Roger McCluskey
American race-car driver

Roger McCluskey

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Quick facts
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American race-car driver
Gender:
Male
Birth:
24 August 1930(San Antonio, USA)
Death:
29 August 1993
Star sign:
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The details
Biography

Introduction

Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was from Tucson, Arizona.

He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the USAC Sprint Car title in 1963 and 1966, the USAC Stock Car title in 1969 and 1970.The Champ Car title in 1973.His first USAC Stock Car start resulted in a runner-up finish in Phoenix, Arizona in January 1968, when he drove as a substitute driver for Norm Nelson.

McCluskey earned four USAC Midget Car wins, 23 USAC Sprint Car wins, 23 USAC Stock Car wins and five USAC Championship Car (national championship) wins (including his last start at Milwaukee in 1979, which is a rarety since most drivers don't win their last race in their career).He was the USAC national champion in 1973.He started every Indianapolis 500 race from 1961 to 1979 except 1964, with a best finish of 3rd in 1973.

He also made four NASCAR Grand National Series starts from 1969 to 1977 with a best finish of second in 1970 at Riverside International Raceway.

He represented the USAC series in the 1974 International Race of Champions.

McCluskey raced for the Holman and Moody team in a Ford GT40 Mk.IIB at the 1967 LeMans 24hrs of Endurance, France. During this event, McCluskey is credited with pulling Mario Andretti to safety-and thus saving his life-after Andretti had seriously crashed his Ford GT40 Mk.IV when a front brake locked.

McCluskey died on August 29, 1993, just five days after his 63rd birthday after a long battle with cancer. In 2004 the local United Sports Arizona Race Park hosted the Roger McCluskey Sprint Car Classic in his honor.

Award

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1993.

He was also inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2002.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2011.

Racing record

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Year 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 Pos Points
1956 INDY MIL LAN DAR ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF SAC
PHX - 0
1960 TRE INDY MIL
LAN
SPR
MIL
DUQ
SYR
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
19th 320
1961 TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
MIL
SPR DUQ
SYR
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
15th 370
1962 TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
TRE
SPR
MIL
LAN
SYR
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
12th 690
1963 TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
TRE
SPR
MIL
DUQ
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
8th 750
1964 PHX
TRE INDY MIL LAN TRE
SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE
SAC
PHX
22nd 238
1965 PHX
TRE INDY
MIL
LAN
PIP TRE
IRP
ATL
LAN
MIL
SPR MIL
DUQ ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
8th 1.060
1966 PHX TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
ATL
PIP IRP
LAN
SPR
MIL
DUQ
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
12th 780
1967 PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
PIP MOS
MOS
IRP
LAN
MTR
MTR SPR
MIL
DUQ
ISF
TRE
SAC
HAN
PHX
RIV
8th 1.620
1968 HAN
LVG
PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MOS
MOS
LAN
PIP CDR
NAZ IRP
IRP
LAN
LAN MTR MTR SPR
MIL
DUQ
ISF
TRE
SAC
MCH
HAN
PHX
RIV
13th 1.228
1969 PHX
HAN
INDY
MIL
LAN PIP CDR
NAZ TRE
IRP
IRP
MIL
SPR
DOV
DUQ
ISF
BRN
BRN TRE
SAC
KEN KEN PHX
RIV
13th 1.090
1970 PHX
SON TRE
INDY
MIL
LAN
CDR MCH
IRP
SPR
MIL
ONT
DUQ ISF SED
TRE
SAC
PHX
6th 1.380
1971 RAF
RAF
PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
13th 1.050
1972 PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MCH
POC
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
3rd 1.970
1973 TWS
TRE
TRE
INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
MIL
ONT
ONT ONT
MCH
MCH TRE
TWS
PHX
1st 3.075
1974 ONT
ONT ONT
PHX
TRE INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
MIL
MCH
TRE
TRE
PHX
16th 555
1975 ONT
ONT ONT
PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
MIL
MCH
TRE
PHX
7th 1.675
1976 PHX TRE
INDY
MIL
POC
MCH
TWS
TRE
MIL
ONT
MCH
TWS
PHX
11th 955
1977 ONT
PHX
TWS
TRE
INDY
MIL
POC
MOS
MCH
TWS
MIL
ONT
MCH
PHX
11th 940
1978 PHX
ONT
TWS
TRE
INDY
MOS MIL POC MCH ATL TWS MIL ONT
MCH TRE SIL BRH PHX
35th 61
1979 ONT
TWS INDY
MIL
POC
TWS
MIL
9th 716

