2009 IRL Team Reports: A.J. Foyt Racing

IRL Team reports for the 2009 IRL season

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2009 IRL Team Reports: A.J. Foyt Racing

Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:01 am

Notes & Quotes: Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Vitor Meira: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Meira on St. Pete being the first race of the season: "The first race of the season is more important in that you find out where you are relative to everyone else. You see what you have to focus on--where your strengths and weaknesses are. There are a lot of expectations built up during the off season so everyone is more anxious and that usually means there are a lot of crashes in the first race. Historically there are a lot of crashes at the street races and now that a street race is the first race of the season--that will make it even more likely that there will be lots of crashes. The part of the track that has a lot of crashes is also the place where you can make or lose a lot of time--the first complex of second gear corners around Turn 5. What I like about St Pete is that it isn't as tight as most street courses---it has a little flow--not like Detroit where you're always braking and having very tight turns."

* Meira on Strategy: "Our strategy is going to depend on how we do in practice--where we are at...we'll either do the best we can or go for it [if car is really good]. I think having all this testing has helped us and I'm really confident. Our strategy is to finish because finishing this race means it will be a top 10."

* Meira on street courses: "Street races are harder on the cars' gearboxes because of the bumps and more shifting--there are a lot of second gear corners. You can do things as a driver like not use as much rear brake because when you do, you're locking the rear wheels which makes it harder on the downshift. And you have to be careful on upshifting too but in the end, it's all a balance between gaining speed or losing time. If you do things like shift earlier and not right on the edge then you lose time and speed.

* A successful weekend? "Maybe I'm being too realistic but a very successful weekend would be a top 5 finish and a successful weekend would be a solid top 10--not one where you lucked into it. Everybody is really pumped and one of the best things we have going for us at St. Pete is Adam [Schaechter, new chief engineer] whose orientation has been street and road courses so that experience will really help."

* Meira on his record at St. Pete: "I'm not sure why but I never had good qualifying sessions there but I always had a good car in the race. I have to get better at qualifying because it is so hard to pass there. Last year I was pretty close to Darren [Manning] throughout the race because we had the same fuel strategy and if I hadn't crashed with Perera, I would have finished fifth or sixth." He was credited with 19th. In 2007, Meira, running fifth, had a gearbox failure on lap 38--he went straight into the barrier at Turn 4. They repaired the car but he placed 16th. The first two years he started 12th and finished fifth.

* ABC Supply returns for its fifth year as primary sponsor of A.J. Foyt's No. 14 with GAF-ELK signing on for another year on the car's engine cover.

* ABC Supply roofing customer Armstrong Homes, of Ocala, FL, won the 'Your Name Here' contest for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Scott Armstrong will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with Vitor Meira. The "Your Name Here" promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.

* The Honda Indy Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the 100-lap race around the 14-turn closed circuit on the streets of St. Petersburg, FL, will be televised live April 5th, Sunday afternoon starting at 2:00pm eastern time on Versus (VS).
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Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:30 pm

Vitor Meira: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Meira on His Preparation for Long Beach: "Well, I've never even seen the track before so I've been playing the video games and talking to people like Christian Fittipaldi and Mario Habersfeld who drove there before. They sent me their track maps and notes which I've been studying. Basically I'm looking for where the bumps are and which corners are off camber. I'll also walk the track with my chief engineer Adam [Schaechter] who has been there with the Champ Car Series plus I'll try to ride the track too before I get in the race car. By the time the first practice session is over, it won't be an issue."

* Expectations for Long Beach: "My expectation is to be as competitive as we were at St. Pete but to capitalize more than we did there. We had a lot of coulda, shoulda, wouldas there--it seemed like there was always something going on."

* Learned from St. Petersburg: "I'm not sure learned is the right word, I would say it reinforced what I already knew: one that qualifying is extremely important on a street course and that we have to be better at predicting what the track will be like for qualifying and set the car up for those track conditions."

* Reflections on St. Pete: "Qualifying 17th there really made it difficult because it is so hard to pass on street circuits. You have to use strategy but then you also have to race harder and take more chances than you would if you qualified in the top 10. With so many cars in front of you, the probability that something is going to happen becomes greater because it becomes a chain reaction effect. Also, you can be faster than the car ahead of you but the closer you get to that car, the less downforce you have on the nose and the more understeer (push) you get. You get too much understeer, and you struggle more. Then you can't come off the turns as fast as the guy in front of you because of the lack of downforce. My fastest laps came after I slowed down to save fuel opening the gap from the car ahead of me. When I closed the gap, that's when I'd run my fastest laps of the race."

* A.J. Foyt's last time at the Long Beach Grand Prix was in 1995 when Eddie Cheever drove for him. A.J. only drove in the race three times (1988, '89 and '90) with his best finish--11th--coming in 1988. "It was real hard for me on the street courses because the cars were so little back then, my shoulders barely fit in and I didn't really have room to shift the gears," said Foyt. "And that track was really bumpy on the back straight. I think they've made the new track much better."
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Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:56 pm

A.J. Foyt Racing
Kansas Preview


Vitor Meira: ABC Supply No. 14 Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Meira on Kansas: "It's really a normal one and a half mile oval, very standard except for the seams, the seams [in the asphalt] are very severe. You can run over them [across them] but you can't run on them. If you put a tire on the seam, it really moves the car--it loses a lot of grip. If you start turning in [to the corner] on the seam, you're eventually going to wash up. The seam doesn't have any grip. That's the only trick: to have a good line, you have to always be aware of the seams."

