A. J. Foyt Enterprises - NASCAR

NASCAR

Foyt began fielding NASCAR teams in 1973 part-time, starting with the #50 Purolator Chevrolet. He drove for the team on a very limited schedule throughout the seventies, picking up one pole and nine top-tens. Ron Hutcherson was the first driver besides Foyt to drive the car, and later Johnny Rutherford drove for the team in 1978. In the 1980s, Foyt was almost the sole driver of the team, and with Valvoline sponsorship, switched to the #14 beginning with the 1983, and posted his final career top-five at Talladega two years later in the Copenhagen car. In 1989, Tracy Leslie drove for the team in a pair of races, finishing twentieth at Michigan International Speedway. Foyt did not drive in the 1991 season, letting Mike Chase compete instead, who finished no better than 25th. After that, Foyt did not field a team until the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, when he qualified fortieth and finished thirtieth in the #50. Foyt would attempt the Brickyard for the next two seasons, but did not qualify for either race, forcing his permanent retirement. During the 1999 season, rumors began spreading that Foyt would revive his defunct operation to compete in the Cup Series. After several months, it was announced that Foyt would hire rookie Mike Bliss as the driver of his #14 Conseco Pontiac Grand Prix. Bliss qualified for the Daytona 500, but after failing to qualify for the next three races, he was released and briefly replaced by Dick Trickle. After getting an offer from another team, Trickle would leave as well, and would be replaced by Rick Mast after he and several crew members left the bankrupt Larry Hedrick Motorsports team. Mast stayed with the team for the rest of the season, and had two top-tens. Foyt Racing also briefly expanded to a two-car team at the season finale, the NAPA 500, when they fielded the #41 for Foyt's son Larry, but did not make the race. In 2001, Ron Hornaday was selected as the team's driver, but he only posted one top-ten and was dismissed at the end of the season. That season, Foyt started a Busch team, the #14 Harrah's Chevrolet, driven by Larry Foyt. Despite failing to finish in the top-ten, Foyt finished 22nd in points overall. The team also ran a second car again at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Mark Green driving, but did not qualify.

Following Hornaday's departure, Stacy Compton began driving for the team starting in 2002. After posting only three top-twenty finishes, Compton left the team, and P. J. Jones took over at the Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen, and posted the team's best finish of fourth. Mike Wallace was then designated as driver, posting a tenth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway. In the Busch Series, Foyt had two top-tens and improved one spot in the points. It had been originally announced Foyt would field two cars in 2003, with Wallace in the 14, and Larry Foyt in a second car with Harrah's sponsoring. Unfortunately, Conseco filed for bankruptcy, leaving only one car with Larry driving. The team also switched its Cup team to Dodge with engines provided by Evernham Motorsports. Foyt only qualified for twenty races with a best finish of sixteenth, and finished 41st in points. Harrah's left at the end of 2003, and Larry Foyt qualified for three races in 2004, but did not obtain major sponsorship, leaving the team inactive. Later in the season, Foyt would lease his owner's points to ppc Racing's new Cup team. A.J. Foyt Racing officially closed their Cup team in 2006, following an auction of the team's NASCAR equipment in August.