #40 Chevrolet Impala driven by Charles Lewandoski, the #42 Chevrolet Impala drien by Tim Andrews, the #46 Chevrolet Impala driven by Chase Miller, and the #47 Chevrolet Impala driven by Danny Efland / Scott Wimmer...
Chevy with sponsorship from Silestone by Cosentino for one race, but wrecked early in the 2007 Chevy Silverado HD 250, finishing 32nd. He attempted the Pepsi 400 in NEXTEL Cup with BAM Racing
BAM Racing
BAM Racing is a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team began in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2000, moving to NASCAR in 2001 to 2008 before sitting out 2009 due to the economy...
, however qualifying was rained out, forcing him to miss the race. He competed that weekend in the Daytona Busch Series race for Mac Hill Racing, finishing 38th after a wreck. He made his second career Craftsman Truck race in 2008 at Daytona, starting 36th and finishing 18th.
Foyt attempted both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck races at Daytona in 2009, for Mac Hill Motorsports and Derrike Cope, Inc., respectively. He failed to qualify for the Nationwide Series race and finished 20th, 15 laps down, in the Truck Series race.
Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 Indianapolis 500 The 2004 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Pole winner Buddy Rice led the most laps and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.After... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Toyota | 22nd | 32nd | Foyt |
| 2005 2005 Indianapolis 500 The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Toyota | 30th | 33rd | Foyt |
| 2006 2006 Indianapolis 500 The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final straightaway, about 450 feet from the finish line... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... |
23rd | 30th | Foyt |