* Handling Traffic at Kansas: "Nowadays in the IRL, everything is so close that even if you are by yourself and you are trying to overtake a slower car by moving up to the second lane, it becomes difficult. You're going to have to run a longer line and the guy running the shorter line has the advantage. Since everything is really close, it becomes really difficult, but if there is a place where traffic is a little bit easier to deal with, that would be Kansas Speedway."

* On His Success at Kansas: "For me there was a time there [2004-2006] when I finished in the top three for three races in a row. It's one of those tracks where I know what to do and what to ask from the car...I really like the track and maybe it fits what I like from the car. It's a track that changes a lot during the race and I was able to predict what the track and how the car was going to be by the end of the race so we could prepare for that. You have to prepare your car for the last ten laps of the race, not really the first ten."

* Meira has finished in the top 10 at Kansas every time that he finished the race: 2nd in 2004, 3rd in 2005 and 2006 and 8th in 2007. His first race and most recent race there ended early with mechanical problems. The Foyt team won the doubleheader at Kansas Speedway in 2002 with Airton Dare winning the IndyCar race and A.J. Foyt IV winning the Indy Lights race.

* ABC Supply roofing customer Rite Way Roofing, Inc. of Fayetteville, AR won the 'Your Name Here' contest for the RoadRunner Turbo Indy 300. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Larry Corbitt will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with Vitor Meira. The "Your Name Here" promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.

* Kansas City Connections: Cecil Taylor, born, raised and still living in Kansas City, has worked with Foyt since 1966. Taylor doesn't travel the entire circuit anymore but he still works on the tires for the team at Indy and is always at his hometown race.

* Last race: In the Long Beach Grand Prix, Meira and the ABC Supply team had a tough weekend. It was Meira's first time to the temporary street course and the Foyt team's first time there since 1995; since then the course has been changed substantially to accommodate urban development. Meira qualified 20th, ran as high as 11th and was credited with 14th. He slid into a tire barrier on the final lap which capped a disappointing weekend. "Vitor's still got stuff to learn about working with us and he's learning real quick but at the same time, we didn't give him a top-10 car at Long Beach, so it really made for a bad weekend," said A.J. Foyt.

* The Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 will be shown live at 4:00 p.m Eastern. time Sunday, April 26th on Versus .

www.ajfoytracing.com
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Post by mlittle » Thu May 07, 2009 11:47 am

Image

GLADIATOR® GARAGEWORKS TUNES UP A.J. FOYT RACING'S GARAGE FOR INDY 500
Garage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Open to Public on Community Day, 5/20

benton harbor, Mich., -- May 6, 2009 -- Before you start your engines, you must organize your garage. Gladiator® GarageWorks, the leader in versatile garage organization systems, is outfitting the A.J. Foyt Racing Garage for the Indianapolis 500® Race at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Being able to find tools and work in an orderly environment helps race teams and consumers alike earn a checkered flag in their race to be organized.

"Being organized can help reduce time wasted looking for misplaced items or maneuvering in a cluttered environment whether at the race track or at home. In racing, we know, every second counts," said Lou Ann Schafer, senior marketing manager, Gladiator® GarageWorks. "Gladiator brand has partnered with A.J. Foyt Racing to help deliver a streamlined environment where all vital tools and parts can be easily located by the crew, whose members are relied upon for speed in fixing and maintaining the race car."

Gladiator brand has provided a variety of work benches, flooring, and storage solutions for A.J. Foyt Racing during the team's stay at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition, A.J. Foyt Racing will have the Chillerator® Garage Refrigerator which keeps drinks cool and matches the tread-plate design of the GearBoxes, GearDrawers, Tall GearBox Lockers and Tile Flooring in the garage.

"The need for speed also demands the need for organization," said A.J. Foyt, the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500® race and owner of A.J. Foyt Racing. "Gladiator® GarageWorks has helped us create a great-looking and versatile space where we can work efficiently and make sure our Indy cars are always at their best throughout the rigorous 500-mile race."

The Gladiator brand-clad A.J. Foyt Racing garages will be on display at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the course of the Indianapolis 500 beginning May 5. The exclusive garage area will be open to the public on Wednesday, May 20, during American Family Insurance 500 Festival Community Day, but consumers can also see what Gladiator® GarageWorks is all about from the Gladiator brand trailer/mobile billboard parked across from the speedway throughout the month of May.

Gladiator® GarageWorks' sponsorship as the garage provider of A.J. Foyt Racing will culminate with the Gladiator brand logo appearing on the No. 14 car driven by Vitor Meira, who finished second in last year's Indianapolis 500, and on the No. 41 car driven by A.J. Foyt IV, Foyt's grandson who returns to the team for the first time since 2005.

The Indianapolis 500 runs on Sunday, May 24, 2009 to kick off the Centennial Era Celebration of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Post by mlittle » Tue May 12, 2009 1:11 pm

If at First You Don't Succeed...

INDIANAPOLIS May 11, 2009--After two tries and several major changes to the ABC Supply Indy cars, Vitor Meira and A.J. Foyt IV put their race cars solidly in the field for the Indianapolis 500 yesterday.

Both drivers qualified early Sunday afternoon in the second round of qualifying, but Meira's run of 221.934mph was disqualified after a technical infraction with the car's rear track width and Foyt IV was bumped from the field--by Meira when he requalified the No. 14 Honda-powered Dallara later in the afternoon. Foyt IV knew his initial speed average of 220.3mph wasn't going to stand so his Foyt-Greer team was already prepping the No. 41 ABC Supply car for a second qualifying attempt.

In his second try, Meira posted a four-lap average of 223.054 mph in the No. 14 ABC Supply car which was third quickest of the day and earned him the 14th position on the grid--in the middle of row five. It is the second straight year that the No. 14 has started in the 14th slot. Foyt IV posted a speed of 222.586 to start 19th, inside row seven.

Meira opined that the disqualification may have worked in their favor.

"Being forced to go back out there was sort of good," said the two-time runner-up in the 500 in his second post-qualifying interview yesterday. "We were going to rethink our strategy and try some things anyway but what happened [the DQ] forced us to. There was only one option, and when you only have one option it's easy. The problem is when you have many options, you don't know what to do. It forced us to do some things, the car went back to basics and it worked. I really wanted to qualify yesterday, I really did, but I wanted to, today I needed to. So it's going to give us the whole week to think about the race and that's what's really important."

As the day wore on, so did the stress level on young Foyt who was struggling for speed in mid-afternoon. The team made some substantive changes to the car on the pit lane and A.J. Foyt told his grandson to see if he could run 222s. He ran solid 222 mph laps and even clocked a lap at 223.4 mph. They put the car in line to qualify.

"I was so nervous and so stressed out," said Foyt IV in his post-qualifying interview. "I haven't eaten anything all day and it feels like I just got out of the Golden Corral eating a big buffet. My stomach is such in a knot. I'm just thrilled to be in the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt car here in the Indy 500.

"This kind of felt just like last year on Bump Day," he said, referring to bumping his way back into the field to start 31st in a Vision Racing entry. "This is supposed to be a one week [engine] program and we're supposed to be saving this motor for the race so we really needed to get in today to keep on our regular schedule. I know A.J. wasn't gonna be happy if he had to cough up more money so we could run some more miles on the Honda engine. There was a lot of stress on me too so I'm glad we got that done and got it in there."

When asked what they did to the car to gain the extra speed, Foyt IV said candidly, "I have no idea. We were running 221s and then we were running 223s so you'd have to ask AJ what he did. He already told me to shut up and drive the car so I don't really ask anymore.

"We were looking for less than that but I knew the track was really good right now," Foyt continued. "I knew it was going to take a solid run to get me solidly in the field and I didn't want to be out there still shaking and worrying about getting back in the thing. So I just wanted to take it easy and if there was any way to hold it down all four laps, that was what was going to happen."

The ABC Supply team will be focusing on race set-ups this week when the track opens for practice on Thursday, May 14th. The final practice for the race takes place on Friday, May 22nd traditionally known as Carb Day, short for Carburetion Day, recalling the days when the cars used carburetors, which they no longer do. However, the name stuck and in addition to the final practice, there is a pit stop competition and a concert at the track.
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Post by mlittle » Tue May 19, 2009 1:17 am

"Larry Foyt and Healthy Child Healthy World to Join Full Speed 2 a Cure Campaign"

Charlotte, NC, 5/14/09 - Emerson and Olivia Newton-John are thrilled to welcome Larry Foyt and "Healthy Child Healthy World" to the "Full Speed 2 a Cure" campaign for 2009 and beyond.

Larry Foyt, racecar driver and current Team Director of A.J. Foyt Racing ( www.foytracing.com ) in the Indy Car Series, will use his passion to make a difference in this world, to help raise awareness of the environmental toxins that surround children daily, and the threat that exposure may lead to many types of childhood cancers. "I've been looking for a way to give back, and joining the "Full Speed 2 a Cure" campaign is the perfect fit for me," said Foyt. "It utilizes both motorsports and the entertainment business to raise awareness for all types of cancers, and I'm excited to help Emerson and Olivia achieve their goals. I believe this campaign will take off and bring attention to this important cause in a unique and powerful way."

"Healthy Child Healthy World" ( www.healthychild.org ) is the leading national nonprofit advocating to protect young children from harmful chemicals in our environment. Uniting the country's leading scientists, pediatricians and celebrity parents, they are igniting a movement of inspired parents to embrace prevention as the key to eliminating exposures that can cause illness and disease. Through direct outreach and education to parents and communities, Healthy Child educates the public about simple ways to create healthy, safe, non-toxic environments for children. As Founding Board Member Olivia Newton-John ( www.liv.com ) enthuses, "Healthy Child - Healthy World! The 2 are so intricately intertwined - a reflection of each other - and this has been our goal since this organization was started 18 years ago."

The "Full Speed 2 a Cure" ( www.fullspeed2acure.com ) team has decided to expand on its breast health awareness goals ( www.curebreastcancer.org ), to also include raising awareness of all forms of the disease. Overtime, they will grow to have different sports and "Hollywood" personalities representing a specific type of cancer that they are most passionate about creating awareness for.

As a globally recognized ambassador for cancer awareness and prevention, Olivia Newton-John is excited to have Larry Foyt and "Healthy Child" join the campaign spearheaded by her racecar driver nephew, Emerson Newton-John. "I am thrilled that Larry Foyt and "Health Child" have joined the "Full Speed 2 A Cure" Campaign," says Newton-John. "Cancer is something that affects everyone, from all walks of life, and with the resources that the Foyts and "Healthy Child" can bring, we are sure to spread the word about the importance of awareness and early detection to an even broader group of people."

After coming off of two very successful tests in Europe in an FIA GT Series GT1 car, Emerson Newton-John is brimming with confidence. "I couldn't be more ready to get back racing and blow the top off of this powerful campaign. Having my friend, Larry Foyt, joining forces with "Healthy Child" to raise awareness for children's environmental health concerns, is a powerful addition to "Full Speed 2 a Cure". Of all the racing family names to be taking part in what we are doing, I couldn't have asked for a better one than the Foyts!! And as a father of two, I love the fact that we can work with such a great non-profit, to educate parents on the importance of a non-toxic environment for their children."

The campaign moves forward with no time to waste. A fundraiser will be held on May 19 th at downtown Indianapolis's popular nightspot, 6 Lounge and Restaurant ( www.6indy.com ). "Full Speed 2 a Cure" will also make a kid's dream come true on May 24th, when they invite Austin Rachac, who bravely is battling cancer, to be a guest of Emerson Newton-John and Larry Foyt at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. A special thanks to Dr. Ernie Bodai and Kaiser-Permanente ( www.kp.org ), for helping us to make Austin's dream come true.
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Post by mlittle » Tue May 19, 2009 9:37 am

Indy 500: AJ Foyt Racing race preview


Vitor Meira: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Vitor Meira on the Race: "I think here patience pays a lot, not only because it is a very long race but it's a track that doesn't forgive a lot of mistakes. Once you have a mistake, you're in trouble. The strategy is always, you go out, log some laps, make sure that you risk as few times as possible p to 50 laps to go, then you drop the hammer which is sort of everybody's strategy, but it's hard sometimes when you are in the race to keep your head thinking on the strategy. You always want to go, go, go. You see opportunity rising, you don't think twice many times, and sometimes it doesn't work. So you have to think twice for most of the race until the last 50 laps or till when it's time to go. I think this race is going to be no different. Finishing is very important here. If you finish with a solid car, you will finish top 10. The plan is to put ourselves in position to finish top 10; whatever comes, it will come."

A.J. Foyt IV: No. 41 ABC Supply/Foyt/Greer Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* A.J. Foyt IV on the race: "We want to run a good hard pace. We want to make the car really consistent where we can run hard every lap, stay on the lead lap and stay fighting for the lead until the end of the race and try to compete for the win." [Back at Foyt Racing] "It's been good, the team's come a long way. A.J.'s got a lot of miles here and he knows good days to run and when to keep it in the garage, so the month's gone pretty smooth. So hopefully we can have a smooth race also." [Working with your grandfather?] "Not too much has changed-- when things are going good, we continue to make small changes and when things are going bad he seems to make big changes. But all of the changes have been pretty good so far."

* Vitor Meira qualified Sunday, May 10th for his seventh straight Indianapolis 500. Meira will start 14th which is the same place that the No. 14 car started last year with Darren Manning driving. Meira posted a 4-lap average speed of 223.054mph after his initial run was disqualified due to technical violation with the car's rear track width. Meira said: "Being forced to go back out there was sort of good," said the two-time runner-up in the 500. "We were going to rethink our strategy and try some things anyway but what happened [the DQ] forced us to. There was only one option, and when you only have one option it's easy. The problem is when you have many options, you don't know what to do. It forced us to do some things, the car went back to basics and it worked. I really wanted to qualify yesterday, I really did, but I wanted to, today I needed to. So it's going to give us the whole week to think about the race and that's what's really important."

* A.J. Foyt IV qualified for his sixth Indianapolis 500. Foyt will start 19th after bumping his way back into the 22-car field in the closing minutes of second round qualifying last Sunday, May 10. He will start 19th on the inside of row seven. "This kind of felt just like last year on Bump Day," he said in his post-qualifying interview, referring to bumping his way back into the field to start 31st in a Vision Racing entry in 2008. "This is supposed to be a one week [engine] program and we're supposed to be saving this motor for the race so we really needed to get in today to keep on our regular schedule. I know A.J. wasn't gonna be happy if he had to cough up more money so we could run some more miles on the Honda engine. There was a lot of stress on me too so I'm glad we got that done and got it in there."

* Foyt Racing's Team Director Larry Foyt will host a Celebrity Bartending Challenge this Tuesday night at "6 Lounge and Restaurant" in downtown Indianapolis. Race drivers and local celebrities will participate in the charity fundraiser which will start at 8pm. General admission is $20 and VIP admission is $50. The proceeds will benefit Full Speed 2 a Cure and Healthy Child-Healthy World.

* A.J. Foyt's legendary career at Indy is being depicted in a window of Macy's flagship department store in New York City; it is part of the IZOD Indianapolis 500 display which also includes historic race cars from the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum and other artifacts from significant moments in the Speedway's history. Meira and Foyt IV will be able to check it out in person when they travel to NYC as part of the Indy 500 media blitz; all 33 starting drivers will participate in the Herald Square photo op Monday, May 18th.

* A.J. Foyt will be participating in his 52nd straight Indy 500 this year. Foyt became the first driver to win the 500 four times with his victory in 1977. Other victories as a driver came in 1961, 1964 and 1967. He won it solely as a car owner in 1999 with Kenny Brack driving.
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Post by mlittle » Fri May 22, 2009 2:37 pm

Forte Healthy Energy Shot Makes Racing Debut with A.J. Foyt Racing at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2009) -- Forte Healthy Energy Shot™ will enter its first Indianapolis 500 as an associate sponsor of A.J. Foyt IV's No. 41 ABC Supply Indy car. Foyt IV will start 19th in his sixth Indy 500 this Sunday afternoon.

"It's great to have the Forte Energy Company as an associate marketing partner of our team for the Indy 500," said Larry Foyt, team director of A.J. Foyt Racing. "We're proud to be the team to debut their brand here at Indy. With the busy schedule we have during the month of May, Forte's Healthy Energy Shot is a welcome addition to our garage."

"Although the Forte Healthy Energy Shot is new to the racing circuit, we are very excited to be a part of A.J. Foyt's team for the 500," said Elishia Sorensen, Regional Director for Forte Energy Company. "Their mature and established team exudes quality from top to bottom, and that's consistent with what we have in the Forte Healthy Energy Shot. Entering this partnership will no doubt help us to reach a new audience, as well as increase brand awareness."
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Post by mlittle » Thu May 28, 2009 2:28 pm

Paul Tracy Named To Drive No. 14 in the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt 225 at The Milwaukee Mile

HOUSTON May 26, 2009 -- Like politics, racing has been known to make strange bedfellows. Two outspoken stars of the sport have joined forces for the ABC Supply/AJ Foyt 225 at Milwaukee this weekend. A.J. Foyt has hired veteran driver Paul Tracy to replace injured Vitor Meira to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply Indy car. It is Tracy's first time driving for Foyt; at this point, it is a one race deal.

"For me I'm excited to get an opportunity to drive albeit as a fill-in for Vitor as I know it's a short-term thing," said Tracy, who has won 31 Indy car races as well as the 2003 Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Driver's title. "When I started my career [1991], I competed against A.J. He was one of my idols growing up. I haven't told too many people this, but he was one of the guys I modeled myself after. I'm a little rough around the edges like him and I say what I feel, there's no b.s. and that's one of the things I've always admired about him."

Foyt said, "Paul Tracy is a hard charger and our type of driver, much like Vitor. I believe we can put the right equipment under Paul, and we've both had success there, so I think we can put our heads together and have a good race. It's a very important race for us because it's sponsored by our team sponsor ABC Supply, which is based in Wisconsin, so Milwaukee is their home track," adding, "and it is the AJ Foyt 225."

"I think the team is competing at a much higher level these days," said Tracy. "I had a long conversation with Larry [Foyt, team director] and they're working hard. That's all I expect from people is to do their best. I think I'm the kind of driver who could make the difference at Milwaukee, being a four-time winner there, and teaming up with A.J., a guy who's won as many times as he has at the historic Mile, is not only a great story but a winning recipe."

Foyt has won four Indy car races at the Mile (1962, 1964, 1975 and 1979) and six USAC stock car races.

When asked about the challenge of driving for a new team in a car he's never driven at the Mile where there is only two hours of practice before qualifying, Tracy said with a smile, "There's no challenge for me, I'm a grizzly old veteran like A.J., I'll be up to speed real quick." He added, "I jumped in the car at Indianapolis and I hadn't driven at Indy in seven years and never drove a Dallara on the speedway-the current car-- and did 220mph on my third lap. I don't anticipate any trouble getting up to speed because I spent the last month in the car. If the team can deliver me a good car, I think I can win the race for them."

Tracy's stats at the Mile lend credence to his confident approach. In 14 starts (from 1993-2006), he has led nine races for 723 laps and earned four wins (Newman-Haas, 1995; Team Green, 1999, 2002; Forsythe, 2005), two poles (Penske, 1996, 1997); two more top-five finishes plus two top-10 finishes.

