Interview with Larry Foyt, hosted by Danielle Humphrey

Following is an edited transcript of the NASCAR Busch series teleconference conducted March 28th with Larry Foyt. It was hosted by Danielle Humphrey, who handles public relations for the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch series.

Good afternoon everyone. Our guest for today from the Busch Series will be Larry Foyt. First, a couple of quick notes about Larry. He is a native of Houston,Texas. He's the son of A.J. Foyt and he's also in his rookie season as a Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender in the NASCAR Busch Series. Larry, why don't you just talk briefly about how your rookie season is going so far in the Busch Series?

"Well, it's been kind of up and down. We came in with realistic goals this year, because we know the Busch Series is a tough series. It's a big step for me, because it's only my second year driving a stock car and really my second year of full-time racing. Last year I ran ASA and that was the first year that I had run a full season of anything. So we knew it was some big steps."

"We started this team over the winter, kind of late, started it from the ground up, but we were able to buy the cars from DEI, the cars that Ron Hornaday drove last year. So that's kind of how we got started and we were real happy with Daytona. We barely qualified, but we made it in and finished 19th there and finished 24th at Rockingham. So things are just rolling along. We've had some tough learning curves here at the Darlington and Bristol. We've had a couple of accidents. So just now we're ready to go to Texas and keep getting back with our goal, which is finishing races and qualifying for races."

Larry drives the #14 Harrah's Chevrolet, for those of you that were wondering about the DEI cars. Larry, I was reading here that you have a BA in Communications from Texas Christian University. Have you been able to use that communications degree?

"Well, I think so, in certain ways. Many members of the media have commented, they've said I'm a good interview, things of that nature. I'm comfortable in front of the camera. On a whole, I think college was a good experience for me. My dad, that was something he was very strong on -- that I went to college. He stood by that and said he'd help me racing if I went to college. So that's the main reason I went there. It kind of has set me back, I guess, as far as racing experience goes, because, while everyone else was out racing, I was in class. At the same now, he's behind me and I'm getting a lot of seat time now and experience. So I think in the long run it will pay off."

Are there any questions for Larry?

John Sturbin, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: Larry, I'm returning your call here, finally.

" Thanks, John."

At Bristol you talked about how excited you were to go back to Fort Worth, just because you know everything there and know a lot of people there. I'm wondering if that's going to even make more of a hectic weekend for you, the fact that you'll have people in your face wherever you go. I mean you've had a tough start to this season position wise, but is this almost too much to go back there or is it going to be a break for you?

"Oh, it's going to be tough. Not only am I going to have a lot of friends and family there, but also with Harrah's sponsoring the Winston Cup Race, there's a lot going on.  I think they're flying in hundreds of people for the race. So it's going to be a very busy week and they've got me running all over town, but that's part of this job. Nowadays, that's what some racecar drivers have to do.

Once you're in the car and the helmet's on, I think everything goes away. You're just so focused on what you're doing. It is going to maybe tiring and I'm going to actually take a couple of days and drive to Austin, Texas, after the race. We have a lake house there and I'm going to try and unwind for a couple of days. "

How supportive has A.J. been through this learning period for you? I mean much is expected of you just because of your name, but how patient has he been or impatient, for that matter?

"You know, he's been very patient. I guess with him, he completely understands that yes, we moved up awfully quick. We've taken some really big steps in my career, but we had an opportunity with Harrah's that we just couldn't pass up. I probably would've ran ASA another year and maybe done more ARCA stuff before going to the Busch Series, but we just had that opportunity with Harrah's that we couldn't pass up. He's been really great. I mean his goals for me are realistic as well. He's been really happy with the way we ran at Daytona and some of the other tracks when we were finishing races.

Bristol was tough and yes, we're not where we want to be and we haven't been as fast as we want to be. But at the same time, we understand it is a big learning curve and he's been really good with it. Of course, he's going to let you know when you make a mistake. He's the first one who's going to tell you and there are no qualms about that. But that's okay, because he's a great one to learn from."

Larry, what are some of the goals? Did you and your dad sit down prior to the season? If so, what were some of the goals that you guys sat down and hammered out?

"Really, it's turned out to be a good year, to get started, especially from our position, because the car count hasn't been quite as high as in years passed. Mainly, especially, something he stressed to Harrah's, because it was really their idea to make this move to Busch, even rather than the trucks. We probably were going to do another year of ASA and then maybe try some truck stuff. They just really wanted to go to Busch for the exposure there. His main thing he stressed to them was we might miss some races, we might not qualify for all these races. Coming in with no provisional, that was something we were really worried about. So that was our first goal, let's try and qualify for these races and let's just get laps, get experience and then when we come back to some of these tracks a second time, I think we'll be much better off."

