30 Days in May Bonus

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

No. 48, Mike Mosley, 1981 Pepsi Challenger Eagle/Chevrolet. Stunning, fast and loud, 1981 was the only appearance of the Pepsi Challenger at Indianapolis. Always an innovator, Dan Gurney was trying to bring stock-block engines to Indy racing as a lower-cost alternative to the Cosworth engines, which were used by the overwhelming majority of teams. In terms of speed, this car proved his point as Mosley put it in the middle of the front row. The sound of this screaming Eagle is almost impossible to describe. It had a distinctive roar – in some ways, perhaps, it was the Novi of its generation. In other words, if you heard it, you never forgot it. The distinctive shape and color of the Eagle made it look like a dart hurtling down the straightaway. Consistent with the lousy luck Mosley endured at Indianapolis, some mechanical issues cropped up before race day and the car placed 33^rd, going out after 16 laps with radiator problems. At Milwaukee a couple of weeks later, using the engine intended for the 500, Mosley won, going from last to first in an incredible driving display. It was the last of his five wins in Indy cars and the last for Gurney in Indy-car competition as well. #ThisIsMay #Indy500