South Carolina native Rocky Moran competed in the Indianapolis 500 from 1988 to 1990, with a best finish of 14th in 1989 in A.J. Foyt’s No. 33 Skoal Classic March/Cosworth. He finished 16th the year before in the No. 48 Skoal/Trench Shoring March/Cosworth, and was the second-best rookie. His final start came in 1990 with Gohr Racing, where he was credited with a 25th-place finish in the No. 56 Glidden Paints Lola/Buick when his engine failed after 88 laps. It was also his final IndyCar start.
He had attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1992 and 1993 with Menard Racing and Team Losi. Although he never completed a full season in IndyCar, he made his debut in the series in 1981 at Watkins Glen for Dan Gurney’s All American Racers team. It was a memorable debut as he led 21 laps, but his team didn’t put enough fuel on at the final stop and Moran finished sixth.
It was in another discipline of American motorsport and in another classic of the North American calendar that Rocky Moran Sr. had his moment of glory. Associated with PJ Jones and Mark Dismore, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1993 with the All American Racers team at the wheel of a Toyota 3S-GTM 2. To this day, it is still Toyota’s only victory in the Florida classic.
His son Rocky Moran Jr. also raced in single-seaters from 1998 to 2005 (Atlantic Championship) with a single appearance in IndyCar in 2015, at Long Beach (retirement).
AUTOhebdo extends its most sincere condolences to the entire family and loved ones of Rocky Moran Sr.
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