Mike Mosley

I'm looking for some information about Mike Mosley who is sadly one of the forgotten heroes of Indy Car racing. I don't know why that is. Perhaps because he never had a high-profile and was an introverted guy, who didn`t like publicity. He scored the last win for Leader Card Racers (Phoenix 1974) and his victory from last on the grid at Milwaukee in 1981 with his stock-block Eagle is probably one of the best performances in the history of CART.

Where did he came from? I think he raced CRA midgets and sprints and made his Champ Car-Debut in 1967. But how good was he before being picked up by A.J. Watson?

What about his 1975 season? After several years at Leader Cards he switched to Jerry O'Connell's Sugaripe Prune team and won at Milwaukee. But after that win O'Connell used an all-star cast of Bobby Unser (who broke his kneecap in his only race at Michigan), Brother Al and in the saeson finale Mario Andretti for the follwing htree races. Why didn't Mosley drive again in 1975 after his win? Was it because the other drivers were available and O'Connell wanted some Indy winners in his #12 car or was Mosley injured or else? It must only have been an temporarily rest because Mosley returned with O'Connell in 1976 and 1977.

If somebody got more background info and pictures (especially none-Indy pics) about Mosley please go ahead.

Using "Search BB" turned up This old thread amongst others

Anyone? Or is he really that forgotten...

What are you looking for that isn't in the 27 posts on the old thread I pointed you to?

In all fairness to Herbert, there's really not a lot about Mosley himself in that thread.

Well, the thread mentioned above offers some interesting information but more about the cars Mosley drove from 1967 to 1970 and not about the man himself. I'm looking for some backround info about the driver, especially about his early and later career.

How about this one?

Jon

Not only a lot about Mosley, but some real eyeopening stuff as well. If you read half of it in a
Rutherford GP novel you'd put it down to lurid imagination. Makes Alistair Macleans Road to Dusty Death, about drug smuggling in F1, look downright conservative.

I can't seem to locate the specific issue right now, but this summer Sprint Car & Midget magazine ran a good feature article by John Sawyer on Mosley and a famously major (but non-injurious) sprint car wreck he had c. 1968.

There is a two-page story in Carl Hungness 1984 Indy Yearbook.

Herbert,

I think the ultimate compliment paid Mosley comes from long time writer Robin Miller, who called Mosley the most underrated driver he'd ever seen, adding a quote that someone once said (paraphrasing) : "If he (Mosley) had good equipment, we'd all be running for second place."

He is very well thought of as a driving talent, but I do think his introverted, low-key nature had a lot to do with his being overlooked and underrated. Mosley was not a Mario, an Unser, Rutherford or even Johncock when it came to doing pre-race P.R., so he wasn't known except to real racing fans. The fact that he was usually in competitive, yet second tier cars, didn't help his career either.

As far as 1975 and what happened, I'd have to dig around to see what was written at the time. I don't recall that season as well as many others because I was busy with other activities in my life at the time.

Surprisingly Wallen's Seventies Championship Revolution, at about 2/3rds the length of its two predecessors, barely mentions the O'Connell driver-hopping in 1975, let alone tries to explain it.

BTW, I'd still like to know whether Sugaripe still exists.

Here are a few pics of Mosley that might be of interest:

Artemis Images - Mosley



Mike Mosley in the number 90 Zecol-Lubaid Watson turbo-Offy during the 150 mile race held at Langhorne PA, June 15, 1969. Mosley qualified 9th and finished 16th. This photo is part of the Raymond Golub Memorial Collection.



Mike Mosley in the number 4 G C Muprhy Watson turbo Offy during practice for the 150 mile race held at Phoenix International Raceway, October 23rd, 1971. Mosley started the race in 5th and finished 19th. This photo is part of the Raymond Golub Memorial Collection.



Mike Mosley sits in his #90 Leader Card Eagle Offy as he prepares to take to the track. Mosley qualified 22nd and finished 13th. This photo was taken during practice for the 1969 Indy 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30th, 1969. This photograph is part of the Raymond Golub memorial collection.

Originally posted by theunions
Surprisingly Wallen's Seventies Championship Revolution, at about 2/3rds the length of its two predecessors, barely mentions the O'Connell driver-hopping in 1975, let alone tries to explain it.

It is almost as if it does not belong with the two volumes which preceded it. Indeed, it is a rather lame and generally pathetic -- certainly substandard -- effort given what was anticipated. Had it been along the lines with the previous efforts, there is little doubt that Mike Mosley would have gotten mentioned in some depth. It is still one of the biggest disappointments I have experienced in the book world.

Mosley was, indeed, one of those in underrated category for reasons that seemed to little to do with his obvious talents or abilities. Sometimes that is just how it is.

His from-last-to-first effort at Milwaukee is certainly one of the great efforts in Champ Car racing.

Originally posted by HDonaldCapps


It is almost as if it does not belong with the two volumes which preceded it. Indeed, it is a rather lame and generally pathetic -- certainly substandard -- effort given what was anticipated. Had it been along the lines with the previous efforts, there is little doubt that Mike Mosley would have gotten mentioned in some depth. It is still one of the biggest disappointments I have experienced in the book world.

