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A. J. Foyt is a legend of the racing world, and a few drivers have had the privilege to share moments with the 90-year-old, including Tony Stewart. In 2011, Stewart was present at the 60th anniversary of Foyt's first Indy 500 victory and revealed how the racing veteran was his hero and praised his skills behind the wheel of a racecar.
Foyt was a fierce driver in every championship he raced in. The 90-year-old has seven titles to his name in IndyCar and scored a massive 67 wins, 120 podiums, and 53 poles during his four-decade-long career.
Moreover, the seven-time IndyCar champion has also raced in NASCAR and has also tasted victory there, along with a 24 Hours of Le Mans victory that he achieved in 1967. With such a decorated career, Tony Stewart received a chance to share an evening with Foyt in 2011 at the Indianapolis 500 and said (via IndyCar):
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"A.J. is my hero and a great friend who I’ve known for a long time. It didn’t matter what it was, but if it had four wheels and went fast, A.J. would drive it. NASCAR stock cars, USAC stock cars, sprints and midgets, Indy cars, IMSA sports cars – A.J. won in all of them. We both kind of came up through the racing ranks in the same way. He just did it in a different era. "
Stewart further stated how the impact of Foyt has shaped the racing world and said:
"He has given a lot back to racing and has been one of the sport’s biggest supporters. Without guys like him, guys like myself wouldn’t have had a chance to succeed. Being with A.J. on the pit box this year at Indy is an honor and something I’ll cherish forever."
Tony Stewart is one of the few drivers to have done the 'double duty' in the racing world by participating in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Speedway.
Tony Stewart revealed the reason why he ended his 'double duty'
The 53-year-old did the double-duty in 1999 and 2001. However, his results varied drastically, with the latter attempt being his best one, where he finished sixth at the Indy 500 and third at the NASCAR event.
Reflecting on his experience at the two events, Tony Stewart said last year (via NASCAR Hall of Fame):
"The first year it was terrible. It was a terrible experience. I had no idea what I needed to do, nutrition-wise. I’m not a workout guy. I’m not a nutrition guy. And I realized very, very quickly that day – I learned at the end of the 500, that I had a long day ahead of me still."
"I respect the guys that are doing it. The guys that are running at Indy, the respect I have for them about how good they are at what they do and how technical everything is. The days of jumping in a car and just saying, ‘Hey, it’s tight. It’s loose,’ and they fix it, you go out there and you’re running up front. Those days are over. You don’t do that."
The American racing scene has broken covers with NASCAR starting its season on February 3, and IndyCar starting on March 2.
