A chance to hear from 4-time Indy 500 champion A.J. Foyt

A.J. Foyt during 2024 Indianapolis 500 Practice (Photo courtesy: Penske Entertainment / James Black)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s not everyday racing fans get the chance to interact with a four-time Indianapolis 500 champion.

But, next week, they’ll be able to do just that.

A.J. Foyt will be signing copies of his new biography “A.J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend (Vol. I)” at the Foyt Wine Vault in the town of Speedway on Oct. 10.

The signing will be part of a two-hour public event, which begins at 6 p.m. EDT. The evening will begin with a Q&A that will be hosted by Foyt’s son, Larry Foyt, who is the president of A.J. Foyt Enterprises.

Art Garner, who wrote the biography, will also be at the event.

“A.J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend (Vol. I)” is a 550-plus page book that takes a look at the life of the racing legend.

In fact, the book is technically 656 pages, but that includes 95 photos and 55 pages of source notes and index.

“Statistics tell only part of the story,” Garner said in a press release. “Foyt likes to say, ‘I’m just A.J., ain’t no different than any other man,’ but nothing could be further from the truth. He’s one of the most complex and intricate personalities in the history of auto racing, perhaps all of sports.”

Mario Andretti, the 1969 Indianapolis 500 champion, wrote the foreward for the book.

The research for the book came from “hundreds of hours of new interviews with Foyt, his family, friends and the biggest names in motorsports – including Mario Andretti, Roger Penske, Al Unser Sr., Johnny Rutherford, Jackie Stewart, Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and many others,” according to the news release.

Fans who attend next week’s event can purchase autographed books on site. “Autographs will be restricted solely to the Foyt biography due to the short amount of time allotted for signing,” according to a news release from AJ Foyt Racing.

Vol. I of the Foyt biography takes a look at Foyt’s racing career from his childhood through 1977. Vol. II is still being written.

To purchase the book, click here.