Mike Mosley

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 five career victories.

Career 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 -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. 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.

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 TRE INDY MIL LAN PIP MOS MOS IRP LAN MTR MTR SPR 41st 120 Walt Michner Gerhardt Ford MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC HAN PHX RIV 1968 Bob Wilke Watson Offenhauser HAN LVG PHX TRE INDY MIL LAN PIP LAN LAN MTR MTR SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC MCH HAN PHX 20th 860 Ford MOS MOS CDR NAZ IRP IRP RIV 1969 Bob Wilke Watson Offenhauser PHX HAN INDY MIL LAN PIP NAZ TRE IRP IRP MIL SPR DOV DUQ ISF BRN BRN TRE SAC KEN KEN PHX RIV 9th 1220 Chevrolet CDR 1970 Andy Granatelli Watson Offenhauser DUQ 4th 1900 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser ONT Watson PHX SON TRE INDY MIL LAN CDR MCH SPR MIL ISF SED TRE SAC PHX Chevrolet IRP 1971 Ralph Wilke Eagle Ford INDY MIL POC MCH MIL ONT TRE 17th 655 Watson RAF RAF PHX TRE Offenhauser PHX 1972 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser PHX TRE INDY MIL MCH POC MIL ONT TRE PHX 10th 1250 1973 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser TWS TRE TRE INDY MIL POC MCH MIL ONT ONT ONT MCH MCH TRE TWS PHX 6th 2345 1974 Ralph Wilke Eagle Offenhauser ONT ONT ONT PHX TRE INDY MIL POC MCH MIL MCH TRE TRE PHX 13th 945 1975 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser ONT ONT ONT PHX TRE INDY MIL POC MCH MIL MCH TRE PHX 12th 1020 1976 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser PHX TRE INDY MIL POC MCH TWS TRE MIL ONT MCH TWS PHX 5th 2120 1977 Jerry O'Connell Eagle Offenhauser ONT PHX TWS TRE 10th 1030 Lightning INDY MIL POC MOS MCH TWS MIL ONT MCH PHX 1978 Alex Morales Motorsports Lightning Offenhauser PHX ONT TWS TRE INDY MOS MIL POC MCH ATL TWS MIL ONT MCH TRE SIL BRH PHX 24th 483 1979 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth ONT TWS INDY MIL POC TWS MIL NC 0 1980 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth ONT 41st 28 Chevrolet INDY MIL POC MOH 1981-82 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet INDY POC SPR DUQ ISF INDY 49th 5 1982-83 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth SPR DUQ NAZ INDY 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 Ref 1979 All American Racers Eagle Cosworth PHX ATL ATL INDY TRE TRE MCH MCH WGL TRE ONT MCH ATL PHX 10th 1121 1980 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet ONT INDY MIL POC MOH MCH WGL ONT MCH MEX PHX 41st 56 Mach I Racing Penske Cosworth MIL 1981 All American Racers Eagle Chevrolet PHX MIL ATL ATL MCH RIV MIL MCH WGL PHX 19th 32 Brayton Racing Penske Cosworth MEX 1982 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth PHX ATL MIL CLE MCH MIL POC RIV ROA MCH PHX 19th 37 1983 Kraco Enterprises March Cosworth ATL INDY MIL CLE MCH ROA POC RIV MOH MCH CPL LAG PHX 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 Ref 1979-1980 Chevy MCH MCH RIV RIV ATL NC —