There was cause to believe that the Road America crash would end Foyt’s career. He had every reason not to ever zip a fire suit again. You could start with the calendar; he’d be 56 before the ’91 season began. He had financial security, business interests and multiple ranches in Texas.
If he was well enough by May, he could show up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as an honored guest and enjoy the 500, a race he’d famously conquered four times.
But here’s the underdog part: As soon as he awoke after his first surgery and saw that all his limbs were attached and somewhat functional, he knew he was going to race again.
That sounded far-fetched, but before long came reports that Foyt was working with Steve Watterson, the strength and conditioning coach for the NFL’s Houston Oilers. Watterson told writer Ed Hinton, “I’ve worked on some destroyed joints, some compound fractures, but nothing of this magnitude.”
Watterson developed an exercise program geared toward the quick-action nimbleness a race driver needs. He spread marbles on the floor and had Foyt pick them up with his toes and drop them into a pie pan. That would keep the toes flexible and rebuild the muscles that let A.J.’s feet dance on the pedals.
Foyt also pumped weights with his legs, and later ran barefoot on a padded treadmill to increase his stamina. His X-rays looked like an erector set, plates and screws everywhere, and his poor feet either tingled with numbness or throbbed in pain. But Foyt pressed on.
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