A.J. Foyt gets artificial knee after staph infection

WALLER, Texas (AP) A.J. Foyt has had knee replacement surgery in his right leg.

The new knee he received Wednesday replaces the antibiotic-infused cement spacer he received last month as doctors battled a staph infection Foyt developed in July.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner was unable to attend the final two IndyCar races of the season during recovery. The 80-year-old also had a triple bypass last November that caused him to miss the first five races of the year.

He said Thursday he was ''relieved'' when doctors told him the latest surgery ''went perfectly.''

Foyt also was hospitalized because of a staph infection in his artificial left knee in 2012.