The upcoming AJ Foyt biography will feature some of the most remarkable racing tales of all time.

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      Few race car drivers have had a career as extensive and successful as A.J. Foyt, which is why, despite the first volume of his biography being a substantial 656 pages, a second volume is in the works. Publisher Octane Press is now accepting pre-orders for the upcoming book, set for release in July, giving you a couple of months to finish the first volume if you haven't done so already.

      Anthony Joseph Foyt is renowned for being the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, joining a select group of only three other members—no one has managed to win the 500 more than four times. Additionally, Foyt is the sole driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1987, he established a closed-course speed record of 257.123 mph in an Oldsmobile Aerotech, a record that still stands.

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      In this second volume, author Art Garner will delve into Foyt’s life and career from 1978 onwards. This marks the year following Foyt's last Indy 500 victory, yet he continued to compete at a high level into the early 1990s. At 58 years old, he participated in the 1993 Indy 500 but chose to retire immediately after Robby Gordon, who was driving a Foyt-owned vehicle, crashed during a practice session. Nonetheless, he returned to Indianapolis for the 1994 Brickyard 400, attempting (but not succeeding) to qualify for the race in the subsequent two years.

      While it’s noteworthy that Fernando Alonso is still racing in Formula 1 at the age of 44 (though perhaps not relishing it), Foyt's career serves as a reminder that such longevity was more commonplace in earlier times, provided that drivers could navigate the dangers of an era before modern safety advancements.

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      Considering the duration of Foyt's racing career—spanning 35 years in what we now call IndyCar—it’s understandable that Garner needed a second volume to comprehensively tell his story. Part two will likely also shed light on Foyt’s life after his winnings dwindled and his transition from driver to team owner. If it’s as lengthy as the first volume, it promises to be a great companion for a long flight.

      The book is priced at $46.95, but it's currently available for $39.95 for those who pre-order from the publisher. Even the standard price aligns with current hardcover pricing, which has risen recently. In the past, a two-volume biography of a well-known race car driver would have been a niche project, difficult to find and more costly, but thankfully, motorsports literature is becoming more prevalent and mainstream.