Chase Austin has always dreamed of driving in the Indianapolis 500. Now, with a little assistance from arguably the most identifiable figure associated with the famed event, his dream appears to be coming true.
The legendary A.J. Foyt has announced he intends to enter Austin in the 2013 Indianapolis 500, providing him with the opportunity to become the third African-American to participate in the famed event. “He ran stock cars, sprint cars, and competed on dirt,” said the iconic four-time Indy 500 winner from a press conference held at last week’s Indy Car event at the Mid-Ohio race course. “He has won in a lot of different types of cars.”
The 22-year-old Austin, who signed a driver development deal with Hendrick Motorsports in 2004 at the age of 14, has experienced several different racing disciplines by competing in the NASCAR Nationwide and Truck series, as well as the Indy Lights series in which he competed in the Freedom 100 in 2011 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the famed Willie T. Ribbs and Brooks Associates Racing. Austin, who would finish ninth in his debut, also ran the Indy Lights race at Iowa that year and competed again in 2012 at both venues while seeking a full-time ride.
The deal with Foyt was fostered after discussions between Chris Miles of Starting Grid, an advocacy group for minorities in motorsports and A.J.’s son Larry, who oversees the day-to-day operations of Foyt Racing. While the deal appears to be for the Indianapolis 500 only, you could not tell it by the enthusiasm demonstrated by Austin. When asked by the media at Mid-Ohio about the expectations of following Ribbs and George Mack as the only two African-Americans to participate in the Indy 500, Austin, who resides in the heart of NASCAR country in Mooresville, N.C., brushed it aside with the confidence of a much more experienced driver.
“I have the opportunity to race for A.J. Foyt at Indianapolis and that’s really what I am going to concentrate on,” he said.
Danny Bridges can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
