AND A.J. Foyt still doesn’t know who will be in the team’s second car for the Indy 500 but said his son, Larry, whose NASCAR career has fizzled, is a possibility.(Indianapolis Star)(4-23-2004)
UPDATE: Larry Foyt, the son of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, said Friday that he will test a car Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with an eye toward competing in next month’s 500. The second-year NASCAR Nextel Cup driver will drive one of the Indy cars being prepared for his nephew, A.J. Foyt IV, who will be trying to earn a spot in his second consecutive 500. A.J. Foyt started a record 35 500s in his Hall of Fame career, winning in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977. “I’ve been to that race (the 500) every year of my life. That race is why I wanted to be a race car driver,” said the 27-year-old Larry Foyt during NASCAR’s event at Talladega Superspeedway. His only Indy Racing League experience is testing at Texas Motor Speedway and Pikes Peak (Colo.) International Raceway a few years ago. Foyt spent two seasons in NASCAR’s Busch Series before moving to Winston Cup, as it was called, last year. His career includes a season in the American Speed Association and 12 starts in the U.S. Auto Club’s Formula 2000 division. Foyt’s Indy test will be part of the IRL’s rookie orientation program that includes Ed Carpenter, Mark Taylor, Kosuke Matsuura and Marty Roth. The league will have its open test for all 500 hopefuls Tuesday and Wednesday at the Speedway. Because of his status as a Nextel Cup driver, Foyt will not be required to pass the IRL’s four-stage rookie program to compete in next month’s 500. He will be graded by his father, who at times has a more stringent standard. “I’m going to give him some laps, but (running in May) is not for sure yet,” A.J. Foyt said Friday by phone from Houston. “We’ve got to see how things go.” A.J. Foyt’s teams are struggling for sponsorship support in the IRL and NASCAR. The team owner is hoping that a financial deal can be put together for one of a handful of drivers that are available. The only other Nextel Cup driver expected to participate in the 500 is Robby Gordon, who will be driving a car from his own team.(Indianapolis Star News)(4-24-2004)