HOUSTON — A.J. Foyt will miss the final two races of the IndyCar season following surgery to treat a staph infection in his right knee.
The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner underwent surgery Aug. 10 on his artificial knee. He had a similar procedure in 2012 on his left knee.
This latest surgery required the removal of the prosthesis so an antibiotic-infused cement spacer could be inserted to clear the infection. It is expected to remain in place for six weeks, then Foyt will require another procedure to have an artificial knee implanted.
“Well, this is one of the worst things I’ve gone through in my life,” Foyt said. “Knowing I have five or six weeks dealing with this and then having to get operated on again to take the spacer out and put in a new knee … this staph infection, it’s the second time I’ve had it and it’s really beat me down.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be like I used to be but I’m sure hoping, so I’m fighting awful hard.”
The 80-year-old had a triple bypass last November that caused him to miss the first five races of the year.
Foyt Racing fields IndyCar entries for Takuma Sato and Jack Hawksworth.
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