Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 16, 1993 TAG: 9305160190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
The 58-year-old Foyt, who had not driven in a race since finishing ninth at Indy last May, practiced several times this week, getting up to 221.114 mph in Saturday morning's practice session, and he said he intended to qualify.
But just 20 minutes before the opening of time trials for the May 30 Indianapolis 500, the sobbing Foyt announced his decision to the crowd of about 200,000 spectators.
After he climbed from his No. 14 Lola and removed his helmet, Foyt strode to the microphone near the finish line and, his voice breaking with emotion, said, "It's a hard decision, but there comes a time . . ."
After wrestling his emotions under control, Foyt, who has started a record 35 consecutive Indy 500s, told the crowd, "The fans have brought me back as many years as I've been back. But I felt if I'm going to run a team, I can't be in a race car.
"It seems like every time I'm not with the car, something happens. I realized that this morning. Just as I went to get the green, the yellow came out. It was my other car."
Foyt, who has owned his own race team for years, hired 24-year-old Robby Gordon as his driver this season. Gordon, who is a rookie at Indianapolis and drove in seven Indy car races last season, hit the wall during the morning qualifying, the third time he has damaged a car since practice began last Saturday.
"If I'm going to be a successful car owner, I've got to spend 110 percent of my time with the car and not think of A.J.," Foyt said.
"This decision was made about . . . well, when Robby hit the wall was when I made the decision. I intended to qualify. The car's a very fast car. I would have made the race very easy. I would have had no problem putting it in the show.
"Like I said, there comes a time. I love all of you a lot, you've been great fans. I'll still be back, and we'll still be up in the winner's circle."
Minutes later, Foyt told a news conference, "It was all a thing that [sponsor representatives] Ann Fornoro and Eddie Thrap said maybe I ought to run over to Tony [Speedway president Tony George] and take the last ride in car 14 and tell the fans goodbye.
"This was all put together, believe this, this was not a planned deal. It all went off within about 10 minutes. It was just bang, bang, bang, bang. It was a typical A.J. move, on the spur of the moment."
Foyt, who badly injured his feet and legs in a crash in September of 1990, fought back to start second and finish 28th in the 1991 Indy 500, saying at the time that it would be his last race.
But the tough Texan decided to come back again in 1992, completing 195 of the 200 laps at Indy and finishing ninth in what has turned out to be the last race of his remarkable career.
"Mari George [the Speedway's board chairman], she said, `Is it really true this time?' I said, `Well, Mari, I never did really ever say it was true before.' I said, `Yes, it's true.'
"I think, like Tony said, it's a very sad day for me. And I have to be [sad]. This has been my life here," he added, choking back tears. "I can't say much more for it.
"I hate to get emotional like this, but for 35 years . . ."
He is the second four-time Indy winner to retire since December, with Rick Mears, 41, having previously announced his decision to quit. In fact, Mears was driving the pace car around the track in a ceremonial last lap as Foyt was talking to the crowd.
Foyt is the career Indy car victory leader with 67, the last coming in the 1981 Pocono 500. He won at Indianapolis in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977. He also won the 1972 Daytona 500 and the 1967 24 Hours of LeMans.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB