A.J. Foyt at the Motor Trend 500 in 1969. All images courtesy Ford Motorsports History.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the paths of racing greats A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti crossed for the first time, but it was the 1967 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans that first saw the men go head to head on an international stage. Now, after decades of competition in motorsports, the two legends are once again rivals, this time competing for a nomination to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mario Andretti, wearing the traditional “milk mustache” after winning the 1969 Indianapolis 500.
The Medal of Freedom was implemented by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to recognize civilians for significant contributions to the war effort. In 1963, the award was changed to the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President John F. Kennedy, who also elevated its status to the highest decoration achievable by a civilian. Where the Medal of Freedom was originally given by a Cabinet secretary, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded only by the President of the United States himself, adding to the award’s prestige. Previous winners in the sports category have included Ted Williams, Muhammad Ali, Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron, but the only racing-related recipient to date has been Richard Petty, who won it in 1992.
A.J. Foyt (foreground) and Dan Gurney wave to the crowds after winning the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A.J. Foyt started the Indianapolis 500 for 35 consecutive years (from 1958 to 1992), winning the race four times and earning the distinction of the only driver to achieve victory in both front-engine and rear-engine cars. His skill set was not limited to open wheel racing, however, as Foyt stood atop the podium in seven NASCAR Cup races and piloted a Ford GT40 to victory (with co-driver Dan Gurney) at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. More remarkable, perhaps, was the fact that the 1967 race was Foyt’s first and only appearance at the storied endurance event. He captured back-to-back victories in the International Race of Champions (1976 and 1977), and remains the only driver in history to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Mario Andretti at the 1967 Yankee 300.
After his retirement from the Indy Car cockpit in 1993, Foyt continued his career as a team owner. He’s been named to the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame (1988), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1990), the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1990), and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2000); as if those honors weren’t sufficient, in 1998 Foyt also made the list of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. Earlier this month, Greg Bailey of St. Louis, Missouri, started a petition to enter Foyt’s name in the running for the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom, in honor of his “unequaled record of winning in all forms of auto racing.”
Foyt makes a pit stop during the 1967 Indianapolis 500.
Mario Andretti was born in Italy in 1940, but emigrated to the United States in 1955. Equally versatile behind the wheel of an Indy Car, a sports car, an F1 car or a NASCAR Cup racer, Andretti is the only driver to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and the F1 World Championship. Ignore his F1 title, and Andretti and Foyt are the only men to capture victory at both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500.
Andretti racing the Holman-Moody Ford GT40 Mk II at Le Mans, 1966.
In 1990, Andretti was named to the Motorsport Hall of Fame of America, followed by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (in 1996) and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (in 2001). Named “Driver of the Century” by the Associated Press and Racer Magazine in 2000, Andretti was presented with the Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) in 2006 for his contributions to motorsport. As with the American Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Italian award had only previously been presented to one recipient associated with motorsport – Enzo Ferrari.
Jim Knipe of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, also started his petition to consider Andretti for the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this month, citing Andretti’s relentless pursuit of “The American Dream,” along with his numerous accomplishments in racing, and as a global ambassador to the sport, as the reasons why the racing great should be considered.
As of this writing, the A.J. Foyt petition has received 1,843 of the 100,000 signatures needed by March 10 for consideration, while the Mario Andretti petition has garnered just 494 signatures of the 100,000 needed by March 12. Even a completed petition won’t guarantee that either driver is in the running for the award, merely that their names are raised for consideration.
from Hemmings Daily - News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/1FSwD6i
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