23 Days in August: No. 18, Mike Mosley, 1983 Kraco March/Cosworth

If you joined us for 30 Days in May earlier this year, you’ll see some familiar faces from that countdown. We’ve also added some new entries for 23 Days in August. So let’s celebrate some notable drivers and cars from the glorious past of the Indianapolis 500!

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

Mike Mosley seemed to have the pole locked up until an unknown rookie named
Teo Fabi stunningly broke the track record. 

23 Days in August: No. 18, Mike Mosley, 1983 Kraco March/Cosworth. Along with Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford, Mike Mosely was one of my favorite drivers as a young boy. Unlike Unser and Rutherford, Mosley never found the right combination to vault him to Indy glory. It wasn’t due to lack of determination (twice he was badly injured at Indianapolis from crashes caused by mechanical failure) or certainly driving talent.

Twice, Mosley started last in IndyCar races and won, both at Phoenix and Milwaukee, considered “driver’s tracks.” In 1983, Mosley was consistently among the fastest in practice and appeared to have the pole locked up until an unknown rookie named Teo Fabi stunningly broke the track record. In what was his last 500, Mosley wound up an appropriate 13^th after a spin and contact in Turn 1.