Indy 500 '77 - Jackie Stewart interviews AJ Foyt

From live ABC broadcast.
Victory Circle, celebrations, interview.
Post race interview: Jackie Stewart, Chris Economaki and the greates american race car driver ever.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Indy
• 500
• IndyCar
• ChampCar
• IRL
• CART
• Foyt
• Stewart

[motoracinerd]

He never drove in F1...I wonder why?? Anyway, I think that is the one thing that somewhat tarnishes his legacy.

[AJ1964]

@motoracinerd Tell me how?

He was racing in the States each week. At the time F1 was not so big, and he could make more money in US by racing Indycars, Stockcars, sprintcars and sportscars. Have you read a book where AJ tells why he wasn't interested in F1? Besides that F1 is more like rich kids having fun than a real racing.

[DocGorilla]

AJ Foyt was the greatest American race driver who EVER raced.

[altfactor]

The reason Jim McKay and Jackie Stewart were "still in the commentary booth" was becaue most of their call of the race was recorded as the edited tape was being broadcast.

Their descriptions of the start, the first few laps, the last few laps, and the finish were recorded as they happened. The reason it was done that way was because the middle of the race was edited, and had McKay and Stewart called the whole race as it happened, their commentary might have sounded disjointed at times.

[altfactor]

@motoracinerd Had A.J. Foyt raced a few seasons in Formula 1, I think he might have won at least one F1 championship.

BTW, this was not televised live. It was taped, edited to two hours (one hour and 40 minutes without commercials) and broadcast, and shown in prime-time that evening, about eight or nine hours after the fact.

I remember listening to the race on radio, and then watching the tape on TV that evening.

It was tradition at my home in the 1970's to do that every year.

[jpdever513]

@motoracinerd Not that great on road courses!? Ok, now you're just trolling. The man won Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona endurance races. Le Mans for chrissakes! Just him and Dan Gurney, switching off for 24 hours, and they whipped the field. And he had never raced on the Le Mans circuit prior to that race, and he had only 10 minutes of practice to get ready! The guy was just as gifted a racer as they come, the course didn't matter.

[jpdever513]

@motoracinerd Foyt had offers to race F1, but do you want to know why he didn't? He thought it was a sham. He knew about team orders, and about drivers conceding spots on the track to teammates for points, and he refused to race in the series. It was beneath him. Rest assured, if he had run F1, he would have won consistently. Just look at what Mario Andretti did, and if anyone is Andretti's better, it's Foyt.

[vintagesupermodified]

@motoracinerd Formula 1 didn't have dirt! Had they ran midgets,sprints, champ dirt cars, AJ would have been over there more. They didn't, so he didn't bother. Been a fan all my life and I still fail to understand how F1 is supposed to be the 'pinnacle' of racing. Indy's biggest downfall has been trying to imitate F1. Take that one to the bank.

[pattheiceman]

@motoracinerd Could you see A.J. Foyt taking team orders? LOL!

[gman326]

There is no tarnish on AJ Foyt, period!

Lets see, winner of the Indy 500(X's 4), the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, just to list a few. Some need to remember, it is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

[motoracinerd]

@motoracinerd...I think he didn't race in F1 cause he wasn't that great on road courses...he only had 3 wins, in 25 starts on road courses in the USAC division...compared to Andretti's 10 wins, in 28 starts. He's probably the greatest all around driver on an oval...it didn't matter what he drove, stock car, indy car, midget...he could beat anybody, but his numbers on road courses dont impress me much. I think that's what kind of hurts his legacy.