186 Greatest victories + next month

It’s about overcoming the odds

THE DRIVER

They don’t come tougher, gutsier or more intimidating than AJ Foyt. The combination of a fierce determination to win, a combustible temper and an equally explosive pair of fists meant Foyt was rarely a man officialdom chose to cross.

Even among a litany of injuries throughout his career, the Riverside accident stands out. With the front half of his car torn away and his body rammed into the dirt, Foyt was initially pronounced dead. However, fellow racer Parnelli Jones noticed a faint gurgle from the unconscious body and removed dirt from Foyt’s mouth, allowing him to breathe.

Foyt suffered a broken back, a concussion, ripped breastbone, broken left heel, dislocated right foot and a damaged aorta. His legs were the biggest issue, though. Doctors basically had to dig what was left of his lower limbs out of the dirt and mud, his left femur sticking out and feet barely attached. That Foyt could walk following recovery – albeit with a severe limp – is more about sheer willpower than modern surgery.

THE RACE

The Firecracker 400 held at the Daytona International Speedway on 4 July wasn’t itself anything remarkable. Foyt grabbed the lead with 24 laps to go and held off Buddy Baker for the victory. What was remarkable though, was Foyt’s journey to the starting grid for that race.

After two months recovering in hospital, Foyt was back behind the wheel on 28 March for a USAC single-seater race (Indy’s forerunner) at Phoenix where he put his Lotus/ford on pole and led for 11 laps before suspension issues saw him retire 41 laps in. Foyt was on pole for the next three races, too, before returning to Nascar for the Firecracker 400 win and then back to USAC two weeks later to be victorious at the Trenton Speedway in New Jersey.

When AJ Foyt finally drew a curtain on his racing career in 1996, he had won more than a dozen championships, including four Indy 500s, and he is still the all-time leader in Indy car victories with 67.