Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. or A. J. Foyt was the son of an auto mechanic who built midget race cars. Encouraged by his father, he became a racer at the age of 17 and competed in races in nearby places, but success eluded him initially. But his talent could not be ignored. He soon found a place in a team and competed in his first Indianapolis 500 race; he could not complete the race due to a mechanical snag. But three years later, at 26, he won the first of his four Indy 500 titles. He partnered legendary driver Dan Gurney to prevail in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It showed not only his endurance, but also his versatility, as he became the first Indy 500 to win it. He is the only individual to win the "Triple Crown" of professional racing – the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hour Le Mans. Post-retirement, he continues to work as a team owner. His company, A. J. Foyt Enterprise’s teams participated in the CART, IRL, and NASCAR. He has been bestowed with many awards and honors in racing, and was declared the "Best Driver of the Century" (with Mario Andretti) by the Associated Press.