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Let's Go Racing!
By A.J. Foyt
The Indy car racing season is finally getting started, but I feel like my racing season has never stopped.
Over the winter, I have been testing with my Harrah's Indy car team, my Conseco Winston Cup team and my son Larry's new Busch Series team, also sponsored by Harrah's.
Ron Hornaday is the driver of my Conseco Pontiac and he is really doing a great job, even though they say he's a rookie.
Technically, I guess they're right but he sure doesn't drive like one. He's already gotten his first top-10 finish at Las Vegas and I'm sure he's going to win a couple races this year.
Larry is adapting quickly to the Busch Series. He's got to go through a learning curve because he's stepped into some pretty big shoes. He's facing new cars, new drivers, new tracks plus running his own team. But he's in the top 25 in points, finishing races and learning something every time he goes out. As his father, I'm proud of the way he's handled himself so far.
It's tough trying to keep up with three major programs, not to mention my grandson A.J. Foyt IV who is winning everything in the SCCA Formula Continental Series. He's running Larry's old Formula 2000 car and has won seven straight races in the past two months.
With all of that going on, I decided to run just one car in the Indy Racing Northern Light Series this year. Eliseo Salazar is driving the No. 14 Harrah's/Dallara. Even though Salazar is from Chile, he and I understand each other when it comes to racing. It's very simple: we both like to win. That is exactly what we're planning to do this year.
For one thing, I switched back to the Dallara chassis because they are more aerodynamic than the G-Force chassis we used last year. I think the Dallara is a better race car overall.
The winter Indy car testing got off to a better start this year because we didn't crash any cars. We tested at Phoenix and Miami and we were in the top-five overall at both tracks. But testing and racing are two different things and we're ready to go racing.
I am really looking forward to Phoenix this weekend for a couple of reasons. For the first time, the Indy cars will run as part of the Copper World Classic. I used to go to that race all the time. I've run in a couple of the Southwest Tour races, in fact I've raced against Ron Hornaday. I had a lot of fun. This weekend, I'll watch the Silver Crown car that I own with George Snider compete with Ed Carpenter driving. And I always enjoy seeing a good midget race. It's a good time.
It will be different with the Indy cars there. We won't have as much practice time and the track will have a lot of rubber built up on it. But that just adds to the challenge which I like. We'll see some new competitors and old friends from my CART days. I'm glad they're here but they won't find racing in the IRL a cakewalk. These IRL drivers are tough, aggressive and they don't give up.
All in all, it looks like it will be a great season for A.J. Foyt Racing.
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