Mike Mosley

Mike Mosley (December 13, 1946 March 3, 1984), was an American racecar driver.

Mike Mosley

Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Mosley was a driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in 17 consecutive seasons from 1967 through 1983, with 166 combined career starts, including every Indianapolis 500 in that span except 1967 and 1982. He finished in the top ten 80 times and had 5 career victories.

Mosley was known for a "charger" driving style and for his smooth driving technique. Many of his peers felt Mosley never had the opportunity to showcase his talent due to second-rate equipment. Longtime motorsports writer Robin Miller quoted Gary Bettenhausen, a close friend and contemporary of Mosley, as saying: "If Mike had been driving a McLaren (Indianapolis car) in the early 1970s, we would all have been racing for second place."

Mosley was known for having a perceived "jinx" at Indianapolis. He qualified near the front several times, including second in 1981 and 1983, and was often a pre-race favorite. However, in 15 starts, he finished the 500 miles only once—a third-place result in 1979. On his first visit to Indianapolis in 1967, he lied about his age (20 at the time) to gain entry; after two crashes in practice, he told the car owner he was not yet ready to tackle Indy's 2 1/2-mile oval. The next year, he returned and qualified for the race.

Mosley was particularly effective at the flat Milwaukee Mile paved oval, where he used an unusual driving line and recorded three victories. In the 1981 race there, added as a promoter's option, he came from the back of the field to win the race.[1] It was the last win for a normally-aspirated engine in the CART/Champ Car era and also the last win in open wheel racing for a Gurney Eagle.

Mosley died in a highway accident in Aguanga, California. He lost control of the truck he was driving, which rolled down an embankment and caught fire. His teenaged son, Michael, was also riding in the van but was uninjured.[2]

Racing Results

Indianapolis 500 results

USAC Champ Car results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Rank Points
1967 Leader Card Racers ? ? PHX
DNQ
TRE
DNQ
INDY
DNQ
MIL LAN PIP MOS MOS IRP LAN MTR MTR SPR 41st 120
Walt Michner Gerhardt Ford MIL
DNQ
DUQ ISF TRE
7
SAC HAN
13
PHX RIV
1968 Bob Wilke Watson Offenhauser HAN LVG PHX TRE INDY
8
MIL
19
LAN
4
PIP LAN LAN
20
MTR MTR SPR MIL
17
DUQ ISF TRE SAC MCH
3
HAN
13
PHX
9
20th 860
Ford MOS
16
MOS
9
CDR
14
NAZ IRP
9
IRP RIV
14
1969 Bob Wilke Watson Offenhauser PHX
6
HAN
12
INDY
13
MIL
6
LAN
16
PIP NAZ TRE
3
IRP
19
IRP
DNQ
MIL
7
SPR
17
DOV
4
DUQ
18
ISF
17
BRN
9
BRN
5
TRE
23
SAC
17
KEN
6
KEN
9
PHX
17
RIV
11
9th 1220
Chevrolet CDR
14
1970 Andy Granatelli Watson Offenhauser DUQ
18
4th 1900
Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser ONT
14
Watson PHX
5
SON
7
TRE
5
INDY
21
MIL
7
LAN
3
CDR
15
MCH
4
SPR
10
MIL
5
ISF
5
SED
4
TRE
3
SAC
8
PHX
20
Chevrolet IRP
14
1971 Ralph Wilke Eagle Ford INDY
13
MIL POC MCH MIL ONT TRE 17th 655
Watson RAF
3
RAF
23
PHX
10
TRE
1
Offenhauser PHX
19
1972 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser PHX
3
TRE
13
INDY
26
MIL MCH POC MIL ONT
5
TRE
5
PHX
2
10th 1250
1973 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser TWS
3
TRE
9
TRE
8
INDY
10
MIL
24
POC
4
MCH
10
MIL
2
ONT ONT
5
ONT
3
MCH
18
MCH TRE
14
TWS
23
PHX
20
6th 2345
1974 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser ONT
6
ONT ONT
7
PHX
1
TRE
7
INDY
29
MIL
10
POC
21
MCH
8
MIL
18
MCH
15
TRE
17
TRE PHX 13th 945
1975 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser ONT
10
ONT ONT
11
PHX
9
TRE
3
INDY
26
MIL
5
POC
31
MCH
13
MIL
1
MCH TRE PHX 12th 1020
1976 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser PHX
5
TRE
5
INDY
15
MIL
1
POC
2
MCH
22
TWS
4
TRE
5
MIL
5
ONT
15
MCH
7
TWS
22
PHX
DNQ
5th 2120
1977 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser ONT
16
PHX
6
TWS
5
TRE
3
10th 1030
Lightning INDY
19
MIL
4
POC
8
MOS MCH
DNQ
TWS MIL ONT
16
MCH
18
PHX
DNQ
1978 Alex Morales Motorsports Lightning Offenhauser PHX ONT TWS TRE INDY
17
MOS
DNQ
MIL
14
POC
7
MCH
DNQ
ATL TWS
13
MIL
DNQ
ONT
16
MCH TRE
8
SIL BRH PHX
10
24th 483
1979 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth ONT TWS INDY
3
MIL POC TWS MIL NC 0
1980 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth ONT
19
41st 28
Chevrolet INDY
32
MIL POC
23
MDO
1981-82 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet INDY
33
POC SPR DUQ ISF INDY
DNQ
49th 5
1982-83 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth SPR DUQ NAZ INDY
13
21st 25

CART IndyCar Series Results

(key)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
1979 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth PHX
6
ATL
17
ATL
17
INDY
3
TRE
13
TRE MCH
2
MCH
20
WGL
12
TRE
14
ONT
34
MCH ATL
14
PHX
10
10th 1121
1980 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet ONT
19
INDY
32
MIL POC
23
MDO MCH WGL ONT
17
MCH MEX PHX 41st 56
Mach I Racing Penske Cosworth MIL
20
1981 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet PHX MIL
1
ATL ATL MCH
18
RIV MIL MCH
26
WGL PHX
24
19th 32
Brayton Racing Penske Cosworth MEX
7
1982 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth PHX ATL MIL CLE MCH
8
MIL
7
POC
16
RIV ROA MCH
7
PHX
12
19th 37
1983 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth ATL
13
INDY
13
MIL
5
CLE
4
MCH
17
ROA
25
POC
4
RIV
24
MDO MCH
11
CPL LAG PHX
24
14th 36


International Race of Champions results

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)

International Race of Champions results
Year Make Q1 Q2 Q3 1 2 Pos. Pts
1979-1980 Chevy MCH MCH
8
RIV RIV ATL NC

References

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