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AJ Foyt Survivor Champion Legend From Racing Historian Art Garner

A.J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend (Volume One, Octane Press, October 2024), an extensive and highly entertaining biography of one of America's most popular, colorful, and controversial sports heroes, is now available for order. Art Garner-an award-winning author and finalist for the prestigious PEN/ESPN award for literary sports writing for his bestselling book, Black Noon-has captured the action on and off the track that led many to consider Foyt to be one of the greatest race car drivers of all time-and one reporter to write that A.J. stood for "another jerk."Known for his fiery disposition and bare-knuckled approach, Foyt's driving career spanned five decades-six if you count an exhibition race when he was five years old. He was the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times and still holds Indy car records for most victories and championships. He is the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Daytona 500, one version of auto racing's triple crown. He also won the International Race of Champions in 1976 and 1977 and still holds the world closed-course speed record that he set in 1987. "Statistics tell only part of the story," Garner says. "Foyt likes to say, 'I'm just A.J., ain't no different than any other man,' but nothing could be further from the truth. He's one of the most complex and intricate personalities in the history of auto racing, perhaps all of sports." The biography also explores the unique relationship between Foyt and his "Daddy," Anthony Joseph "Tony" Foyt Sr. Although they often clashed-it was Tony who said working with his son could be like "dancing with a buzzsaw"-A.J. called him "the only man I can trust." It was Tony who instilled in his son an overwhelming drive to be the best, teaching him that victory was expected, excellence assumed. And it was Tony who told a crowd celebrating A.J.'s fourth Indy 500 victory that his son had "done fair."Through tireless research and hundreds of hours of new interviews with Foyt, his family, friends, and the biggest names in motorsports-including Mario Andretti, Roger Penske, Al Unser Sr., Johnny Rutherford, Jackie Stewart, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and many others-Garner has compiled an unprecedented look at Foyt's life and career. At 656 pages it includes ninety-five photos, some from Foyt's family albums, and fifty-five pages of source notes and index.

Duration:: 20m
Broadcast on:: 16 Nov 2024
Audio Format:: other

But there's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with a bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. Member FDIC. Breaking news coming in from bet365, where every nail biting overtime win. Breakaway, pick six, three-point shot, underdog win, buzzer beater, shoot out, walk off, and absolutely every play in between is amazing. From football to basketball and hockey to baseball, whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at bet365. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-Gambler, 21 plus only, must be physically located in Colorado. Art, I can't thank you enough for this book. You have no idea being down here in Race City, USA with our NASCAR. This is still a very important part of any type of history when it comes to racing. Absolutely, and thanks for having me on here, I appreciate it. Well, you're doing something here that really needs to be done because there's an evolution in all forms of racing that are taking place and we're forgetting about the building blocks that really brought us to this party. Yeah, you know, I mentioned early on in the book that a lot of young, even drivers don't remember AJ Floyd, which seems incredible to me in the history of auto racing, and I've been a fan since the mid-60s, and to me, that's sad that people don't know the driver's names, including AJ Floyd, who's right at the very top. Oh my God, up in the state of Montana, that Indy 500, sure, we would be out in the hills of Montana getting elk and deer and things, but we were listening to AJ Floyd's story. We were part of that through the radio because they made it available to every one of us. Yeah, absolutely. You know, that was, I mean, Memorial Day, right a passage, you were at home listening to the race on the radio, that everybody did that. What was it about his smile? Because I sit there and I see all these pictures of him in thought and with that smile, and I feel like it's almost like he was a kid in a toy store. He had a, he does, he still has a great smile. It's mesmerizing. In fact, when we were looking for a picture for the cover, there are a lot of great shots, but you know, I really want him almost with his smile because that's what, you know, just says everything goes about AJ captures. What was it, his showmanship that really brought people to him? I mean, I realized, you know, being out there on the track and winning races and things like that is a big thing. There was still, there had to be some sort of showmanship about him where he goes, "This is the way I need to be. They need to buy into who I