{{Short description|American racing driver}} {{Other uses}}{{BLP sources|date=August 2025}}{{Infobox racing driver | name = Mike Chandler | image = | image_size = | caption = | nationality = American | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|4|21}} | birth_place = San Marino, California, U.S. | relatives = Otis Chandler (father) | prev_series = | prev_series_years = | titles = | title_years = | awards = | award_years = | updated = January 22, 2014 }} '''Michael Chandler''' (born April 21, 1958) is an American former driver in the Indianapolis 500 from 1981 to 1983.<ref name=":0">Jenkins, Richard, [http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Michael_Chandler Where are they now?], OldRacingCars.com, February 21, 2004. Retrieved August 23, 2025.</ref> Serious injuries from a crash in 1984 effectively ended his racing career.<ref name=":0" />
Chandler drove in the CART Championship Car series. In the 1980–1984 seasons, he had nine career starts,<ref>9 starts do not include the 1981 or 1982 Indy 500, as it was not a CART race that year.</ref> and started in the Indianapolis 500 in 1981–1983.
A near head-on crash in practice for the 1984 race left Chandler in a coma for several days and prematurely ended his career. He finished in the top-ten twice, with his best finish in fourth position in 1981 at Riverside.
==Sponsors== Chandler's early sponsors included his father, ''Los Angeles Times'' publisher Otis Chandler; businessman Warner Hodgdon, owner of National Engineering; and California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schulte |first=Jim |date=August 31, 1980 |title=A driver with the right connections |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-bernardino-county-sun-a-driver-w/179559124/ |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=The San Bernardino County Sun |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Racing record==
===Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! Pos ! Points |- | 1979 ! |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| TEX1<br>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| IRP<br>{{small|4}} |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| MIL1<br>{{small|6}} |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| POC<br>{{small|7}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| TEX2<br>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MIL2<br>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| MIN1<br>{{small|2}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIN2<br>{{small|22}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''''2nd''''' |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''''903''''' |- | 1980 ! Championship Racing Stables |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br>{{small|18}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| POC<br>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| MOH<br>{{small|3}} | MIN1 | MIN2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ONT<br>{{small|4}} | | |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| '''''7th''''' |style="background:#CFEAFF;"| '''''384''''' |}
===Indianapolis 500 results=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Start ! Finish |- | 1981 | Penske | Cosworth | 25th | 12th |- | 1982 | Eagle | Chevrolet | 22nd | 17th |- | 1983 | Rattlesnake | Cosworth | 30th | 16th |- | 1984 | Eagle | Pontiac | colspan=2|Practice Crash |}
===24 Hours of Le Mans results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Team ! Co-Drivers ! Car ! Class ! Laps ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}} ! {{Tooltip|Class<br>Pos.|Class Position}} |- ! 1981 |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} Thunderbird Swap Shop |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} Preston Henn<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} Marcel Mignot |align="left"| Porsche 935-K3/80 | IMSA GTX | 45 | DNF | DNF |- |}
===24 Hours of Daytona results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Team ! Co-Drivers ! Car ! Class ! Laps ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}} ! {{Tooltip|Class<br>Pos.|Class Position}} |- ! 1983 |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} All American Racers |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} Dennis Aase<br />{{flagicon|USA}} Al Unser Jr. |align="left"| Toyota Celica Mk. III | GTU | 130 | DNF | DNF |- ! 1984 |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} All American Racers |align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} Dennis Aase<br />{{flagicon|USA}} Wally Dallenbach Jr. |align="left"| Toyota Celica Mk. III | GTU | 49 | DNF | DNF |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{All American Racers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Mike}} Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers Category:People from San Marino, California Category:Racing drivers from Los Angeles County, California Mike Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers
{{US-autoracing-bio-stub}}