Larry Foyt to assume more control

Saying his team "needs to get younger," A.J. Foyt said Larry, who has directed the Foyt teams in NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch, would have more of a leadership role within the IRL team, but didn't specify.

Larry Foyt admitted Sunday at Michigan that his duties with the team "are a little vague at the moment."

A.J. Foyt, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, said he's tired of losing and concerned about the effect on his reputation.

"I worry about my reputation a bit," he said. "People know I'm not in this game to get beat. We will rebound, and that's one of the things that drives me."

Foyt's team won IRL championships in 1996 and 1998, but in recent years have gone through several drivers while racing at the back of the field. Jeff Bucknum, Foyt's latest driver, finished 14th Sunday at Michigan.

Foyt said he's determined to make the team successful again. To that extent, he announced a new associate sponsor - Investment Properties of America - before Sunday's race.

"I know through the years when I was hurt two or three times, people would say, 'You won't make it back,'" Foyt said. "I was out to prove a point to everybody. I haven't lost that drive.

Larry Foyt competed in the past three Indianapolis 500s for his father and helped lead the team while A.J. missed two races following the knee surgery. He's not expected to drive again.

"He knew I didn't want to quit driving, so that's hard," Larry Foyt said. "But, realistically, am I going to get a good ride? Probably not. At first it was tough for me to swallow, because I didn't want to quit driving. But in the long run it will be a good opportunity."