A.J. Foyt Racing
The cast: Drivers – Jack Hawksworth, Takuma Sato. Chief engineers – Raul Prados (Hawksworth), Don Halliday (Sato)
Twitter: @Jackhawk41, @TakumaSatoRacer, @AJFoytRacing
The cars: Nos. 14 (Sato) and 41 (Hawksworth) Honda
Of note: Team owner/patriarch A.J. Foyt continues to recover from post-op complications related to his Nov. 12 triple bypass heart surgery and then surgery Jan. 13 to remove a benign tumor in his left hand. He visited the race shop in Waller, Texas, on Jan. 16 – his 80th birthday. Among the birthday greetings and well wishes was a phone call from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “I’m so proud of you, so proud that you’re a Texan and proud of what you’ve done. You’re a hero for us here in Texas and we’re thankful that we have you,” he said.
Snapshot: Foyt’s youngest son, Larry, is the team director. … Wisconsin-based ABC Supply Co. enters its 10th year as primary sponsor of the No. 14 car, and also will be the primary sponsor on the No. 41. … A.J. Foyt Racing returns to a full-season two-car operation for the first time in 12 seasons with the addition of second-year Verizon IndyCar Series driver Hawksworth. He competed for Bryan Herta Autosport in 2014. “We really felt that two cars was the next step for us as a race team to be competitive week in and week out,” Larry Foyt said. … Prados has worked with Halliday for the past three years, and was the race engineer for the team’s second entry in the 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
The stats: Hawksworth, who finished fourth in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires standings in 2013, recorded one podium finish (third at Houston 2) and five in the top 10 overall in his rookie season. He started by qualifying in the top 10 in three of the first four races (best of second at Grand Prix of Indianapolis, in which he led 31 laps). Was not medically cleared to start at Pocono after a practice crash. Had an average finishing position of 13.6. … Sato earned Verizon P1 Awards at season-opening St. Petersburg and Belle Isle 2. After six consecutive DNFs because of mechanical/electrical or contact, he closed the season with three top-10 finishes in five races (best of fourth after starting 20th at Sonoma). He had an average starting position of 12.6 and 15.5 finish.
The gist: Sato, who has made 86 Verizon IndyCar Series starts, returns for his third season with the team (one victory, three poles). … In the offseason, Hawksworth competed in the IMSA-sanctioned Petit Le Mans and Rolex 24 At Daytona. … The team has added personnel for the second car, including Mitch Davis as team manager. … Hawksworth, who turns 24 on Feb. 28, has taken up residence near the team’s main facility in Texas. He’s from England. … The team has purchased a building on Main Street in Speedway, Ind., near Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a secondary race preparation location.
They said it: “This is a team that we can go achieve what we want together,” Sato said. “Now it’s going to the third season straight in. That’s building more confidence with our environment. Particularly this year it’s going to a new project with a two-car team, which we always wanted.”
Said Hawksworth: “I think it’s fantastic to be on a two-car team and to have Takuma as a teammate. He’s clearly very fast, technically very good. I think we’ll just push each other along. I think that the team, as well, will grow.”
Added Larry Foyt: “It’s great having the continuity of Takuma Sato and Don Halliday working together for another year. We know Takuma can win on any given weekend in the 14 car; I'm looking forward to putting what we've learned together the last couple of years to good use. As well, having who I feel is a future superstar -- Jack Hawksworth -- join the team gives me twice the reasons to be excited.”