The driver change came as a result of Vitor Meira sustaining a lower back injury in the Indianapolis 500 after rookie Raphael Matos made contact with Meira entering turn one, sending the Indy veteran hard into the turn one SAFER barrier which he rode on two wheels until coming to a stop in the short chute. Meira was transported to Methodist Hospital where scans revealed two broken vertebrae (L-1 and L-2) which are being treated without surgery. Meira was fitted with a plastic back brace. It is expected that Vitor Meira will be released from Methodist Hospital on Wednesday according to Dr. Mike Olinger. He will stay in Indianapolis until Friday when he will meet with Dr. Terry Trammel who is expected to clear him to travel to his South Florida home as early as Saturday. While doctors told Meira that he will be ready to race again in four months, Meira is aiming to be back in the cockpit after three months.
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Post by mlittle » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:53 am

Foyt IV to drive No. 14 in Texas


A.J. Foyt IV Will Drive No. 14 ABC Supply Indy Car In Bombardier Learjet at Texas Motor Speedway

HOUSTON June 2, 2009--Coming home. A.J. Foyt IV, who began his IndyCar career as the driver of the No. 14, comes home to Texas to drive the ABC Supply-sponsored No. 14 again in the Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. At this point, the deal is only for Texas.

"I'm excited to get the opportunity to run another race," said Foyt IV. "I really like the track, and not just because it's in Texas. It suits my style, it's fast and the racing is close. Hopefully we get the result we're looking for."

"Anthony has always run well at this track," said the senior Foyt of his decision to hire his grandson for this race. "He hasn't had the results but most of that was because of things that he couldn't help--tires going flat or problems on pit stops. He likes the track which is good because a lot of drivers don't care for it. Plus we've worked with him so we know what he likes, and he knows what he wants from these cars."

When asked about the demands of the track, Foyt IV said: "The track is pretty easy to run by yourself in practice and qualifying but it gets much tougher in the race. The racing is real close and the car doesn't handle as well in the traffic but you're still trying to run the same speed so it gets pretty tough, but I enjoy racing at Texas."

Foyt IV knows what Texas-tough means--he drove for his legendary grandfather from 2003 through 2005. His best result at Texas Motor Speedway came with his grandfather's team in 2004 when he started 11th and finished 10th. This year, Foyt IV returned to the ABC Supply team for the Indianapolis 500 where he qualified on the second day to start 19th. He finished 16th in the race.

Foyt IV is the second driver to replace the injured Vitor Meira whose return is not expected until late September.

The Bombardier Learjet 550 will be televised on the Versus channel Saturday night starting at 9pm Eastern time.
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Post by mlittle » Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:56 am

Foyt Racing names Hunter-Reay as No. 14 driver


Ryan Hunter-Reay to Drive for A.J. Foyt's ABC Supply Team

HOUSTON June 12, 2009--Creative thinking often leads to win-win solutions. IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, of Boca Raton, Fla., will drive for A.J. Foyt's ABC Supply team for the remainder of the season beginning with the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway June 20-21. Vision Racing assigned Hunter-Reay's driving services to A.J. Foyt Enterprises in a deal struck Thursday afternoon.

The announcement comes as a result of a conversation between A.J. Foyt and Vision Racing team owner Tony George who approached Foyt at the race in Texas about using Hunter-Reay's services while Vitor Meira recovered from a back injury sustained in the Indianapolis 500. Foyt had been looking at a short list of drivers when he agreed to the deal which would give his ABC Supply team a driver who can provide continuity in the cockpit while allowing George time to re-focus his team's resources.

Meira is expected to return for the final race of the season in October, when, if he has recovered fully from his injuries, Foyt will run two cars at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hunter-Reay, a 28-year-old Texas native and resident of Florida, is currently tenth in the IRL Championship. Last year, in his first full season of IndyCar competition, Hunter-Reay won in the closing laps of the Camping World Grand Prix at the historic Watkins Glen race track when on a restart he passed Darren Manning who finished second in the No. 14 ABC Supply Car. That win made Hunter-Reay the only driver to have scored wins in CART, Champ Car, and the IRL.

A second place finish for Vision Racing in this year's IndyCar season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida is the Vision team's best finish in their five year history.

"I have always had the highest respect for both Tony George and A.J. Foyt, so when they asked me to drive the ABC Supply car while Vitor recovers, I was happy to accept," said Hunter-Reay. "Vitor is a friend and I know all of the drivers are wishing him a speedy recovery. I am really looking forward to this new partnership with A.J. Foyt Racing and I will do my absolute best to help deliver the results we are all hoping to achieve."

"We're glad to welcome Ryan to our team," said Foyt. "It's been a tough year for us losing Vitor, but we're looking forward to working with Ryan. We know how good he is because he beat us at Watkins Glen last year."

Foyt's team, with one top-10 finish this season, is currently 18th in the standings. It's been a challenging year for the team with the No. 14 Dallara/Honda being involved in race accidents in five of the six races run to date.

Tony George said "We all feel Ryan will be able to contribute to their program and provide continuity for the rest of the season while they await Vitor (Meira)'s return."

Vision Racing will interrupt operation of the No. 21 entry with team members being temporarily reassigned to re-focus all efforts on the team's operation of the No.20 Menards entry with driver Ed Carpenter, as well as the Firestone Indy Lights development program with driver James Davison.

