A. J. Foyt Legacy, Vol. II 1978–2026
by Art Garner
“Somebody inevitably asked if there was anything he’d change in his life. ‘Nope,’ was his answer …’ I come from nothing and had a wonderful life. Who’d ever think I’d be here now at ninety years old? I don’t think I’m s’posed to live this long. I’m living for a reason but I don’t know why.’”
The first volume of A.J. Foyt’s biography was, as we told you in our commentary on that book, an un-put-down-able page turner. In part due to the skill of A.J.’s biographer, Art Garner. But it’s also because A.J. himself is one of those unstoppable full-of-life-and-going-to-live-every-moment-of-every-day-to-its-fullest people. The combination of subject, biographer, and publisher has rendered this second volume a treat for every reader.
It picks up seamlessly where the first left off and follows the same format; a black and white photo on the page facing the start of each of the 39 chapters and a 32-page insert of primarily 61 color images filling the 670 pages along with 36 pages of chapter notes, a half dozen pages of sources, and an excellent 20-page detailed index. Garner approaches relating the events of A.J.’s life as he did in the first volume, a chapter per year. Thus this volume opens with 1978 and concludes following A.J.’s 90th birthday on January 16, 2025 heading toward 2026. So taut is Garner’s writing it engenders emotional reactions from a reader—be it laughter or finding the words blurring when moisture comes unbidden to the eyes.
Recovery from injuries.
Garner covers Foyt’s activities on and around racetracks in all the detail any race fan could wish for including those less desirable—by fans and Foyt alike—accidents followed by often arduous recuperations. Foyt always fought his way back. The device around his left leg in the ankle area in this 1990 photo is called a Ilizarov apparatus. Essentially it’s a type of halo brace stabilizing the broken bones externally thus negating the need for a cast and permitting it to be adjusted as healing progresses. Post surgery, Doctor Terry Trammell needed to adjust it but its external fixtures were metric and Trammell didn’t have metric tools so was going to use a crescent wrench. Foyt objected with “You’re not gonna use that Mexican fit-all on me. … End of adjustment. The next day Trammell received a set of metric wrenches, courtesy A.J. Foyt.”
It’s being able to tell of Foyt’s personal side that really sets Garner’s biography of him apart from many other racing hero biographies. As examples, we learn that more than anything A.J.’s ever fluctuating weight—usually on the upward side—were contributed to by his incredible sweet tooth. Following one accident from which, during recuperation, he had trimmed down considerably, once released to go home he engaged in one of, if not the favorite of his rehab activities, working on his farms and ranches operating bulldozers and tractors to clear land, dig ponds and the like. In the cockpit beside him he had the biggest bottles of Coca-Cola (and not the low-calorie version either) he could find and devour not merely one or two candy bars but an entire box of them. And then there was the day Foyt’s pond building was nearly his undoing when the bank gave way beneath his Cat. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you read of that day.
Sweet tooth talked about in body copy.
Garner tells of a situation we all face from time to time—a need or desire to downsize, reducing the accumulation. Typical of A.J.’s style, he faced it head-on in 1992 as he realized “he’d accumulated too much ‘stuff’ over the years.” Reading of the weekend in August between race dates when A.J.’s auction at the Speedway was held points up why Garner’s style works so well. As I read I wondered idly what auction company Foyt had engaged just as quickly realizing it wasn’t pertinent to the story Garner was telling. It’s Garner’s mastery of staying “on point” resisting the temptation to bog the pace of storytelling down with too much information.
When all was assembled at the Speedway ready for bidders, Foyt admitted, “There’s stuff here I hadn’t seen in twenty-five years. … Probably, someday, when I go out to the garages and everything is gone, that’s when it’ll hit me. But the memories are in my heart. Those can’t be sold and will never be lost.”
Clockwise from top left: Sebastien Bordais; Mario Andretti far right, A.J. center, man with back to camera unidentified; wife Lucy and A.J. admiring granddaughter Lucy in daughter-in-law Kelly’s arms. Good friend Marlyne Sexton with A.J. at Speedway during the time she helped financially to keep AJ Foyt Racing afloat.
As Garner tells it and Foyt’s entire life proved true, while racing was his life’s main focus; family was everything. He met Lucy, who would be his wife for nearly 70 years before passing in 2023, while both were in high school. Together they brought tree children into the world, sons AJ III and Jerry, and daughter Terry. When Terry’s marriage fell apart after she’d birthed a son, Larry, AJ and Lucy adopted him so he could become a Foyt. All sons eventually tried racing before finding other callings with Larry gradually taking over the administrative running of AJ Foyt Racing as A.J. eased more fully into retirement.
Two of A.J.’s grandsons. Except one today is his son. Anthony Joseph IV on left alongside Larry who had been firstborn of daughter Terry. Larry was adopted by Lucy and A.J. when his parents divorced becoming son Larry Foyt.
Yet, even though “retired,” A.J. is far from unengaged or inactive as you’ll see and learn as you read this second volume of his life’s story. The lines were long for every book signing A.J. and Garner scheduled for the first volume. Already the same is proving true for the second with Art posting they “sold almost as many copies of Volume One as we did the new book!”
Is it A. J. or A.J. or AJ?
-AJ is the racing team
-A. J. are his initials w/ proper name
-A.J. is how he calls himself and others refer to him as/by first name in writing
Copyright 2026 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
RSS Feed - Comments
Phone / Mail / Email
RSS Feed
Facebook
Twitter