am." Yeah, you know, I think it was his drive, his desire, even when his curve broke down in practice or didn't even show up at the track, he would do things like buy somebody else's car so we could still race. And as he says, you know, I always tried my hardest and yeah, he was not an easy guy to like for a lot of people, but that drive and determination made the difference with so many, so many of his fans. Five decades of racing, only because of that exhibition race, but the thing is though is that he would still get in the car today if he could, wouldn't he? Yeah, if he could physically as well, the desire is there for sure. You know, he still drives 89 years old and he's still driving me around showing me his farms out in Texas, so he would if he could. What is his vision of the future like because I mean, people have got to be asking about that because he's such a major staple in the history of Indy and that style of racing, but he's also got to have his eyes locked on the future. Yeah, you know, he's disappointed with the way racing is now with so many spec cars and that and he doesn't think driving probably I've heard more often than anything else. Drivers don't have as much fun as he had and he feels sorry for that. He's got a driver now, Santino Farucci, who definitely has fun and I think AJ appreciates that not only is he fast, but he has fun. But you hear that over and over from his drivers don't have as much fun as when he was a kid. I love the controversy that you put in here with Ford Foyt Inn. I mean, it's because a lot of people don't understand the battle between the makers of these vehicles that really is very political. Oh, yeah, and, you know, AJ wanted a Ford engine. This is back in '64 at Indianapolis. He didn't get it. He had to drive his old roaster car and he drove the victory. And you know, he flips off the four executives crossing the finish line and the four executives, including Leah and Koka, don't like that. So they, you know, they have their own clashes and finally Ford realizes, well, if we don't get AJ back on our side, we're not going to win as many races. And so, you know, they've done become pretty good, you know, working together from there on end. I didn't realize that he had a scuffle with sports illustrated until I found it in your book. And I found that to be very interesting. That's the history I'm talking about that we cannot forget that there really is a life going on. Yeah, you know, Lewis, he had said some things or he was colder than saying some things in sports illustrated that came supposedly from Jackie Stewart. And when I interviewed Jackie, when I interviewed Jackie, Jackie said, oh, I don't remember that. I interviewed Richard Petty, Kelly Arbo, when he was still alive fortunately, Donnie Allison, Leonard Wood. None of those guys remember that situation. So not only have many people forgotten about it, so have the greatest in the sports and the sport forgotten about it. Has ESPN or anybody approached you on this book to turn it into like, you know, several different episodes like they did with Michael Jordan, because this book deserves to have moving pictures. Yeah. No one has yet. No, you know, books have been out for a little over a month now. Everybody has yet, you know, I think certainly AJ Floyd deserves a documentary. His career certainly does. I would hope something like that happens. Just so fans realize and understand what not only he was like, but that's really a history of early American racing too. Not only what AJ Floyd was like, but what racing was like in the fifties and sixties and seventies. I always thought of Al Unser as being the George Foreman when it came to a Muhammad Ali battle. It's like those two guys together were like, Oh my God, go get each other. I want to see it. Yeah, you know, and there's nobody AJ had more respect for than Al. I think I think AJ thought Al was probably the best driver of the area other than himself. And there's nobody else had put on a higher plateau than AJ. They had the utmost respect for each other. There's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with a bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Think of Colorado, there's only one member FDIC breaking news and this one is almost unbelievable. Yeah, it's all about new customers at bet 365 because they get $150 in bonus bets when they bet $5 and even better bonus bets can be used on the spread totals and player props. There you have it. Bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets and see why it's never ordinary at bet 365 gambling problem. Dollar text 1 800 gambler, 21 plus only, must be physically located in Colorado. Terms and conditions apply. AJ's father, I would love to put this on a t-shirt or put it up on the wall dancing with a buzz saw because it's so true. When you go in there and you watch those races on YouTube and you're sitting there going, "Oh my God, look at the way that guy drives." Yeah, this was I think AJ had qualified second or third and wasn't happy with it. He was upset and mad and immediately we're trying to interview him and he wouldn't talk to anybody and Tony was trying to wave him away and basically just