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12/28/18 3:51 PM 1972 TOP INDY ROOKIE MIKE HISS PASSES

http://usacracing.com/news/silver-cr...ke-hiss-passes



1972 TOP INDY ROOKIE MIKE HISS PASSES

Speedway, Indiana………Mike Hiss, who won Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors after charging from 26th to 7th in 1972, passed away December 19, 2018.* He was 77 years old.

Hiss, a native of Norwalk, Connecticut, made 28 career starts in the USAC National Championship between 1972 and 1976, scoring a career-best second-place finish at California’s Ontario Motor Speedway in a substitution role for Mark Donohue aboard Roger Penske’s Sunoco McLaren.* He concluded his Rookie campaign sixth in the standings.

In 1974, Hiss qualified for the outside of the front row at the Indianapolis 500 for Penske, but suffered from a magneto issue on raceday that relegated him to a 14th place finish.

The final of his four Indianapolis starts came in 1975, finishing 29th.* However, in 1978, he returned to IMS to qualify the Penske ride for Mario Andretti, whose Formula One obligations conflicted with the rain-delayed time trials at Indy.

Hiss qualified the car eighth fastest, but as agreed, stepped aside for Andretti who raced the car in the 500-mile race to a 12th place finish after rules required the car start from the 33rd position.

Hiss is survived by Connie, his wife of 42 years, son, Brian and his wife, Getter; daughter, Jennie and her husband, Mike Freisem, plus two grandsons, Landon Anderson and Levi Freisem.

USAC extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mike Hiss.