| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Famed race car driver and native Texan A. J. Foyt is |
|
|
celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first Indy car race this |
|
|
year by competing as an owner and race strategist in his 50th |
|
|
consecutive Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2007; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Born January 16, 1935, in the Heights neighborhood |
|
|
of Houston, Mr. Foyt learned both his work ethic and his passion for |
|
|
racing from his father, a mechanic; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, He began his professional career on the midget car |
|
|
circuit, winning his first race at Playland Park in Houston in 1953; |
|
|
he drove in his first race with championship, or Indy, cars in 1957, |
|
|
on a dirt track in Springfield, Illinois; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The following year he competed in his first Indy |
|
|
500, finishing 16th; in 1960 he won his first Indy car race; he won |
|
|
the Indy 500 for the first time in 1961 and went on to become the |
|
|
first driver to win the race four times; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In spite of a number of career-threatening accidents |
|
|
and injuries, Mr. Foyt compiled one of the most remarkable records |
|
|
in racing in his 35 years as a driver; he has won races in NASCAR and |
|
|
USAC stock cars, midgets, IMSA sports cars, and at Le Mans; with 172 |
|
|
major races and 12 national titles, he holds records with 67 career |
|
|
victories, seven national championships, and 10 victories in one |
|
|
season; he is the only driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona |
|
|
500, and Le Mans; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Since his retirement from driving Indy cars in 1993, |
|
|
at the age of 58, the indefatigable Mr. Foyt has continued to |
|
|
compete as the owner and strategist of A. J. Foyt Racing Ltd.; his |
|
|
career has been recognized by many awards, including his induction |
|
|
in the National Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Sprint Car Hall of |
|
|
Fame; recently he was voted the Driver of the Century by the |
|
|
Associated Press; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, This notable Texan's talent, determination, and |
|
|
toughness are well worthy of recognition and celebration, and his |
|
|
competitive spirit and refusal to give up, from "Gentlemen, start |
|
|
your engines!" to the checkered flag, make him an inspiration to all |
|
|
who know him; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate A. J. Foyt on his 50 years of Indy |
|
|
car racing and extend to him best wishes for the future; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for Mr. Foyt as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|
|
House of Representatives. |