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pos Points
1977
TRE

MIL

MOS

PIR
- -
1979
TEX1

IRP

MIL1

POC

TEX2

MIL2

MIN1

MIN2
52nd 3

Complete PPG Indy Car World Series results

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1979 Hodgdon Racing McLaren Cosworth PHX ATL ATL INDY
TRE TRE MCH MCH WGL TRE ONT MCH ATL PHX - 0

Indy 500 results

Starts 18
Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1961 22 29 145.068 18 27 51 0 Crash FS
1962 17 9 147.759 9 16 168 3 Spun T2
1963 14 14 148.680 20 15 198 4 Spun T3
1965 25 23 155.186 18 30 18 0 Clutch
1966 8 21 159.271 22 13 129 0 Oil Leak
1967 12 22 165.563 7 19 165 0 Engine
1968 8 7 166.976 7 29 16 0 Oil Filter
1969 82 6 168.350 6 14 157 0 Split Header
1970 11 4 169.213 4 25 62 0 Suspension
1971 6 22 171.241 15 9 188 0 Flagged
1972 14 20 182.686 15 24 92 0 Valve
1973 3 14 191.929 17 3 131 0 Flagged
1974 1 27 181.004 23 16 141 0 Rear End
1975 15 22 183.964 17 5 167 0 Flagged
1976 7 13 186.499 6 30 8 0 Crash T3
1977 11 18 190.992 10 8 191 0 Flagged
1978 11 11 192.256 17 25 82 0 Clutch
1979 72 25 183.908 35 13 191 0 Flagged
Totals 2155 7
Starts 18
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 2
Top 10 4
Retired 13
1961 22 29 145.068 18 27 51 0 Crash FS
1962 17 9 147.759 9 16 168 3 Spun T2
1963 14 14 148.680 20 15 198 4 Spun T3
1965 25 23 155.186 18 30 18 0 Clutch
1966 8 21 159.271 22 13 129 0 Oil Leak
1967 12 22 165.563 7 19 165 0 Engine
1968 8 7 166.976 7 29 16 0 Oil Filter
1969 82 6 168.350 6 14 157 0 Split Header
1970 11 4 169.213 4 25 62 0 Suspension
1971 6 22 171.241 15 9 188 0 Flagged
1972 14 20 182.686 15 24 92 0 Valve
1973 3 14 191.929 17 3 131 0 Flagged
1974 1 27 181.004 23 16 141 0 Rear End
1975 15 22 183.964 17 5 167 0 Flagged
1976 7 13 186.499 6 30 8 0 Crash T3
1977 11 18 190.992 10 8 191 0 Flagged
1978 11 11 192.256 17 25 82 0 Clutch
1979 72 25 183.908 35 13 191 0 Flagged
Totals 2155 7
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 2
Top 10 4
Retired 13

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 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 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 NGNC Pts Ref
1969 Norm Nelson Racing 12 Plymouth MGR MGY RSD
DAY DAY DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS NA -
1970 1 RSD
DAY DAY DAY RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV NCF NWS CLT MAR MGR CAR LGY NA -

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 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 29 30 31 NWCC Pts Ref
1972 Marcis Auto Racing 2 Dodge RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT
CAR TWS NA -
1977 74 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT
NA -

International Race of Champions

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)

International Race of Champions results
Season Make 1 2 3 4 Pos. Pts Ref
1973–74 Porsche RSD
RSD
RSD
DAY 12th -

Other references