Why has there never been a race car driver better than AJ Foyt?

Question

He has won it all and done it all on dirt and pavement. I would like to know who is even a close runner up. Use your head before giving a dumb answer with nothing to back it up,

Answer 1

I think onetruekev's gave you your best answer. My dad saw him drive at Road America and he said the man was incredible. The only other name I haven't seen here that I think belongs is Mark Donahue, who dominated sports car racing in the early 70's. He unfortunately died during a tire testing session. Currently Tony Stewart is in this category of great versatile drivers.

Answer 2

The only one that could have been better than him (record wise) was unfortanetly taken away to soon.

Jim Clark. Possible the most naturally talented driver of all time.

For a farmer who went racing for a hobby what he managed still amazes people. His ability to drive a car to it's full potenial was increadiable. He set quick laps with incrediable ease where other drivers may have struggled.

He was willing to take part in any form or racing- the only type he did not take part in was drit track (AJ Foyt was infact the one who suggested to him trying this form).

His death in 1968 brought the motor-racing world to a stop...many shooked by his death. "Beyond the grief there was also a fear which we all felt. If it could happen to him, what chance did the rest of us have? It seemed we'd lost our leader." Was famously said by Chris Amon

He's also apparently the only foreigen driver that Foyt will compliement!

Answer 3

Love him, Hate him. A.J.Foyt was certainly THE very best. Unfornately, everyone seems to remember the 'over-weight grumpy old guy' of the 1980's and 1990's. In the 1960's and early 1970's the USAC drivers were 'kicking butt' in every Racing Division, NASCAR, SCCA, and even FIA. (Before you give me a 'Thumb Down', I urge you CHECK the STATS.) Six time Indy Car Champion, 67 Wins, 4 time Indy 500 Winner, 7 NASCAR Wins including Daytona 500 & Firecracker 400, 1967 24-Hour LeMans Winner, plus countless Dirt, Sprint, Midget, and Sports Car Wins. What's REALLY amazing, he did MOST of these Wins NOT driving for any MAJOR Racing Team. As Frank Sinatra sang "I Did It My Way". A truly "One of Kind", there will certainly NEVER be another, especially with the current Contracts the Drivers now have, they can't even 'sneeze' without violating their contract.

Answer 4

A.J. could and would drive anything. He could certainly man-handle an ill-handling car. The cars were not as "engineered" as they are today and the drivers of that day were certainly different. Back then, more was left in the driver's hands than it is now.

I agree with Andretti being right up there, but I think A.J. got a lot of fans because a.) he was about as American as you can get; b.) he said exactly what he thought (unlike all the politically ccorrect cliches you hear now).

I watched AJ race at Indy, Daytona, and Illinois State Fairgrounds. It was awsome.

Answer 5

Mario Andretti won Indy championships and F1 title, as did Emerson Fittipaldi.

Though for cross discipline driving then Jim Clark, who if he hadn't died in an F2 race could have matched Foyt's achievements. In 1965, Clark won The F1 and F2 titles, won the Indy 500, the british Touring car championship, and was leading the Le Mans 24 hour race before his car broke down, and raced in Rallys as well.

Answer 6

many of the F1 drivers gets a commission somewhat nicely, salaries into $thousands and thousands, this is a itemizing of what some drivers have been getting final twelve months : a million: Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, US$fifty a million 2: Ralf Schumacher, Toyota, US$25 million. 3: Fernando Alonso, McLaren, US$22 million. 4: Jenson Button, Honda, US$18 million. 5: Rubens Barrichello, Honda, US$12 million. 6: Jarno Trulli, Toyota, US$10 million. 7: Felipe Massa, Ferrari, US$8 million. 8: Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, US$7 million. 9: Mark Webber, purple Bull, US$5 million. 10. Takuma Sato, great Aguri, US$4.5 million.

Answer 7

Road and Track magazine has a series of articles last year interviewing and comparing great drivers from many classes and eras and they point out that Foyt and Mario Andretti are very, very close in talent across many types of cars and venues. Based on unofficial polls of international motorsport journalists they give Mario a slight edge because of his success in F1.

The other responders are confused about success across many types of racing. Mario and AJ both admitted that others have had more success in one individual series or another, like Schumacher in F1 or Richard Petty in Winston Cup(aka Nextel Cup) but none have had the wide range of success that Mario or AJ did.

Answer 8

King Richard?

Grew up on the dirt and won may races, hence the name KING, I don't recall him ever running Indy cars like AJ did.

AJ is a great man and deserves all the credit he has earned.

Both the Petty's and Foyt's have done allot for racing, and still are American Hero's

I don't follow racing very well but I remember Foyts and Petty's from my early years, and I think they learned racing sitting on orange crates and raced hard with little $$$$. Erhart was a great driver but Erhart Jr is good but has mega $$$ behind him. now days seems the more $$$ the better the team, I liked the early years when ya brung your whiskey runner to the track took the whiskey outta the trunk set it in the pits poured allittle in the tank and drank allittle for luck and had fun....

Answer 9

As an overall driver, Richard Petty trumps Foyt... His record 200 victories and 7 championships are all the proof you need. Petty started on dirt and even raced drag cars for a time in the mid 1960's. Many of his multiple number of victories still stand as records at certain tracks.

Answer 10

There actually may never be anyone better than AJ, but the closest thing we have today or will have for a long time to come would have to be Tony Stewart, without a doubt.