Curt Cavin

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt was released from a Houston hospital this week following triple bypass heart surgery Nov. 12, his IndyCar team announced Thursday.

Although the heart surgery was successful, Foyt, 79, developed serious complications with his lungs and kept on a ventilator for eight days to allow for full functionality.

The 25 days represented Foyt's longest-ever hospitalization. He was admitted Nov. 7 with chest pains.

"I had some problems that most people don't have after open heart surgery, so I made my doctors work extra hard but they saved my life," Foyt said in a statement released by A.J. Foyt Racing. "We've turned a corner so everything's pretty good. I've got a long way to go, but I'm feeling better every day."

Foyt is expected to make a full recovery, but his doctors have explained to him that it might take longer than he is anticipating.

Foyt won a record 67 IndyCar races in his career, plus seven series championships. He is the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of LeMans.

In addition to winning Indy as a driver, his race team won the 1999 race with Kenny Brack driving the famed No. 14 car. A.J. Foyt Racing will field Verizon IndyCar Series cars for Takuma Sato and Jack Hawksworth in 2015.