Jump to content

Mike Mosley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the American football player, see Mike Mosley (American football).
Mike Mosley
Mosley's promotional headshot for the 1979 CART season.
NationalityUnited States American
BornMichael Dean Mosley
(1946-12-13)December 13, 1946
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1984(1984-03-03) (aged 37)
Aguanga, California, U.S.
Champ Car career
166 races run over 17 years
Years active1967–1983
Best finish4th – 1970
First race1967 Trenton 200 (Trenton)
Last race1983 Miller Ligh Life 150 (Phoenix)
First win1971 Trenton 200 (Trenton)
Last win1981 Gould Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles
5 20 0

Mike Mosley (December 13, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – March 3, 1984 in Aguanga, California) was an American race car 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.[1]

Career

[edit]

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.[2] 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.[3]

Racing Results

[edit]

Indianapolis 500 results

[edit]

USAC Champ Car results

[edit]

(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

[edit]

(key)

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points Ref
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 [4]
1980 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet ONT
19 		INDY
32 		MIL POC
23 		MDO MCH WGL ONT
17 		MCH MEX PHX 41st 56 [5]
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 [6]
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 [7]
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 [8]

International Race of Champions results

[edit]

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

International Race of Champions results
Year Make Q1 Q2 Q3 1 2 Pos. Pts Ref
1979-1980 Chevy MCH MCH
8 		RIV RIV ATL NC — [9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mike Mosley". www.champcarstats.com.
  2. ^ Mike Mosley claim his 3rd Rex Mays triumph
  3. ^ "Mosley killed in van crash". Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  4. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1983 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mike Mosley – 1980 IROC Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Mosley&oldid=1177841894"