Michael Roe (driver)
Encyclopedia
Michael Roe is a former racing driver from Naas
, Ireland
.
Roe began racing in Formula Ford
and won the 1978 Formula Ford Festival. The following year he drove in British Formula Three and finished in 9th place in his rookie campaign with 2 podium finishes for David Clark's team. In 1983 he moved to the United States
to compete in the single-seat Can-Am series where he finished 8th in the championship. In 1984 Roe won 7 of the 10 rounds of the series on his way to dominating the championship, setting a series record for wins in a season as well as poles in a season (all 10 rounds). The following year Roe competed in CART
Championship Car racing and made four starts for Hemelgarn Racing
with a best finish of 7th at Portland
followed up by an 8th place finish later that month at Meadowlands Racetrack
. His two point-scoring finishes were good enough for 27th place in the championship. He also attempted to qualify his Hemelgarn Lola-Cosworth
for the Indianapolis 500
, but he was bumped from the field.
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Roe began racing in Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
and won the 1978 Formula Ford Festival. The following year he drove in British Formula Three and finished in 9th place in his rookie campaign with 2 podium finishes for David Clark's team. In 1983 he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to compete in the single-seat Can-Am series where he finished 8th in the championship. In 1984 Roe won 7 of the 10 rounds of the series on his way to dominating the championship, setting a series record for wins in a season as well as poles in a season (all 10 rounds). The following year Roe competed in 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 racing and made four starts for Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J...
with a best finish of 7th at Portland
Portland International Raceway
Portland International Raceway is located in Portland, Oregon, USA's, Delta Park complex on the former site of Vanport, just south of the Columbia River. It is west of a light rail station and less than a mile west of Interstate 5....
followed up by an 8th place finish later that month at Meadowlands Racetrack
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
. His two point-scoring finishes were good enough for 27th place in the championship. He also attempted to qualify his Hemelgarn Lola-Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
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...
, but he was bumped from the field.