Well, that leads me to a follow-up question. Being a new team and then a new competitor in the Busch Series, what were your thoughts about the single round of qualifying?

"It's tough, because all the racing I've done, even in ASA, you could miss the show. We had a pretty good car and then there was a last-chance race. If you didn't qualify in the top 20, you had to race your way in. So you were definitely given much more of a chance than the single round qualifying.

I don't know, I just try to adapt to it as quick as possible. I think it's working out great and right now we've gotten to a point where I think we've got provisionals if we don't make it in, so I think its worked out."

Larry, A.J. remarked that you might not make all the races, but you know the fields are a little bit smaller, in some cases. There's also the new engine rule, which has changed the cars completely. You've come in at a time where the cars are more powerful than they've ever been, so has that really extended your learning curve, the fact that you've been thrown a whole new set of parameters to deal with?

"Probably. You know, I was just commenting, this has been a good year to start, because of the low car count. That's been something that's worked in our advantage. But, yes, with the new engines, at least I think some of the drivers have struggled early on in the year, that were maybe front runners last year, because there is a different driving style this year to the cars with the less horsepower in last year's car. So with the new tire, there are a lot of new things and for me, it's still a big learning curve. I think either way you would've looked at it, it was going to be a big learning curve. Now I'm just glad that the cars are closer to Cup cars, because maybe that will make that transition, that hopefully we want to make in a few years, it will make that transition easier as well."

You passed your IRL test at Texas Motor Speedway, right?

"Yes."

This will be your first stock car experience there, right?

"Yes. We ran the IRL car there and we went round there about 212 mph. So I've been around there pretty quick. I know it's going to be much different in the stockcar. This is the first track we're going to, actually, that I haven't tested at. It's going to be a quick study, hopefully, to learn my way around there in a stock car."

What kind of horror stories have you heard about Texas Motor Speedway and the speeds generated there?

"You know, I've heard mostly good things, really, believe it or not. The people I've talked to seem to like it. We're actually running a second car with David Star, who's going to drive it. He has a ton of laps around Texas. He almost won the truck race there last year. He's very good at Texas. So I'm glad I'm going to have him to draw on as well to help me get around there."

Larry, you've probably been asked this a million times, but why did you choose stock car racing over open wheel?

"You know, Tim, that actually was my father's decision. I think a lot of that came from, first of all, I had a pretty horrific accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a Formula 2000 car, where I flipped on the front straightaway there. Luckily, I was basically uninjured. It was just one of those lucky accidents. I think it really opened my dad's eyes. At that time, he was starting the Winston Cup program. I think it all boils down to the popularity of NASCAR, the fan support. Right now, open wheel racing is kind of at a point where it's kind of lost right now, I think. I mean you still have the Indy 500, which that race alone was one of the reasons I wanted to be a racecar driver. That race meant everything to me. All I wanted to do as a kid, was to race there.

So at first, it was almost bittersweet to move over to stock cars, because I felt like I was losing that dream. But at the same time, I think this is where racing in America is right now. It's been just amazing to get over here and get into the stockcar community and see how great it is and how tight it is, how strong it is. The fan support is amazing. The fan knowledge is amazing. I mean from the general open wheel fan to the general stock car fan, I've been amazed at how much they really follow it and understand. Now, I'm really happy being here and I'm glad my dad pushed us this way. He thought it was just a good career move for the longevity of an American racecar driver that wants to have a racing career. He felt like stock cars was the place to be."

Larry, I'll ask one final question and then we'll let you go, because we know that you're very busy. What kind of experience and knowledge have you gained from Ron Hornaday and your father's Winston Cup team?

"Well, as you've noticed, we're both kind of struggling a bit right now. I think a lot of that has to do with we've tried some similar setup stuff, especially in Atlanta, and it didn't work for either of us. It's a situation where we are trying to use each other as much as we can. Right now, we're both just kind of struggling a bit. Ron's been really helpful, especially because we go to a racetrack and you maybe have an hour, two hours worth of practice and it's time to qualify. So, really, you have to get up to speed very quickly and that's where Ron's been able to help getting me caught up on things that I just don't have the experience to know right off.

Ron has been a big help and the Cup team as well. We're trying to work together and get both of these organizations turned around and going in the right direction."

Well, Larry, thanks so much for taking the time to be on the call. Good luck this weekend at Texas. Have some fun on your weekend off and good luck for the remainder of the season.

"Thank you very much."