saying, "Hey, talking to AJ now is like dancing with a buzz saw, so just stay away." I think he qualified third for that particular race and he was upset. But see that to me is the mystique of racing in general is where their head is. Well, then we see that in martial arts, wherever your head is, there goes your body. Same thing is true about racing wherever your head is. There goes your car. Right. And AJ was only one to be at the front and in place else he was not happy with. He finished second, he was never happy with that. Where can people go to find out more about you art? You know, I've got a Facebook page, books by Art Garner, I'm online on X, I have a Twitter account, I guess, or X account, so, you know, I'm just cool, man, I'm around. Well, you got to come back to this show anytime in the future, the door is always going to be open for you. No, no, no, he's going to stay with you because you have a double with this thing. Oh, even better art. Welcome back to the party. How have you been, man? I've been years, years ago. When you put a book like this, I can't imagine how many years it took to do the research and to make sure that you fact checked everything. I mean, do you get that part of your life back with all that time spent on research? You know, it's about five years and that's what I enjoy the most is the research and finding a little nuggets that, you know, it's like, I didn't know that, that is really cool, especially when you come put it in context. You know where that fits something might happen five years now or five years previously that all of a sudden, just a little nugget helps to clarify and that's what I enjoy and put some like that in the book and that's what keeps me going. I love the way that you attach the years to it because, I mean, when you go into a different chapters such as fire and rain and it says 1973 right away as the reader, I'm going, okay, I'm shifting gears, we're going to go into this area. Now I understand where we are. So there's no second guessing at all. Yeah, you know, I worried about that being viewed as too simplistic, you know, but, but to me, it seemed just seemed natural and, you know, just seem to make it easier to follow. So yeah, like I said, I worry about, about being other people who think it's too simplistic, but it seemed like a natural to me. I'm glad you had it. I'm glad you said that. Let me ask you a question about how did they adjust to the different tracks and different nations? I mean, to go from Daytona to the Monte Carlo, I mean, I can't imagine what they went through personally as well as professionally. Yeah, you know, AJ, let's say our race car is a race car and a racetrack is a racetrack. You know, there wasn't, you know, you approach a corner the same way, try to hit the apex no matter what track it's at, that, you know, you were practicing your job no matter where you were at, and it didn't really matter what track you were at. Le Mans was like a two lane back roads in Texas, like 25 hours of Le Mans. How does AJ feel about the way that these drivers are now crisscrossing the lines? There are NASCAR drivers driving in the Indy races. There's Indy drivers that are driving in the NASCAR. I mean, is it good to do that? Is it healthy for the business? Oh, he was, as it happens a lot more, like when he was driving. You know, it used to be at Daytona, there'd be a dozen Indy car drivers racing at Daytona. He would love to see more of that. He thinks that's what racing is all about. It's not just being good in Indy car or being good in a stock car or a Formula One car. It's how, you know, how well you do in all those different cars. I think that's why he appreciates Kyle Larson, Santino Frucci drives a little bit in other cars as well. He appreciates that. So he would love to see more of that actually. See, I look at the Charlotte Speedway with their roller racing in the fall time as being, you know, paying homage to the Indy cars or the Formula One's because it's about those curves and hugging the road and not necessarily just hitting the banks. Yeah, you know, AJ, it was an amazingly good road race. I think he's known for racing at Indianapolis and Oval Track. And at Daytona, where he had a lot of success as well. But he was also an amazingly good road racer, one, the 24 hours at Daytona, one at 12 hours of sleeping, one at Le Mans, he had incredible road racing career as well. Let me ask you a question about because, you know, inside our mind, someone such as AJ Foyt, you know, we always think of them as being bigger than life. But yet when you stand next to these drivers, they're Eddie Biddy. How did he stay in shape and keep the weight off? You know, you ask any of the older drivers, how did you stay in shape back then? He says, I raced four and five days a week. That's how I stayed in shape. Now, you know, you race, you typically race every other week. You don't practice as much simulator nowadays, but he would either be driving or qualifying or practicing five days a week back then. So I didn't have to work out. You know, he's put on a few pounds and said, you know, got a little heavy, but he's doing good right now. He's in good health right now, 