A.J. Foyt Is Recovering from Hip Replacement Surgery in Houston

HOUSTON July 2, 2013—IndyCar team owner A.J. Foyt, who has not been to a race since the Ft. Worth event on June 8th, underwent successful hip replacement surgery on his left hip yesterday (July 1) in a Houston hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Foyt had been battling pain in his left leg for most of the year. In April, he underwent a laminectomy in the lumbar region of his spine to relieve sciatic nerve pain. He had missed two races (Alabama and Long Beach, Calif.) prior to that surgery as well as the one in Sao Paulo, Brazil immediately after it.

The chronic leg pain increased dramatically after he fell while working on his ranch before the Texas race. He had consulted with several doctors before agreeing to the most recent surgery.

“I was a little nervous about this surgery but they had me up and walking the same day. I’m sore but nothing like I was before the surgery. I guess I waited too long to have it done though because my hip was in really bad shape. They couldn’t believe I was walking at all,” said Foyt, who gives new meaning to Texas tough. “The doctors tell me it will be six to eight weeks before I can travel.”

Foyt will be in the hospital for several days. He plans to watch Takuma Sato and his ABC Supply Racing team compete at Pocono Raceway this Sunday when the event is televised live on ABC-TV starting at noon ET.

Conor Daly To Drive in Indianapolis 500 for A.J. Foyt

WALLER, Texas April 2, 2013—As the son of a race driver, Conor Daly spent most of his life watching the Indianapolis 500 from the grandstands. This year the 21-year-old rising star will be seeing the race from the cockpit of an Indy car.

Daly has been hired to drive A.J. Foyt’s No. 41 ABC Supply Honda in this year’s Indianapolis 500, joining  Takuma Sato who pilots the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Daly, who grew up in nearby Noblesville, Indiana, will be making his formal IndyCar debut in the 500 on May 26th although he did test the ABC Supply Indy car in December.

“I almost can't describe what it means to have the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500,” Daly said. “I have been to the 500 every year of my existence except for last year when I raced in Monaco. It is truly my home race since I was born and raised in the Indianapolis area.  I am so thankful that A.J. and Larry [Foyt] have given me my first shot at the greatest race in the world.  I know this will sound cheesy but I've never been happier in my life; this race means so much to me.”

Daly will participate in the Rookie Orientation Program (ROP) on Thursday, April 11th along with three other rookies: Tristan Vautier, Carlos Munoz, and A.J. Allmendinger, who has won Indy Car races while competing in Champ Car but has never raced in the Indy 500.

“I'm excited about bringing Conor to Indy for his first race at the 500,” Larry Foyt. “I've been watching him come up through the open wheel ranks, and when we met at the F-1 race in Austin, Texas last year, we hit it off immediately. Doing the test at Sebring confirmed he could make the step up to an Indycar, and with my dad's guidance, the potential is there for a great month of May.”

Strike, LLC Signs as Associate Sponsor of No. 41 ABC Supply Honda for the Indianapolis 500

HOUSTON May 16, 2013—Strike, LLC, one of North America’s leading energy services provider, has signed on as a major associate sponsor of AJ Foyt’s No. 41 ABC Supply Indy car driven by 21-year-old Conor Daly in the Indianapolis 500.

Strike’s first foray into motorsports takes place on its most prestigious stage—the Indianapolis Motor Speedway--with AJ Foyt Racing, the team that is currently leading the IZOD IndyCar Series standings with Takuma Sato and the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda.

Steve Pate, Chairman and CEO of Strike, said, "Many of us in the Strike family are race enthusiasts and the opportunity to sponsor an Indy car is very exciting! We are looking forward to working with the Foyt Team and anxious to cheer Conor on to victory.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Strike to our team and to the Indianapolis 500,” said Team Director Larry Foyt. “We appreciate their support and the opportunity to introduce them to the world’s fastest race. We’ll do our best to make it a memorable experience for them and their clients.”

Testing Report: Barber Open Test

LEEDS, Ala. March 13, 2013—Takuma Sato and the ABC Supply team ended on a high note at the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park today.

Sato laid down his quickest lap of 122.208mph--the fifth quickest of the afternoon—in his final outing in the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda; in fact, it was his final lap before the checkered flag ended the session for the 25 cars on track.

“I think we made good progress and it was a productive day, however there is a lot to be done,” said Sato. “At one stage we tried many things which didn’t give us the results we were expecting so we honestly struggled a little bit. But we collected very valuable data and put it all together and improved the performance so that was good. We’ll go back to the shop, analyze all the data and hopefully find more speed.  Overall, it was a good test and the whole team did a good job.”

Will Power posted the quickest lap of 123.33mph in his Chevrolet-powered car. He was followed by James Hinchcliffe’s Chevrolet (122.878mph), and the Hondas of Justin Wilson (122.667mph) and Scott Dixon (122.327mph).