Rose's winning car from the 1941 Indianapolis 500 - Rose took over the car from Floyd Davis on lap 73
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]
Rose involved in an accident on lap 40 of the 1946 Indianapolis 500
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]
Rose's winning car from the 1947 and 1948 Indianapolis 500s
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.
World Drivers' Championship career
The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIAWorld 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/USACNational 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.
Post-racing career and life
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]
Awards and honors
Rose has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
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]
