Roger McCluskey

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Roger McCluskey
BornRoger Frank McCluskey
(1930-08-24)August 24, 1930
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
DiedAugust 29, 1993(1993-08-29) (aged 63)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Championship titles
USAC Sprint Car (1963, 1966)
USAC Stock Car (1969, 1970)
USAC Championship Car (1973)
Major victories
California 500 (1972)
Champ Car career
229 races run over 21 years
Best finish1st (1973)
First race1960 Langhorne 100 (Langhorne)
Last race1979 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (Milwaukee)
First win1966 Langhorne 150 (Langhorne)
Last win1979 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles
5 30 3
AAA/USAC Stock Car career
Years active1968–1979
Championships2
Best finish1st in 1969, 1970
NASCAR Cup Series career
4 races run over 4 years
First race1969 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last race1977 Los Angeles Times 500 (Ontario)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1967
TeamsHolman-Moody
Best finishDNF (1967)
Class wins0

Roger McCluskey[1] (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona.

He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the USAC Sprint Car title in 1963 and 1966, the USAC Stock Car title in 1969 and 1970. The Champ Car title in 1973. His first USAC Stock Car start resulted in a runner-up finish in Phoenix, Arizona in January 1968, when he drove as a substitute driver for Norm Nelson.

Plymouth Superbird driven by McCluskey in 1970

McCluskey earned four USAC Midget Car wins, 23 USAC Sprint Car wins, 23 USAC Stock Car wins and five USAC Championship Car (national championship) wins (including his last start at Milwaukee in 1979, which is a rarity since most drivers don't win their last race in their career). He was the USAC national champion in 1973. He started every Indianapolis 500 race from 1961 to 1979 except 1964, with a best finish of 3rd in 1973.

He also made four NASCAR Grand National Series starts from 1969 to 1977 with a best finish of second in 1970 at Riverside International Raceway.

He represented the USAC series in the 1974 International Race of Champions.

McCluskey raced for the Holman and Moody team in a Ford GT40 Mk.IIB at the 1967 LeMans 24hrs of Endurance, France. During this event, McCluskey is credited with pulling Mario Andretti to safety-and thus saving his life-after Andretti had seriously crashed his Ford GT40 Mk.IV when a front brake locked.

McCluskey died of cancer in Indianapolis, on August 29, 1993, just five days after his 63rd birthday. In 2004, the local United Sports Arizona Race Park hosted the Roger McCluskey Sprint Car Classic in his honor.

Award[edit]

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.

He was also inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2002.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2011.[2]

Racing record[edit]

Complete USAC Championship Car results[edit]