It's also about half the length. It's as if the heart was not in non front engined cars.

Originally posted by ensign14
It's also about half the length. It's as if the heart was not in non front engined cars.

Dick Wallen's 70's book was designed as more or less a photo tribute to photographer Dennis Torres whose photos are prominently shown. Dick will be the first to admit that the 1950's and 1960's books were labors of love while the 1970's was more or less a favor to fans of Torres and fans of that era who had been pestering him . Granted, not as big as the previous two, or his superb Board track book. But did fill a void. Dick was also in the midst of producing two other books at the time, his Riverside book and a book on California midget racing. He is finishing a book celebrating 50 years of USAC.

Also, the fella interested on Mike Mosley, what specific information are you looking for?

Originally posted by theunions
Surprisingly Wallen's Seventies Championship Revolution, at about 2/3rds the length of its two predecessors, barely mentions the O'Connell driver-hopping in 1975, let alone tries to explain it.

BTW, I'd still like to know whether Sugaripe still exists.

I believe Sugaripe is gone.

Regarding the driver changes of the Sugaripe team of late '75, Mosley retired unexpectedly after the Milwaukee race in August. Dan Gurney had run low on cash late in the '75 season and had tired of Bobby Unser. Unser looking to race, filled the seat in the #12 Sugaripe car. Gunning for the lead in the following race at Michigan with two laps to go, Unser blew a tire and broke his leg. Al Unser ran the car at Trenton due to the part-time schedule the Vel's PJ team was running. Mario drove the car at Phoenix while Unser was back in the Vel's PJ Eagle. Andretti had already been released of his contract at Vel's PJ.

Originally posted by szautke


I believe Sugaripe is gone.

Regarding the driver changes of the Sugaripe team of late '75, Mosley retired unexpectedly after the Milwaukee race in August. Dan Gurney had run low on cash late in the '75 season and had tired of Bobby Unser. Unser looking to race, filled the seat in the #12 Sugaripe car. Gunning for the lead in the following race at Michigan with two laps to go, Unser blew a tire and broke his leg. Al Unser ran the car at Trenton due to the part-time schedule the Vel's PJ team was running. Mario drove the car at Phoenix while Unser was back in the Vel's PJ Eagle. Andretti had already been released of his contract at Vel's PJ.

Used to be a large Sugaripe Prune billboard at the edge of Fresno, California along Highway 99. It's been many years since I've passed through Fresno, but I don't recall seeing it even by mid-80's.

Steve, thanks for posting that, it jogged my memory about Mosley's sudden retirement.

And, Mario being released from Vel's-Parnelli, that came with Vel Miletich's great quote:

"Mario is a great driver, but he could break an anvil with a rubber hammer."

Originally posted by szautke
Dick will be the first to admit that the 1950's and 1960's books were labors of love while the 1970's was more or less a favor to fans of Torres and fans of that era who had been pestering him .

Does that mean no 1980's book? As someone who didn't discover racing until the 1979 500, I would LOVE the opportunity to do some narratives (and as someone who didn't attend his first CART race until 1996 or his first Indy 500 until 1999, I can't really contribute photographically) for such a volume, and I would make sure it is more akin to the first two books...

And I'd make sure there would be short bios of all the key drivers at the beginning, similar to the 1950's book, so Mosley's death would not go unacknowledged.

Regarding the O'Connell team...when did Jud Phillips pass away (I assume he has)?

Mike Mosley in the number 4 G C Muprhy Watson turbo Offy

That's a modified '68 Eagle-Offy, not a Watson... :

Mike Mosley's Facebook page

http://www.facebook....er/273807306842

Herbert,

I think the ultimate compliment paid Mosley comes from long time writer Robin Miller, who called Mosley the most underrated driver he'd ever seen, adding a quote that someone once said (paraphrasing) : "If he (Mosley) had good equipment, we'd all be running for second place."

He is very well thought of as a driving talent, but I do think his introverted, low-key nature had a lot to do with his being overlooked and underrated. Mosley was not a Mario, an Unser, Rutherford or even Johncock when it came to doing pre-race P.R., so he wasn't known except to real racing fans. The fact that he was usually in competitive, yet second tier cars, didn't help his career either.

Mike had an offer from Roger Penske, but turned it down because he knew he wasn't cut out to live in the spotlight like a Penske driver would be expected to. When he drove the stock block Eagle for Dan Gurney, if the teething problems the car suffered at Indy had been sorted out, he might have won the big one.

Dan

I posted this a while back on the IndyCar history thread, but thought that it wouldn't be out of line to repeat it here.

Mike Mosley conversing with Jim McElreath at Michigan International Speedway in 1983. Mike Jr. is at the far right. He told me he rarely got to go to the track with his dad, since it was summer break from school, he was at Michigan that weekend.

Mosley, for all his undoubted ability on ovals, was nowhere on road courses, as I recall. That "50%" syndrome would forever have held him back from being in the top ranks. IMHO.
Tom