|
|
|
| Accomplishment he’s
proudest of:
|
“I’m proud to be the first four-time winner of Indy and
also that I’ve won Daytona [500] and LeMans [24 Hour
race].” |
|
First job:
|
“After working for my father, I worked as a mechanic
at Jim Hall Sports Cars—they had Jaguars, MGs and
Triumphs. I worked six days a week for $75, started at
7:30 am and didn’t get off until 6 pm. I did a lot of
valve jobs, I remember that.”
|
|
|
| Favorite
music: |
"Country-western,
that's the only kind of music there is." |
|
|
| Favorite food: |
”Now I like a good steak, rib-eye. It
used to be chili ‘cause that’s what I could afford years
ago.” |
|
|
| Favorite
drink: |
"Iced tea" |
|
|
| Oldest thing
in his refrigerator: |
"Peanut butter" |
|
|
| Favorite race
track: |
“Indianapolis, I always enjoyed the
superspeedways because I liked to go fast. Going
wheel-to-wheel with someone, it’d have to be a half-mile
dirt track in a sprint car, I always liked that.” |
|
|
| Preferred
wheels: |
"I enjoy driving a pick-up truck, you can
use them for so many things." |
|
|
| Biggest fear: |
“When I was driving race cars, it used to
be fire. Now it’s African Killer bees.” |
|
|
| Biggest part
of his job: |
“I enjoy being with sponsors who still believe in me and
being able to produce for them. Winning, I’ve been there
and done that, and now I want to win for them.” |
|
|
| Toughest part
of his job: |
“Training people to do things the right way.” |
|
|
| Favorite
color: |
"I like Poppy Red [ or Coyote
red]; on my personal cars it's black." |
|
|
| His answering
machine message: |
"Leave
your name and number. I might return your call." |
|
|
| How he spends
his spare time: |
“Go to my ranches and be by myself, work on my
bulldozer.” |
|
|
| What
he likes most about himself: |
“That I’m just A.J. and I’ll continue to be that way til
I die. I’m not a phony and I‘ve never forgotten where I
came from.” |
|
|
| Anything he
wishes he could stop: |
“Hurtin’, especially my ankles.” |
|
|
| Best advice
his mother ever gave him: |
“Stay out of trouble.” |
|
|
| Greatest
influence on his life: |
"My
daddy" |
|
|
| Strongest
childhood memory: |
“When I outran the cops and lied to my daddy about it.
He found out and punished me for one year where I had to
report to his shop right after school and I couldn’t
drive my car. Even at Christmas, my mother and
grandmother pleaded with him to let me off and he
wouldn’t. It really impressed me not to get in trouble
anymore.” |
|
|
| Most thrilling
experience: |
“Qualifying for my first Indy
500—it’s what every driver lived for and it is still one
of the biggest thrills of my career.” |
|
|
| What you admire in
others: |
“People who are just themselves,
win, lose or draw. I don’t have any respect for
phonies.” |