89 years old and still going. These days, the fans get to be in the pits. Was that the true back in the days of AJ Foyt? Did the fans get to be that close before the races? You know, the pits and the garage were close to women at that time. Yeah, but the fans probably had an easier time getting in to the pits and the garage, but yeah, they were close to women. Yeah. So was it just the times? Is that the reason why? Yeah, yeah, you know, eventually they allowed women reporters into the garage area first and they start allowing women into the pits and into the garage first. But AJ's wife and sister, they weren't allowed in. They were not supposed to come down to the garage in the pits because the language is too tough. Okay, I get it. I get it. You're right. Yeah. But I mean, because you go into that garage area now, you love the sound of that engine that's getting all revved up. But boy, the words that people are saying boy, yeah, and AJ swears a lot. I love him. That's pretty well known and yeah, he swears a lot usually followed by a part of my French. Right. Right. You've got a photograph here of AJ. And what I love about it is that they've got his name inscribed on the side of the building. Those are the moments that after the race is over, I'd like to walk through the garages to look at that because it's like, it's like, wow, I guess the page has turned. It's time to create the next story. And you capture that moment here because AJ is right there working on the engine, but I see his name. And to me, that means so much and it was a matter of pride for him too. Wasn't only for him, it was for his dad and for his family who had given so much. He felt so strongly about his mom and his dad that, you know, it was as much for them as it was for himself. Have you ever sat back and thought, wait a second, today's technology protects these drivers like you wouldn't believe? I mean, look, I'm sitting here looking at pictures of old cars. They didn't have those things to protect their head and body. Yeah, you know, they didn't wear seatbelts. There was a picture early in the book when AJ qualified at Indianapolis for the first time. He was wearing a t-shirt. They didn't have uniforms. The helmets were open face. The ear covers were soft, often leather, you know, a lot of the drivers, even when they started doing fireproof uniforms, they didn't like them because they were itchy. They didn't wear them, seatbelts, shoulderbelts. Everybody came reluctantly to those, but AJ will be the first to say racing is a thousand percent better because of the safety that's available now. Absolutely. Where did you get all of these pictures? I have not seen at least 80 percent of them. I swear to God, what I did was I looked at the pictures first and then I went and read the stories. Yeah. Some of them came from AJ's family albums, especially the early ones that are from his family albums and then, you know, the speedway and, you know, there's a lot of stuff, a lot of photography out there on AJ. I looked for things that I hadn't seen before for the most part, trying to get different stuff in the book. Well, yeah. And you kept them black and white, which to me is like the essence of true art because this way my imagination paints the picture. Yeah, you know, because the book goes through '77 and the vast majority of stuff was black and white and we had, you know, I had a couple of colored photos in there and it was a decision and kind of, well, maybe we should just try to keep this black and white and then volume two we can go to color with. What did you learn on this project? Oh, you know, I thought I, you know, I've been a race fan since the mid '60s. I thought I knew, I knew everything, but there's so much, so many negative information I came across. Probably the biggest one, there's a famous story about apparently Jones saving AJ's life after a race in Riverside, climbing into a car and clearing his throat and reviving him. Well, it turns out that never happened and then no better source than apparently Jones says it never happened. Nobody really seems to know how that story came to be. But I'm convinced now it didn't happen. Wow, yeah, but what a great idea for your next book though, just make it happen. Well, I love you. Oh, Art, you got to come back to this show. I know I said it once before and Mike's going to come in and say, "No, we're going to make this a 30. We're going to make this a 40." I just love your storytelling, man. I really do. Well, I appreciate that, thanks for having me on again. Will you be brilliant today, okay? All right, you too now. There's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with a bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. Remember FDIC. Breaking news coming in from bet365, where every nail biting overtime win, break away, pick six, three-point shot, underdog win, buzzer beater, shoot out, walk off, and absolutely every play in between is amazing. From football to basketball and hockey to baseball, whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at bet365. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-Gambler, 21+ Only Must Be Physically Located in Colorado. (upbeat music)