The most recognizable face at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday won’t be any of the 21 pilots set to compete at the track’s third-annual Red Bull Air Race.

Many are stars in their own right. Some in the Master Class own world titles in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Others are budding stars in the Challenger Class. But at the home of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” A.J. Foyt will always be A.J. Foyt. The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion from Texas turns heads like few others can at this venue, even at 83 years old, and Saturday he proved as much in the hanger of pilot and fellow-Texan Kirby Chambliss.

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Chambliss is the series’ longest-serving pilot and is two races away from completing his 13th season. He has two world championships and is third on the all-time race wins list with 10 victories. And when he met Foyt, he was undoubtedly the one gushing. Chambliss, 58, grew up watching Foyt maneuver the oval at IMS and wasn’t even 2 years old when Foyt won his first Indy 500.

But while many point to the numerous injuries and ailments Foyt, a Hall of Fame racer, has overcome and say he's fearless, Foyt has long wondered how he compares to those like Chambliss.

“That’s the reason I wanted to come here and see them (race),” Foyt told IndyStar. “I’d heard of them but I’d never been to one. When I was coming in my plane yesterday evening I seen the one guy and (said), ‘Ooh, I’m not ready for that yet.’”

Foyt serves as the weekend’s grand marshal and Sunday will deliver a competition command from race control. Home-state loyalty has him itching to see Chambliss deliver a victory. Texans always pull for other Texans.

"A.J. Foyt is synonymous with excellence and speed at Indianapolis, so we're happy to welcome him to the Speedway for this weekend featuring the best pilots and aerial competition in the world," IMS President Doug Boles said in a release. "A.J. always graciously says that IMS made him, and not the other way around, but A.J.'s passion for and success in the Indy 500 add significantly to IMS lore, and it's always special for everyone to have him back home again in Indiana for any event."

Foyt’s eagerness to be at IMS and support of Chambliss doesn't mean he'll hop in a two-seater plane and fly, though.

The elder Texan used to fly himself to races in the 1960s in his Aero Commander 200 — which he said isn’t the only plane he’s owned and flown in his life — and supposes he’s racked up about 1,500 hours in the sky. But that was always on a student pilot license and he never thought of trying the moves he’s seen these Red Bull Air Race pilots complete.

“I was so busy trying to make a living, you know?” said Foyt, who owns the record for Indy 500 starts (35), consecutive starts (35), laps completed (4,904) and miles ran (12,272.5). “With the Indy cars and midgets and sprint cars, I didn’t have time. I had the one airplane but I was just using it to get to the races and back.”

Foyt's career saw him conquer the Daytona 500, 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans, too. But even though he pressed himself to try such challenging events he doesn't think he was ever brave enough, or maybe crazy enough, to give air racing a shot. And now his various health issues have him thinking he wouldn’t be able to enjoy a two-seater flight with someone like Chambliss anyway.

The hardheaded survivor has lived through two battles with Africanized bees, heart surgery, knee replacements, a hip replacement and more. So much wear and tear on his body when asked what kept him from attending the race in 2017 like he wanted he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.

“I’ve had so many complications,” Foyt said. “I had the open-heart surgery (in 2014) where I was unconscious for 10 days. They didn’t know if I was going to wake up or not, but I woke up.”

Some at his age might take an experience like that and draw up a bucket list of things they still want to do before they die. Not Foyt. He’s so happy with what his life has brought him so far he volunteered multiple times Saturday that the thought of dying in the middle of an interview doesn’t bother him.

“It’s been pretty hard the last few years, but everybody when I first started racing said I wouldn’t live to be 22 years old,” Foyt said. “Well, I’ve over-lived that by a hell of a lot.”

He will concede, though, if he had a bucket list Sunday's race would be on it.

“Come hell or high water before I die I’m going to make this race.”

Master Class Qualifying

Martin Sonka (CZE) turned in the fastest qualifying lap among the 14 competitors. His 1:04.751 time cleared Juan Velarde (ESP) by a solid margin. Velarde was second with a 1:05.226. Matt Hall (AUS) was third with a 1:06.086. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) was fourth with a 1:06.149. Yoshihide Murray (JPN) was fifth with a 1:06.273. Matthias Dolderer (GER) was sixth with a 1:06.442. Pete McLeod (CAN) was seventh with a 1:06.463. Michael Goulian (USA) was eighth with a 1:06.505. Cristian Bolton (CHI) was ninth with a 1:06.695. Ben Murphy (GBR) was 10th with a 1:06.848. Mika Brageot (FRA) was 11th with a 1:07.100. Francois Le Vot (FRA) was 12th with a 1:07.938. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) was 13th with a 1:08.657. Kirby Chambliss (USA) was 14th with a 1:09.163.

Challenger Class Qualifying

Patrick Davidson (RSA) turned in the fastest qualifying time among the seven competitors. His 1:10.886 time was just barely faster than Florian Berger (GER), who comes second with 1:10.945. Dario Costa (ITA) is third with a 1:11.459. Kenny Chiang (HKG) is fourth with a 1:11.570. Baptiste Vignes (FRA) is fifth with a 1:12.482. Daniel Genevey (HUN) is sixth with a 1:13.810. Kevin Coleman (USA) is seventh with a 1:17.896.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at jguskey@gannett.com.