Daytona International speedway
Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway

Larry Foyt Finishes 28^th in First Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, Fla. Feb 15--Larry Foyt finished 28^th in his first Daytona 500 Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 14 LPGA Dodge owned by his father A.J. Foyt.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500 in his fifth attempt. The bittersweet victory came three years after his father was killed at the Speedway in the final lap of the race and six years to the day that his father won the race for the first and only time in his career. Rounding out the top five were Tony Stewart, rookie Scott Wimmer, Kevin Harvick and Jimmy Johnson.

Foyt started 41^st in the race but began moving his way through the pack in the opening laps. By the time of the first caution he had moved up to 34^th. Taking just two tires in his first pitstop, he gained six spots despite losing time when an errant tire from another car rolled into his path on pit road.

Foyt moved up to 23^rd before the pit strategy back-fired on him. He began to lose ground and faded towards the rear of the field. On his second stop he took on four tires under green but an untimely yellow put him a lap down when the other half of the field pitted under caution.

On the restart it was quickly evident that the engine had a misfire and Foyt pitted. The crew directed him to take it behind the wall. There the problem turned out to be a spark plug wire that had come off. The crew fixed the problem and Foyt returned to the race 21 laps down in the 39^th position.

Logging laps,  Foyt stayed out of trouble and avoided the "Big One." That accident was triggered by rookie Johnny Sauter who moved up on Brian Vickers who broadsided Michael Waltrip. Waltrip hit the wall and spun in front of the field, and was t-boned by Robby Gordon. Waltrip flipped several times before coming to a stop on his roof. He was finally extricated once the emergency crew flipped the car over on its wheels. Waltrip sustained only bruises.

The melee saw Foyt gain 11 spots, an advantage he kept until the race's end.

"We're glad we finished," said Foyt after the race. "My guys worked really hard to get us here, and although we had some problems in the race, they didn't give up. We were able to get a better finish than if we had just packed it in when we had the problem. It was a pretty neat day because I got to shake hands with President Bush who met with the drivers briefly before the race. That made the day even more memorable."

"Larry did a good job today," said A.J. Foyt afterwards. "I was hoping for him that we'd have a better day but with everything that happened, I can't complain. I'm happy we were able to roll it back onto the trailer."

The Ladies Professional Golf Association, which is headquartered in Daytona Beach, signed on as a sponsor for the race. Top golfers Laura Diaz and Sophie Gustafson were in attendance as well as LPGA Commisioner Ty Votaw.

LPGA car to race in this weekend's Daytona 500
Larry Foyt's No. 14 car to feature LPGA player images, logo

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 14, 2004 – When the green flag drops this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, the women of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) will be out front, emblazoned on the hood of the No.14 A.J. Foyt Racing Dodge driven by Larry Foyt. The LPGA will be the primary sponsor of Foyt's car during the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' most prestigious race of the year, the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The LPGA is the first women's sports property to be the primary sponsor of a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car. Coincidentally, Foyt is competing in the Daytona 500 for the first time in his driving career. Foyt will start 41st Sunday afternoon.

"The LPGA is very excited about the opportunity to participate in one of the world's premier sporting events, bringing images of some of our brightest stars to millions of fans around the world," said Ty M. Votaw, LPGA commissioner. "The Foyt family name and the LPGA brand stand for excellence in their respective industries, and given the fact that NASCAR and the LPGA are neighbors here in Daytona Beach, this is a perfect fit."

Images of LPGA tournament champions Laura Diaz and Cristie Kerr will appear on the hood of Foyt's car. Rising star Natalie Gulbis will be featured on the rear deck lid. The LPGA logo is also displayed prominently in several locations, including the quarter panels and hood. Additionally, the LPGA.com logo will be featured on the TV panel.

"The LPGA is headquartered here in Daytona Beach, and since we were looking for a sponsor, we were hoping we could make this work," said team owner A.J. Foyt, who won the Daytona 500 in 1972. "Larry is a huge golf fan and loves to play, so this was a great opportunity to be affiliated with the LPGA."

The Daytona 500 will be televised live on NBC at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
About the LPGA

Featuring the world's best women golfers, the LPGA's membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2004 features 33 events, with nearly 250 hours of television coverage, and total prize money of more than $42 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $150 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world's preeminent women's professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) membership boasts a total of nearly 1,200 women golf professionals who serve as teachers, golf professionals, club managers and coaches. Through the LPGA T&CP membership, the LPGA is working to increase the involvement of women and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log onto www.LPGA.com.
 

Larry Foyt to race in his first Daytona 500

Larry Foyt will compete in the Daytona 500 driving A.J. Foyt's No. 14 white Dodge Intrepid. It will be young Foyt's first start in the stock car classic which opens the NASCAR NEXTEL Series 2004 season. Foyt will start 41st Sunday afternoon. The race will be televised live on NBC starting at 1:30 p.m.

Foyt came to Daytona without benefit of having tested at the 2.5 mile superspeedway in the off season. He qualified at a speed of 182.567 last Sunday. The pole was won by Greg Biffle with Elliott Sadler winning the outside pole. According to rules unique to this race, those two positions are the only two locked in for the 500. Everyone else must qualify through the Gatorade Twin 125 Mile races which took place Thursday afternoon.

The top 14 finishers in both events (excluding the Daytona 500 front row competitors who are already locked in) comprise the top 30 on the grid. The next eight positions are determined by qualifying speed while the final five positions are determined by provisionals.

Foyt started 22nd in the first Twin 125. He was as high as 17th but fell back to 19th at the finish. He is using an owner's provisional to start the race. Other drivers using provisionals are previous Daytona 500 winners Jeff Gordon and Derrick Cope. Jimmy Spencer, who won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in 1994, will also use a provisional to start in Sunday's race.

A.J. Foyt won the Daytona 500 in 1972 driving for the Wood brothers.