I had heard this rumor, but didn’t think it would happen, so…..From TNN’s Motorsports site: Will A.J. Foyt return to Stock car racing in 2000? Apparently not, at least according to A.J. Foyt Enterprises team manager Tommy Lamance. Informed speculation reached country.com Motorsports at the Amoco Knoxville Nationals saying the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and all-around racing legend was considering a NASCAR Winston Cup team next year. According to the track buzz, the 64-year-old Texan reportedly had put a money deal together with Conseco as the sponsor, a well-known former Winston Cup team manager had been contacted to spearhead the effort, and several drivers were under consideration for the ride. That’s just the sort of information to flare the nostrils of any motorsports journalist, so we went right to the source. “Nah, it’s just rumors,” Lamance said when contacted by us Monday from the team’s Houston, Texas shop. “We have no plans to do that.” Remember this statement. Earlier in the season, Foyt was reportedly interested in a deal to buy into Ricky Rudd’s team before Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. car owner Chip Ganassi stepped in. Rudd and Ganassi are talking about a pact in which Ganassi would focus on the business side of the operation and Rudd the technical aspects, but all indications are the two are nowhere near a deal as yet( TNN ), I hear Foyt seriously considered getting into Cup, but decided he didn’t need ‘the headache’ — UPDATE: hmmm….sources tell me that Foyt has signed Conseco as a sponsor and is supposedly talking to Ricky Rudd with Foyt hiring all RPM employees(Conseco used to sponsor his IRL cars but left after last season) — UPDATE: Just saw this: Indianapolis 500-winning car owner A.J. Foyt will apparently move into the Winston Cup Series next year with a four-year agreement to race Ford Tauruses. Formation of the team will likely be announced at Darlington on Labor Day weekend. Sources said that Foyts team will have its engines provided by Robert Yates Racing. Foyt, perhaps the greatest driver in the history of American motorsports, is one of three men to win the Indy 500 four times. He is also the only driver ever to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and 24 Hours of LeMans. Kenny Brack drove a Foyt-owned car to victory in this years 500. No driver has been hired, but Foyt will likely announce a sponsor at Darlington( Gaston Gazette/Monte Dutton/AJ Foyt plans Winston Cup team starting in 2000 ) — UPDATE 4: On the TV news in the Charlotte area, on Channel 9 WSOC(ABC affiliate) was a story that AJ Foyt was in the process of working out a deal to partner Rudd Performance
