Foyt to replace Trump in Indy Pace Car
The businessman, who had been a controversial choice for the role, pulled out yesterday to focus on his possibility presidential bid, and Indianapolis moved quickly to bring 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977 race winner Foyt in instead.
"Since I won my first Indy 500 50 years ago, I had hoped to still be racing in it, but driving the Pace Car is the next best thing!" Foyt said. "Seriously, racing has always been very important in my life – it's been my life – and the Indianapolis 500 is the most important race in the world. I lived for that race.
"When I got hurt in race cars, I always made it back for Indy because it is that important. That's where people know me from – Indy.
"So being asked by my good friend Mari George to drive the Chevy Pace Car for the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 – well, I couldn't have a bigger honor come from the Speedway and the Hulman-George family."
05/05/11 SPEEDTV.com is rumoring that the first 4-time winner of the Indy 500, AJ Foyt, will be named Friday to drive the Indy 500 Pace car in place of Donald Trump who backed out Thursday.