Mauri Rose

Mauri Rose
Born	Maurice Rose (1906-05-26)May 26, 1906 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	January 1, 1981(1981-01-01) (aged 74) Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Championship Car (1936) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1941, 1947, 1948)
Champ Car career
36 races run over 16 years
Best finish	1st (1936)
First race	1932 Syracuse 100 (Syracuse)
Last race	1951 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	1932 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Last win	1948 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 6 14 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1950–1951
Teams	Diedt
Entries	2
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	4
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1951 Indianapolis 500

Maurice Rose (May 26, 1906 – January 1, 1981) was an American racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1941, 1947, and 1948, becoming the race's third three-time winner. He also won the AAA National Championship in 1936.

Although Rose had driven in every Indianapolis 500 since 1933, he earned his first pole position when he put his Maserati on the pole for the 1941 Indianapolis 500;^[1] but spark plug problems sidelined his car after sixty laps. He then took over the Wetteroth/Offenhauser car being driven by Floyd Davis that had started in 17th place. Rose went on to win. In 1947 and 1948, Rose captured back-to-back Indianapolis 500s driving one of the Diedt/Offenhauser Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials, owned and prepared by veteran driver/car owner Lou Moore.^[1]

Late in the 1947 race, Rose found himself lying second to his rookie teammate, Bill Holland, when both were given a sign reading "EZY" from pit lane. Holland reduced speed, but Rose ignored the sign and continued on. Rose closed on Holland and to his amazement, Holland gave way without a battle^[1] and even gave Rose a friendly wave as he went past on his way to victory. But Holland thought he had more than a lap lead on Rose, instead of just a few seconds. Holland was furious afterward.^[2]

In 1949, with Holland leading and Rose again running second late in the race, Rose set out to overtake his now-veteran teammate. Rose again ignored car owner Lou Moore's "EZ" signs from the pits and continued to push in pursuit of Holland. This time, Rose's car broke while Holland cruised home to victory—and Moore fired Rose on the spot after the race for disobeying team orders.

Rose made his fifteenth and final Indianapolis 500 start in the 1951 race. Knocked out from an accident after 126 laps, the forty-five-year-old Rose retired to a home in California. For the 1967 race, officials of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway invited him to drive the pace car.

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Rose participated in two World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He finished in the top three once,^[3] and scored four World Drivers' Championship points.

Rose worked for General Motors both during and after his racing career. He was heavily involved in the development of the Chevrolet Corvette into a competitive racing machine.^[4]

Both of Rose's children were disabled by polio. While his career in racing was filled with success, he considered his most important accomplishment to be his invention of a device that made it possible for those without the use of their legs to drive an automobile.^[4]

Rose has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

• Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1967)^[5]
• Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (1972)^[6]
• Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame (1982)^[7]
• Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1989)^[8][9]
• International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1994)^[10]
• Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1996)^[11]
• International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (2007)^[12]

Rose has been awarded the following honors:

• Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation (1966)^[13]

Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Pos	Points
1941	INDY 1	MIL 3	NYS 4													9th	245
1946	INDY 23	LAN 12	ATL	ISF 2	MIL 6	GOS DNP										25th	240
1947	INDY 1	MIL DNP	LAN	ATL	BAI	MIL	GOS	MIL	PIK	SPR	ARL					3rd	1,000
1948	ARL	INDY 1	MIL	LAN	MIL	SPR	MIL	DUQ	ATL	PIK	SPR	DUQ				3rd	1,000
1949	ARL	INDY 13	MIL	TRE	SPR	MIL	DUQ	PIK	SYR	DET	SPR	LAN	SAC	DMR		-	0
1950	INDY 3	MIL	LAN	SPR	MIL	PIK	SYR	DET	SPR	SAC	PHX	BAY	DAR			15th	483
1951	INDY 14	MIL	LAN	DAR	SPR	MIL	DUQ	DUQ	PIK	SYR	DET	DNC	SJS	PHX	BAY	-	0

• 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.^[14][15]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	WDC	Pts
1950	Howard Keck	Diedt	Offenhauser 4.5 L4	GBR	MON	500 3	SUI	BEL	FRA	ITA		12th	4
1951	Howard Keck	Diedt	Offenhauser 4.5 L4	SUI	500 14	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	ESP	NC	0

• Mauri Rose - ChampCarStats.com
• Mauri Rose at Find a Grave
• Mauri Rose driver statistics at Racing-Reference

Preceded by Wilbur Shaw	Indianapolis 500 Winner 1941	Succeeded by George Robson
Preceded by George Robson	Indianapolis 500 Winner 1947–1948	Succeeded by Bill Holland