Chip Mead
Encyclopedia
Harry Talbott "Chip" Mead, Jr. (March 17, 1950-March 31, 1993) was an American
racing driver from Dayton, Ohio
.
Starting out in US Formula Super Vee
, the single-seat Can-Am series, and North American Formula Atlantic
in the late 70's including a 7th place points finish in the 1977 Formula Atlantic season
, Mead later made 7 starts in the CART
Championship Car series from 1980 to 1983. His best finish was 9th place at the Spring race at Phoenix International Raceway
in 1982. He attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500
in 1981 and 1982 but failed to find enough speed to qualify in 1981 and was bumped from the field the following year. After his experience in CART, Mead moved onto the popular IMSA
Camel GT series where he drove for a variety of different teams from 1983 to 1988 without much success.
Mead also owned an aircraft sales firm based in San Jose, California
. On March 31, 1993, Mead and his three passengers were killed when the plane he was flying crashed near Livermore, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
racing driver from Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
Starting out in US Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee was a type of open-wheel motor created to act as a platform for the promotion of VW products, playing much the same role in the 1970s as formulae such as Formula Renault play today. The idea for Formula Super Vee is generally attributed to Josef Hopen, who worked as the Special...
, the single-seat Can-Am series, and North American Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...
in the late 70's including a 7th place points finish in the 1977 Formula Atlantic season
1977 Formula Atlantic season
The 1977 CASC Formula Atlantic Labatts Championship Series season was contested over 7 rounds. In this one-make engine formula all drivers had to utilize Ford engines...
, Mead later made 7 starts in the CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Championship Car series from 1980 to 1983. His best finish was 9th place at the Spring race at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
in 1982. He attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
in 1981 and 1982 but failed to find enough speed to qualify in 1981 and was bumped from the field the following year. After his experience in CART, Mead moved onto the popular IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
Camel GT series where he drove for a variety of different teams from 1983 to 1988 without much success.
Mead also owned an aircraft sales firm based in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. On March 31, 1993, Mead and his three passengers were killed when the plane he was flying crashed near Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
.