A.J. Foyt

A legacy of central vacuum convenience

There aren’t many people who haven’t heard of professional racecar driver A.J. Foyt. As the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he is undeniably a legend. And in Foyt’s hometown of Houston, he casts an even taller shadow. That’s why the first time VACUFLO® dealer King Tieken got a call from A.J. Foyt, he thought it was a prank.

Tieken, a motocross racer himself, has said it was typical for his friends to call the dealership pretending to be Ricky Carmichael or Evel Knievel.

“I was sitting there at the office one afternoon when the phone rang. My secretary started laughing and said A.J. Foyt was on the phone. We all laughed,” said Tieken. “I picked up and it didn’t take long before I realized it was the real deal!”

Foyt wanted a central vacuum system installed in his ranch outside Houston. Tieken went out to do a walk-through of the home and ended up getting the full tour. The rest, as they say, was history.

“We just hit it off immediately,” recalled Tieken. “I guess it was that common bond that thrill seekers share. He showed me all of his NASCAR, Indianapolis and Formula One trophies and we set up an install for a few days later.”

Naturally, Tieken was eager to do the work himself, although he ended up with a little unexpected help: “I had to run back to my truck to get something and, when I came back, I found A.J. Foyt on my ladder running pipe. I kept saying ‘A.J., let me do that.’ But he would smile and keep going.”

Only two days into the job, another opportunity emerged. Foyt asked Tieken to hop in his truck so they could take a little drive about 50 miles outside of Houston. The destination was Foyt’s racecar shop–A.J. Foyt Racing.

“We pulled up to this giant orange building with glass offices on top and these amazing vehicles down below,” said Tieken. “You could actually eat off the floor.”

Foyt said he had been thinking about getting a central vac for the space and Tieken got to work installing a commercial system to clean up carbon fiber and metal shavings. As if that wasn’t enough to cement the bond between the two men, Tieken was also asked to install a VACUFLO System for Foyt’s son, A.J. Foyt the III.

The next time that Foyt and Tieken worked together was even more remarkable. In 2006, Foyt was in the process of building a 12,000+ square foot home in the River Oaks allotment of Houston while Tieken had established himself as one of the top Hide-A-Hose dealers in the country. This time, when Tieken met with Foyt and the building superintendent, he had something new in store. Manufacturer H-P Products had recently developed MaxAir® by VACUFLO, a unique, dual motor unit capable of delivering more vacuum power than any other central vac its size.

With MaxAir in his back pocket, Tieken knew the Hide-A-Hose System would be an incredibly powerful and convenient solution for Foyt’s new home. He described it and Foyt quickly agreed to the install. The results were incredible.

Tieken explained, “The day of the demonstration, I show up and A.J. is there -- along with Lucy his wife, one of his sons, a maid who has been with the family 30 years and several contractors. I had just started my demo of MaxAir and Hide-A-Hose for Lucy and the maid when Lucy said ‘Wait, A.J. has to see this.’ A.J came back and couldn’t believe his eyes. He was amazed that the system held 50 feet of hose in the wall, amazed that it retracted so easily, amazed by its power.”

Foyt then went off to get the plumber, the trim carpenter, and the superintendent. Before long, a small crowd had gathered and Foyt announced that his new central vacuum was the coolest amenity he’s ever had in a house.

“All this from a man who has granite countertops, Lutron lighting, home theater and can operate his entire house from a laptop,” Tieken added. He elaborated, “This central vacuum was the one thing that he just inherently understood. It was so useful -- not just a gimmick or keeping up with the Jones’. It was mechanical and he was excited by how well it worked. Next thing you know, A.J. Foyt is happily vacuuming the living room while we all watch.”

Today, Tieken is preparing to install a system for Foyt’s grandson, A.J. Foyt the IV, who just broke ground on a new home. Over the years, there have been many projects, many homes and three generations, but one thing has always remained the same. Foyt and Tieken have a deep mutual respect for each other, and more in common than they might ever have imagined. It just took a central vacuum to bring them together.

Reprinted from Central Vac Professional, September 2008