The 1981 Pepsi Challenger Eagle-Chevrolet was one of the
most interesting cars of that year. The roar of the stock-block engine
definitely stood out among the whine of the turbocharged Cosworths used by just
about everyone else. The distinctive shape of the Eagle chassis also turned
heads. Mike started second, but his car expired 16 laps into the race and he
finished last. Mike never had a lot of fortune at Indy (two terrible crashes in
1971 and 1972) but was well-respected by his peers and admired by the fans.
Sadly, he died in a highway crash in 1984.
On a lighter note, Dan Gurney never struck me as a hat guy
– certainly not a baseball cap guy. He doesn’t look particularly at ease with
that Pepsi cap perched on his head, does he? In the official qualifying photo
(see the 1981 Carl Hungness yearbook), he’s the only member of the team NOT
wearing a ball cap.
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