Dale Roswell

Dale Roswell is a retired American race car driver from Evanston, Illinois. By the end of his career in the TM Master Cup Series, he was by far the oldest driver in the field; the second oldest, Scott Bates, is 36. Roswell holds many records in the TM Master Cup Series, including the oldest race winner, oldest polesitter, and longest career (when measured by time from first to last career start).

Roswell's first start came in 1966 at the old Santa Fe Speedway, when he qualified 14th and dropped out due to a mechanical failure after 75 laps. He did not race in the series again until 1968 when he ran 4 races, mechanical failures eliminating him from all of them. Roswell ran 21 races between 1969 and 1975, primarily in the Midwest and the west coast during the summer months, showing flashes of brilliance. He won his first race in 1976, with two more wins in 1977. He sat out the entirety of 1978 and 1979 for personal reasons, but returned to become a series regular in 1980.

Roswell is known for his hippie image and his vocal support for companies who open plants in the United States. In particular, Roswell turned down an offer to drive for Team Saar USA (then National Racing) after Saar moved a plant from Tennessee to Mexico. Roswell's philosophy remained consistent, refusing to drive for Lenard-backed Ocean Motorsports after Lenard shuttered a plant and moved it to Canada. Roswell instead accepted offer from Majestic Motorsports to race for them. Gasnier, which supports Majestic Motorsports, had recently opened a plant in Ohio.

Roswell is known for some of the sponsor decals on his cars. He famously carried sponsorship logos from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, an electrician's union, in support of American workers. It isn't known if Roswell put the money for the logos up himself or not. The 2012 season was his first in several years without the IBEW logos, as Roswell carried Freedom For Palestine decals in support for the Palestinian people for BlackDiamond Racing. Notably, this sponsorship is one of the few instances in recent years that the Master Cup Series has permitted a political sponsor.

2012 would ultimately be Roswell's final full-time season. For 2013, he drove the #20 for Clockwork Racing, owned by his son, Ian Cooper. Roswell made two starts with the Promoter's Option, and qualified for Karjala and Indianapolis. He intended to retire after a brilliant 13th place effort at Indy, but qualified a Clockwork Racing backup car for the 2014 Round of Decatur.

Quotes

 * "What matters most to me is that the car is made in America... some of these foreign-owned companies do more for America than American-owned companies... and I will support a company that supports American workers."


 * "People ask me why I think I'm a good driver... and I tell them if they can navigate Chicago rush hour traffic for 40 years and not get into many accidents, they're good enough."


 * "Know how I won the championship? I stayed under the radar in every race until it mattered the most."


 * "I feel good knowing that what I have on my car supports a good cause."

Trivia
- Seldom gets involved in the quarrels between other drivers.

- Skillful guitar player, though usually fond of folk music.

- Known that the name "Dale Roswell" is not his actual name. Actual name unknown.

- Had not won a race in 9 years before his triumph at Indianapolis in 2007.

- Won his lone championship in a car that was not believed to be capable of winning races. Roswell won 4 races en route to his championship, including Karjala.

- Known for his smooth, typically mistake-free driving and consistency.

- Only driver to win consecutive TM Master Cup series races from the last row on the grid, which he did in 1987, at Grand Detour and Sanair. Roswell had never won races back-to-back before then, and he hasn't since. Incidentally, Roswell started last in both races due to mechanical failures before both races.