Year Team 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 Pos Points
1956 Harry Allen Chapman INDY MIL LAN DAR ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF SAC
DNQ
PHX - 0
1960 Art Koopman TRE INDY MIL
DNQ
LAN
5
SPR
13
MIL
DNQ
DUQ
15
19th 320
Harlan Fike SYR
DNQ
ISF
6
TRE
11
SAC
4
PHX
DNQ
1961 Harlan Fike TRE
6
LAN
5
15th 370
Racing Associates INDY
27
MIL
17
MIL
DNQ
SPR TRE
7
John R. Willis DUQ
15
SYR
8
ISF
14
Fred Sclavi SAC
11
PHX
7
1962 Fred Sclavi TRE
8
INDY
16
MIL
5
LAN
14
TRE
DNQ
12th 690
Bruce Homeyer SPR
15
MIL
6
LAN
5
SYR
6
ISF
4
TRE
21
SAC
18
PHX
6
1963 Bruce Homeyer TRE
8
INDY
15
MIL
18
LAN
10
TRE
7
SPR
4
MIL
6
DUQ
11
8th 750
Gordon Van Liew ISF
6
TRE
18
SAC
5
PHX
5
1964 Gordon Van Liew PHX
2
TRE INDY MIL LAN TRE
DNS
SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE
8
SAC
7
PHX
DNS
22nd 238
1965 All American Racers PHX
21
TRE INDY
30
MIL
6
LAN
13
PIP TRE
17
IRP
3
ATL
9
LAN
DNQ
MIL
5
SPR MIL
4
DUQ TRE
4
PHX
26
8th 1.060
Bursac-Pusilo ISF
DNS
W & W Enterprises SAC
9
1966 Lindsey Hopkins PHX TRE
20
INDY
13
MIL
2
LAN
6
ATL
27
PIP IRP
22
LAN
1
SPR
14
MIL
18
DUQ
18
ISF
14
TRE
5
SAC
DNS
PHX
11
12th 780
1967 Lindsey Hopkins PHX
2
TRE
2
INDY
19
MIL
3
LAN
17
PIP MOS
2
MOS
2
IRP
19
LAN
21
MTR
24
MTR SPR
13
MIL
3
DUQ
3
ISF
8
TRE
14
SAC
DNQ
HAN
21
PHX
21
RIV
5
8th 1.620
1968 Lindsey Hopkins HAN
6
LVG
12
PHX
14
TRE
16
INDY
29
MIL
20
MOS
3
MOS
14
LAN
9
PIP CDR
17
NAZ IRP
19
IRP
7
LAN
22
LAN MTR MTR SPR
1
MIL
23
DUQ
5
ISF
12
TRE
2
SAC
12
MCH
25
HAN
10
PHX
11
RIV
12
13th 1.228
1969 A. J. Foyt Enterprises PHX
14
HAN
17
INDY
14
MIL
9
LAN PIP CDR
5
NAZ TRE
21
IRP
4
IRP
18
MIL
14
SPR
15
DOV
3
DUQ
16
ISF
15
BRN
15
BRN TRE
2
SAC
DNQ
KEN KEN PHX
DNQ
RIV
22
13th 1.090
1970 Hayhoe Racing PHX
DNQ
SON TRE
DNQ
INDY
25
MIL
2
LAN
Wth
CDR MCH
7
IRP
9
SPR
DNP
MIL
2
ONT
25
DUQ ISF TRE
5
PHX
3
6th 1.380
Maxson SED
10
SAC
5
1971 Grant King Racers RAF
5
RAF
4
13th 1.050
Lindsey Hopkins PHX
22
TRE
22
INDY
9
MIL
23
POC
25
MCH
3
MIL
18
ONT
28
TRE
22
PHX
2
1972 Lindsey Hopkins PHX
7
TRE
2
INDY
24
MIL
7
MCH
8
POC
11
MIL
19
ONT
1
TRE
8
PHX
6
3rd 1.970
1973 Lindsey Hopkins TWS
7
TRE
8
TRE
6
INDY
3
MIL
2
POC
2
MCH
1
MIL
6
ONT
2
ONT ONT
4
MCH
4
MCH TRE
13
TWS
18
PHX
4
1st 3.075
1974 Lindsey Hopkins ONT
5
ONT ONT
8
PHX
16
TRE INDY
16
MIL
18
POC
28
MCH
16
MIL
6
MCH
13
TRE
10
TRE
16
PHX
19
16th 555
1975 Lindsey Hopkins ONT
8
ONT ONT
13
PHX
DNQ
TRE
7
INDY
5
MIL
8
POC
4
MCH
12
MIL
19
MCH
5
TRE
6
PHX
18
7th 1.675
1976 Lindsey Hopkins PHX TRE
DNQ
INDY
30
MIL MCH
5
TWS
DNQ
TRE
22
MIL
6
ONT
21
MCH
10
TWS
19
PHX
5
11th 955
James Bidwell POC
6
1977 Lindsey Hopkins ONT
22
PHX
3
TWS
17
TRE
5
INDY
8
MIL
19
POC
26
MOS
11
MCH
20
TWS
DNQ
MIL
20
ONT
22
MCH
7
PHX
5
11th 940
1978 Hodgdon Racing PHX
19
ONT
20
TWS
20
INDY
25
MOS MIL POC MCH ATL TWS MIL PHX
13
35th 61
Patrick Racing TRE
21
ONT
24
MCH TRE SIL BRH
1979 Hodgdon Racing ONT
12
TWS INDY
13
9th 716
AMI Racing MIL
17
POC
14
TWS
4
MIL
1

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results[edit]

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pos Points
1977 TRE MIL MOS
DNS
PIR - -
1979 TEX1 IRP MIL1
22
POC TEX2 MIL2 MIN1 MIN2 52nd 3

Complete PPG Indy Car World Series results[edit]

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1979 Hodgdon Racing McLaren Cosworth PHX ATL ATL INDY
13
TRE TRE MCH MCH WGL TRE ONT MCH ATL PHX - 0

Indy 500 results[edit]

NASCAR[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series[edit]

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 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 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 NGNC Pts Ref
1969 Norm Nelson Racing 12 Plymouth MGR MGY RSD
22
DAY DAY DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS NA - [4]
1970 1 RSD
2
DAY DAY DAY RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV NCF NWS CLT MAR MGR CAR LGY NA - [5]

Winston Cup Series[edit]

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 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 29 30 31 NWCC Pts Ref
1972 Marcis Auto Racing 2 Dodge RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
27
CAR TWS NA - [6]
1977 74 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT
40
NA - [7]

International Race of Champions[edit]

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

International Race of Champions results
Season Make 1 2 3 4 Pos. Pts Ref
1973–74 Porsche RSD
8
RSD
11
RSD
12
DAY 12th - [8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Roger McCluskey". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. ^ Roger McCluskey at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  3. ^ Roger McCluskey Indy 500 Race Stats
  4. ^ "Roger McCluskey – 1969 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Roger McCluskey – 1970 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Roger McCluskey – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "Roger McCluskey – 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  8. ^ "Roger McCluskey – 1974 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved January 21, 2020.

Other references[edit]

Sporting positions
Preceded by USAC Stock Car Champion
1969–1970
Succeeded by