MOORESVILLE, N.C. — What was intended to honor A.J. Foyt on his 88th birthday with an innocuous number change to 88 on Benjamin Pedersen’s IndyCar created an uproar from “Social Warriors” because Foyt’s primary number is 14.
The number “1488” is deemed by some to be “politically incorrect” because of its connation to a certain movement.
AJ Foyt Racing released the following statement Friday afternoon:
“After the reveal of the No. 88 livery last week, it was brought to our attention that the combination of our two individually entered numbers carries certain ideologic and symbolic references. AJ Foyt Racing does not condone nor support any such ideologies or symbols, and to avoid any reprehensible associations, we have changed the entry number from 88 to 55.
“The No. 55 Sexton Properties Chevrolet will make its debut in the Series’ Open Test at the Thermal Club outside of Palm Springs, Calif., on February 2nd. The two-day test is the first time at the motor club facility which has five miles of permanent road course tracks. The 17-turn, 2.9-mile track will be a combination of the North and South Palm circuits.
“The NTT IndyCar Series kicks off its 2023 season with the Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg the weekend of March 3-5. The race will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, March 5, starting at noon ET.”