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be televised live on Father's Day, Sunday, June 21st starting at 1 p.m. (ET) on ABC-TV.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:48 am

NOTES & QUOTES: Iowa Corn Indy 250

Ryan Hunter-Reay: ABC Supply No. 14 Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Ryan Hunter-Reay on Iowa: "The key to Iowa Speedway is getting your car balanced so that it works in both the low and high grooves. The track is only 7/8 of a mile but it races like a 1.5 mile track because of the banking; so in that sense you approach it the same as you would a 1.5 mile track only with more downforce [because of the larger wings]. The traffic situation at Iowa can be pretty straightforward as long as you can run both grooves. But if you can only run one groove then you're at the mercy of the other driver's line--so how well you can handle it depends on the balance that you get in your car."

* Vitor Meira Update: Vitor Meira is continuing to recover in his Key Biscayne, FL home. He has not used pain medication since June 4th and an x-ray taken on Wednesday, June 10th revealed his healing is progressing as his doctors anticipated. Meira: "All I'm trying to do now is to get better soon, so my day and tasks are built all around my getting better. This means a lot of light workout and rest... it's not very exciting but it is the fastest way to get back to the car!" Currently Meira spends 20 minutes in the morning on his bike followed by time on his steering machine to maintain his arm strength. After a light lunch, he will spend another 20 minutes on the bike followed by a 30 minute walk, usually with his Mini-Schnauzer 'Quattro.' And to exercise his mind? He finished a 2000-piece Ravensburger puzzle entitled New Wonders of the World. Meira: "I have a lot of free time!"

* Hunter-Reay on joining a new team: "I've definitely become accustomed to joining new operations so I'm getting good at it. I hope to bring some stability to the ABC Supply/Foyt program until Vitor returns as well as do some on-track development and hopefully get the next breakthrough performance." [Challenges?] "The biggest challenge is to establish the communication. You're starting fresh with a new engineer and crew chief and that usually takes a couple days but we have to do it more quickly because it's a race weekend. But we've all [meaning himself and the Foyt team] worked with new situations before so I think we can make the most of it. We'll be building the communication over the weekend so with every lap and every session, it'll get better and better. We just have to take it one step at a time."

* ABC Supply roofing customer. Nelson & Son Siding of LeClaire, IA won the 'Your Name Here' contest for the Iowa Corn Indy 250. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Ryan Nelson will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with Ryan Hunter-Reay. The "Your Name Here" promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.

* ABC Supply will entertain over 300 guests in their hospitality tent this weekend.

* Iowa Connections: Housby, an associate sponsor of the No. 14, is based in nearby Des Moines. Since 1969, Housby has been known for the quality of the new and used trucks they sell as well as their excellent customer service. Founder Jack Housby, a former NASCAR driver and team owner, started out Housby as a Mack Truck dealership and with the help of his sons Kevin and Kelly, has grown it into a business conglomerate offering multiple services to its customers.

* The Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be shown live at 1:00 p.m. ET Sunday, June 21 on ABC-TV.


www.ajfoytracing.com.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:51 am

Hunter-Reay Ready to Race for Motorsports Legend AJ Foyt

New Faces, New Places: As announced late last week, Ryan Hunter-Reay has a new home - he will replace the injured Vitor Meira in the #14 ABC Supply Racing Dallara for the remainder of the 2009 season. "I am so honored to be a part of the long list of phenomenal drivers who have driven for AJ Foyt. Guys like Al Unser, Kenny Brack, Robby Gordon - it's great to be a part of this group. It's going to be tough jumping in mid-season, but I am ready for the challenge and grateful for the opportunity. I was able to get Vision their best result ever earlier this season and nothing would be better than to take ABC Supply Car back to the Winners Circle."

On Loan: Despite earning Vision Racing's best-ever IndyCar result with his 2nd place finish at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the team was forced to loan out RHR's services due to lack of corporate sponsorship and funding for the #21 team. The program came together just five days before the first race of the 2009 season and due to the lack of corporate funding, testing and future development would not be possible this season, so Vision Racing offered Hunter-Reay the opportunity to continue his top-ten championship run with AJ Foyt Racing.

In the Points: Hunter-Reay is ranked 10th in the 2009 IndyCar Championship points standings.

Previously at Iowa: Hunter-Reay started 14th and finished 8th in his maiden run at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in 2008.

Hunter-Reay on the Iowa Corn 250: "I am excited to get this weekend underway. It's been a pretty crazy two weeks. I've now met the ABC Supply team, they are a great group and very hardworking, so I'm looking forward to getting started. The key to Iowa Speedway is getting your car balanced so that it works in both the low and high grooves. The track is only 7/8 of a mile but it races like a 1.5 mile track because of the banking; so in that sense you approach it the same as you would a 1.5 mile track only with more down force [because of the larger wings]. The traffic situation at Iowa can be pretty straightforward as long as you can run both grooves. But if you can only run one groove then you're at the mercy of the other driver's line--so how well you can handle it depends on the balance that you get in your car."

www.RyanRacing.com
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:53 am

Richmond: AJ Foyt Racing preview


* Ryan Hunter-Reay on racing at Richmond: "The key to the getting around there is making the front of the car work very well. The radius [radii] of the corners are so short that the challenge is getting the front grip to stay in the car late in the corner...that's the biggest issue. Traffic is the other issue. It's very tough at Richmond to get through traffic and to make a move on a car because number 1, all the teams are so close now that the speeds of the cars are very similar, and number 2, there's no room. There's no room to make any passes so when you do make one, it ends up usually being a tight pass going into turn one. It's a tough track."

