Mike McGreevy, a two-time USAC National Midget Series
champion, passed away January 5 in Colorado. He was 92, having celebrated his
birthday two days beforehand. Our condolences to his family and friends.
McGreevy topped the Midget points standings in 1965 and
defended the title in 1966, becoming the third driver to win multiple Midget
titles in succession (Shorty Templeman and Jimmy Davies won
back-to-back-to-back championships). He added a pair of runner-up efforts in
the points standings in 1967 and 1968. He recorded 30 USAC Midget victories,
all within a seven-year span. He began competing in Midgets in 1947 in San
Francisco.
Born January 3, 1926, McGreevy was also a three-time champion
in the California-based Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) Midget series – in
1958, 1960 and 1962. He also won the 1965 BCRA indoor crown, and was a two-time
ARA Sprint-car titlist, in 1956 and 1957.
Here are some statistics related to Mike McGreevy’s career.
Statistics – Mike
McGreevy in USAC, Other Sanctioning Bodies
USAC Midgets:
- Victories: 30 (tied for 11th all-time in series
history, with Dave Darland and Johnny Parsons, through January 7, 2018)
o
First Win: Islip (N.Y.) Motor Speedway on August
24, 1963; 100 laps
o
Last Win: Capital Speedway in Jefferson City,
Mo., on September 11, 1969; 40 laps
o
By Season:
§
1963 (1): Islip, N.Y. (8/24)
§
1964 (1): Valley View, Ohio (6/5)
§
1965 (7): Saugus, Calif. (4/10); Fresno, Calif.
(4/24); Rockford, Ill. (8/12); Jackson, Mich. (8/15); Macon, Ill. (9/3);
Gardena, Calif. (10/16); Fresno, Calif. (10/17)
§
1966 (5): Fresno, Calif. (4/16); South Bend,
Ind. (7/9); Chicago, Ill. (7/23); Jackson, Mich. (8/11); Springfield, Ill.
(9/10)
§
1967 (6): Kokomo, Ind. (5/29); Louisville, Ky.
(6/18); Kokomo, Ind. (7/22); Flat Rock, Mich. (8/12); Louisville, Ky. (9/10);
Terre Haute, Ind. (9/24)
§
1968 (4): Valley Park, Mo. (6/15); Terre Haute,
Ind. (8/4); Cincinnati, Ohio (8/11); Springfield, Ill. (8/16)
§
1969 (6): Fresno, Calif. (4/12); Haubstadt, Ind.
(6/27); Valley Park, Mo. (7/3); Kaukauna, Wis. (8/6); Joliet, Ill. (8/23);
Jefferson City, Mo. (9/11)
o
Biggest Wins: 1967 Night Before the 500 (Kokomo,
Ind.); 1968 Hut Hundred (Terre Haute, Ind.)
- - Championships: 2 (1965, various owners; 1966,
driving for Dick and Owen Kincaid)
USAC National Championship
Trail:
- - Races: 2
o
First Race: 1965 Springfield (Started: 17th;
Finished: 17th; Laps – 20/100)
o
Last Race: 1966 Phoenix (Started: 21st; Finished
23rd; Laps – 72/100)
- - Victories: 0
Monster Energy NASCAR
Cup Series:
- - Races: 4
o
First Race: 1955 San Mateo (Started: 9th;
Finished: 13th; Laps – 232/252)
o
Last Race: 1957 San Jose (Stated: 18th; Finished
12th; Laps – 106/116)
- - Victories: 0
Notes of Interest:
- - McGreevy replaced Midget racing legend Mel
Kenyon in Kenyon’s 3-K car during the 1965 Midget season when Kenyon was burned
in a race at Langhorne.
- - McGreevy attempted to make the Indianapolis 500
on three occasions – 1962, 1965 and 1966 – but did not qualify for any of the
races.
- - McGreevy was inducted into the National Midget
Auto Racing Hall of Fame in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, in 1987.
- - McGreevy is one of 14 drivers to win at least
two USAC National Midget Series championships (others with multiple titles
include Shorty Templeman [3]; Jimmy Davies [3]; Mel Kenyon [7]; Sleepy Tripp [2];
Rich Vogler [2]; Kevin Olson [2]; Stevie Reeves [2]; Tony Stewart [2]; Jason
Leffler [3]; Dave Darland [2]; Jerry Coons Jr. [2]; Bryan Clauson [2]; Darren
Hagen [6, but only 1 overall])
Sources:
- - USAC Yearbook (1963)
- - USAC Historical Statistics Documents
- - Racing-Reference.info (Website)
- - USAC Website
- - Speed Sport article (May 11, 2010)
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