Howard Gilbert
(1917 – 2008)


WALLER, Texas Feb. 5, 2008--Howard Gilbert, who built the engine in A.J. Foyt’s Coyote when he won his then-record fourth Indianapolis 500 in 1977, passed away Monday, February 4th. Gilbert, 90, was residing in Payson, Ariz. but had been in failing health in recent years.


Gilbert began working with Foyt around 1970 and worked with him for nearly 20 years, building the engines for his Indy cars and NASCAR stock cars. During that time, Foyt won the Indy car title in 1975 and 1979, the USAC Champ Dirt Car title in 1972 and the USAC stock car title in 1978 and 1979.


“I’d known Howard for years before he came to work for me,” said Foyt. “Howard worked for George Salih on the Belond Special, the laydown roadster that Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan drove when they won Indy [1957 and 1958 respectively]. They just don’t make mechanics like that anymore. He was a good friend of mine for many, many years.”