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A.J. Foyt II - A.J Foyt IV - A.J. Foyt III |
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A.J. Foyt IV passes rookie test with flying colors
 INDIANAPOLIS--A.J.
Foyt IV took a major step towards becoming the youngest driver ever to
compete in the Indianapolis 500 when he passed his rookie test at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Monday.
Driving the No. 14 Conseco Dallara/Toyota, Foyt completed the
four-phase speed test by early afternoon at the 2.5 mile speedway. By
the end of the day five other drivers had also completed the test with
one driver being sent home.
 Foyt
completed 99 laps by the end of the day and reached a top speed of
221.577 mph.
"He went through the test with flying colors," said A.J. Foyt, team
owner and grandfather to the talented 18-year-old. "He took to the
track right away, he was really smooth. He impressed me pretty good."
"I'm happy that it went real well," said the 2002 Infiniti Pro Series
champion. "My first impression of the track is that it's so big! When
you come down the front straightaway, it looks like a tunnel going into
turn one. The other thing is that you're going so fast, it seems the
turns come up really quick. I like the track, I like it a lot. The
Conseco car handled good and I felt comfortable right away."
Foyt's team continues to fly in private testing
 Following
Monday's Rookie Orientation Program, young Foyt was joined by 12
drivers from the Indy Racing League including his teammate Shigeaki
Hattori for two days of private testing at the Speedway.
In ideal driving conditions Wednesday afternoon, Hattori emerged second
quckest overall in the Epson Dallara/Toyota with a speed of 228.9 mph
just two-tenths behind Alex Barron in the Penske G-force/Toyota. Foyt
IV wound up fourth fastest overall with a speed of 228.0 mph.
"I am very pleased with the way things went, and especially with A.J.
IV's progress here at the Speedway," said team owner Foyt. "Overall, we
had a good test and we learned a lot which will help when we come back
here in May."
Mario Andretti, who was testing his son Michael's Indy car for the
first time since he retired from driving in 1994, escaped injury in a
spectacular crash in turn one with two minutes left in practice. Kenny
Brack had crashed moments earlier when his engine let go. The
63-year-old Andretti hit debris which launched his car into a series of
end-over-end flips in the air before coming to rest on its wheels in
the short chute between turns one and two. He walked away from the
crash.
Andretti may try to qualify a car for regular driver Tony Kanaan who
sustained a broken arm in a crash in the Indy Japan 300. Kanaan is
expected to be able to compete in the 500 but qualifying on Pole Day
(May 10th) is questionable at this point.
Tuesday's test was conducted in cold, windy conditions. In the
afternoon run, Foyt pancaked the wall in turn one hard enough to knock
out the front brakes and steering on his No. 14 Conseco Dallara/Toyota.
He rode it through to turn two where he jammed on the brakes (still had
some rear brakes), did a slow inside spin and brushed the wall with the
left side.
"I went out for the afternoon run and the temperature was a little
hotter and the car picked up more of a push," Foyt said afterwards. I
glanced off the wall in turn one which knocked out the front brakes. It
wouldn't turn going into two, and it did a slow spin and brushed the
wall with the other side in turn two. The front and rear suspension was
damaged on both sides."
Later in the day, the teenager got into the Epson back-up car
(G-force/Toyota) and after five laps was back up to 220 mph. Hattori
quickly got up to speed in the Epson Dallara/Toyota, cracking the 224
mph bracket.
The team headed back to its Houston race shop where it will prepare the
race cars for their return to the Speedway on May 2nd. The track opens
for testing Sunday May 4th. |
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