* Hunter-Reay's initial impression of the ¾-mile banked oval? "I was amazed that we could get around there as fast as we can in these Indy cars. When you first look at it you think it's way too small for an Indy car race to race on. It's definitely different from anywhere else we race and it's definitely challenging for the drivers. I'm looking forward to going back."

* Hunter-Reay will be making his second start at Richmond. In his first start last year, he was fastest in the second practice. "We worked on the car," he said. "It was a situation where we made the car better and better and that's what we're looking to do with the ABC Supply car this weekend: to make it better every time we go out and give me the tools I need to get as flat out as I can, and be on the throttle as much as possible." Unfortunately last year, electrical problems surfaced when he went to qualify and the car failed to start, forcing him to the back of the starting grid in 25th place. In the race he moved up to 10th before tangling with Mario Moraes in turns three and four on lap 143. He placed 16th.

* Hunter-Reay will be making his second start in the No. 14 ABC Supply car this weekend. He hopes his second race for A.J. Foyt lasts longer than his first one in Iowa last week. On lap one, he was passing Robert Doornbos on the low side between turns three and four when the rookie lost control of his car, did a quarter spin and tagged the No. 14 hard enough to knock out its right front suspension and wing. He placed 19th. Hunter-Reay is now 11th in the Driver standings while the Foyt team is 18th in the Entrant points.

* Past performances at Richmond: The Foyt team's best finish at Richmond is 6th with Airton Dare in 2002 and their best start is 7th with Eliseo Salazar in 2001.

* Best Roofing of Tidewater, located in Virginia Beach, VA, is this weekend's winner of the ABC Supply Your Name Here Promotion for its customers. The company name will be put on the top of the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Don Harrelson and a guest will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with Ryan Hunter-Reay. The "Your Name Here" promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:42 am

Notes & Quotes: Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen

Ryan Hunter-Reay: No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda/Firestone

* Ryan Hunter-Reay on pressure of being the defending winner: "I think there's just as much pressure as when I showed up last year just because I put more pressure on myself than anybody else does on me. We're still in the early days of the partnership between myself and ABC Supply Racing and I think that gives us a little bit of wiggle room. But I'm the winner from the race last year and I'm driving the car that only finished a couple seconds behind me in second place so the numbers are adding up to a potentially successful weekend. We're going to do everything we can to maximize the full potential of the team."

* Vitor Meira to attend Watkins Glen: Meira will attend his first IndyCar Series race since being injured in the Indy 500 in May.

* Hunter-Reay on why he likes racing at The Glen: "It's the heart of America, it happens on the Fourth of July weekend at a track that has lots of history with both IndyCar and Formula 1 racing. Indy cars racing on that track is a great match; they're made for each other. It's a very high speed track with technical sections in it, lots of ascents and descents. That track is meant for top-level open wheel racing and that's what we're doing. Watkins Glen has everything I look for in a race track."

* Hunter-Reay on the key to the car's set-up: "I think it's just getting the car to really work through the high speed, falling corners, and at the same time, you have to get down the straights very fast in order to pass in the race. There's a combination of carrying a lot of downforce and drag to make the car go fast through the corners and carrying little downforce and drag to get the car down the straight fast so finding the right balance of downforce is key to setting up the car."

* A year ago, Phillips-Van Heusen announced its entry into motorsports at Watkins Glen by making its IZOD brand the official apparel of the Indy Racing League, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a personal sponsor of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Hunter-Reay was featured on a 60' x 80' billboard last summer in New York City's Times Square. During the season, IndyCar drivers make appearances at Macy's (and Bon Ton) stores in race markets, including Macy's Carousel Center in Syracuse, N.Y. July 2nd.

* In the past three years at The Glen, Foyt's ABC Supply Racing team has finished in the top-five twice (5th with Felipe Giaffone - 2006; 2nd with Darren Manning - 2008) and top-10 once (9th with Manning - 2007).

* Lew Parks, of Glen Aubrey, NY, has worked with the Foyt team since 1997. He began his racing career in 1960 in stock cars in and around the northeast. He began working with the Indy cars in 1970. In 1980, he was awarded the Gilmore/Foyt Rookie Crew Chief of the Year trophy when he worked with the late Jerry Karl who nearly finished second to Tom Sneva in Phoenix but a blown engine sidelined him before he could reach the checkered. Lew is nicknamed "Abe Lincoln" due to his resemblance to America's 16th President. He is married to Joan and the couple has three children: Jeff, Carla and Chad.

* The Vinyl King of Manopac, N.Y. is this weekend's winner of the ABC Supply Your Name Here Promotion for its customers. The company name will be put on the top of the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Joe Scalera, Sr. and his guest will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with A.J. Foyt and Ryan Hunter-Reay. The "Your Name Here" promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.

* The Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen will be broadcast live at 1:00 p.m. eastern time Sunday afternoon, July 5 on ABC-TV.

* For more information on the Foyt Racing program, please check these web sites: www.ajfoytracing.com and www.ryanracing.com .
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