View source for Sam Posey

{{Short description|American racing driver, author, artist, architect (born 1944)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name        = Sam Posey
| image       = Speed tv f1 panel ims stage 2006 (cropped).jpg
| caption     = Posey at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006
| nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} American
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1944|05|26}} 
| birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| titles      =
| awards      =
| module1     =
  {{Infobox F1 driver|subbox=yes
  | Years         = {{F1|1971}}–{{F1|1972}}
  | Teams         = [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Surtees]] inc. non-works
  | Races         = 2
  | Championships = 0
  | Wins          = 0
  | Podiums       = 0
  | Points        = 0
  | Poles         = 0
  | Fastest laps  = 0
  | First race    = [[1971 United States Grand Prix]]
  | First win     = 
  | Last win      = 
  | Last race     = [[1972 United States Grand Prix]]
  }}
| module2     =
  {{Infobox Champ Car driver|subbox=yes
  | name               = <!--leave blank-->
  | years              = 1969-1974
  | Total_Champ_Races  = 13
  | Years_In_Champ     = 4
  | Champ_Car_Team     = 
  | Best_Champ_Pos     = 17th ([[1972 USAC Championship Car season|1972]])
  | First_Champ_Race   = [[1969 USAC Championship Car season|1969]] [[Indy 200 (IRP)|Indy 200]] ([[Indianapolis Raceway Park|IRP]])
  | Last_Champ_Race    = [[1974 USAC Championship Car season|1974]] [[Bobby Ball 150|Phoenix 150]] ([[Phoenix International Raceway|Phoenix]])
  | Champ_Wins         = 0
  | Champ_Podiums      = 1
  | Champ_Poles        = 0
  }}
| module3     =
  {{Infobox NASCAR driver|subbox=yes
  | name               = <!--leave blank-->
  | Total_Cup_Races    = 1
  | Years_In_Cup       = 1
  | Best_Cup_Pos       = 
  | First_Cup_Race     = [[1970 NASCAR Grand National Series|1970]] [[Motor Trend 500]] ([[Riverside International Raceway|Riverside]])
  | Last_Cup_Race      = 
  | Cup_Wins           = 0
  | Cup_Top_Tens       = 0
  | Cup_Poles          = 0
  }}
}}
[[File:Surtees TS9B Sam Posey` Goodwood 2008.jpg|thumbnail|Posey's [[Surtees TS9B]] at the 2008 [[Goodwood Festival of Speed]]]]
'''Samuel Felton Posey''' (born May 26, 1944)<ref name="WATN">{{cite web |url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Sam_Posey |title= The World Championship drivers - Where are they now? |access-date=2007-07-29 |last=Jenkins |first=Richard |publisher=OldRacingCars.com}}</ref> is an American former racing driver and sports broadcast journalist.

==Early life and driving career==
Posey's father, Lt. (j.g.) Samuel Felton Posey, was killed in the [[Battle of Okinawa]] when a kamikaze struck his ship, the {{USS|Henrico}}. His remains were never recovered. Posey grew up on his grandfather's Connecticut estate near [[Lime Rock Park]]. Posey was bought a [[Mercedes-Benz 300 SL]] when he was 14 years old, and practiced driving the car around his family farm. He received his first racing lessons from neighbor [[John Fitch (racing driver)|John Fitch]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Posey |first=Sam |date=2010-05-10 |title=This Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Was a 14-Year-Old Sam Posey's First Car |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/special-reports/the-sl-and-me |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Road & Track |language=en-US}}</ref> Sam Posey started as an amateur sports car racer, and graduated to the [[Can-Am]], in a car designed and funded by himself in collaboration with engineer friend Ray Caldwell.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-04 |title=The Good Life: Racer Sam Posey Still Shines Bright |url=https://www.motortrend.com/features/racer-same-posey-shines-bright/ |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=MotorTrend |language=en}}</ref> Posey raced the Sunoco Camaro for [[Roger Penske]] in 1968 in the [[Trans-Am Series]]. Chevrolet won the championship based on the Penske team effort. [[Mark Donohue]] was the lead driver and he won a remarkable 10 of 13 races. Posey's first race was at [[Bridgehampton Race Circuit|Bridgehampton]]  where he finished 3rd. Other finishes were: [[Meadowdale International Raceway|Meadowdale]], 3rd; St Jovite, 3rd; Bryar, 6th; Watkins Glen, 2nd which was the only race that Donohue was beaten by a Camaro in 1968. Posey's car was the same Sunoco Blue with yellow lettering as Donohue. Posey sported a yellow spoiler and Donohue had a red spoiler.

In 1969, he won the Lime Rock Trans-Am in a factory Ford Mustang. In 1970, Posey was the driver for Ray Caldwell's factory-backed [[Autodynamics (race car manufacturer)|Autodynamics]] Dodge Challenger in [[Trans-Am]], racing against [[Parnelli Jones]], [[Dan Gurney]], [[Mark Donohue]] and [[Jim Hall (racing driver)|Jim Hall]] in what most racing historians regard as the greatest season of professional road racing in US history. Posey also raced in the [[United States Automobile Club|USAC]] [[Championship Car]] series in the 1969 and 1972-1974 seasons, with 13 career starts, including the [[1972 Indianapolis 500]]. Posey's entry was disqualified from the [[1973 Indianapolis 500]] after USAC Technical Director [[Frank DelRoy]] discovered Posey's team had disguised their already qualified car as another vehicle so that Posey could make another qualifying attempt to try to avoid being bumped from the field.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Times |first=John S. Radosta Special to The New York |date=1973-05-21 |title=POSEY CAR BUMPED FROM INDY FIELD |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/21/archives/posey-car-bumped-from-indy-field-snider-in-last-run-of-day.html |access-date=2022-06-06 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He finished in the top ten 8 times, with his best finish in 3rd position in 1969 at the Kent road course. He was the team driver for Caldwell's [[Can-Am]] racer which featured monocoque aluminum construction in two parallel longitudinal space frames, with solid front and rear axles.

As an endurance racer, Posey appeared at the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] 10 times (1966, 1969–1973, and 1975–1978) and finished in the top 10 five times. His best finish was 3rd position during the 1971 competition in which he drove the [[Ferrari 512]]M.<ref>
{{cite web
 | url =https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a26232/blend-lines-fitting-in-1971-le-mans/
 | title =The Thrill and Pride of Driving a Ferrari at the Limit at Le Mans
 | last =Posey
 | first =Sam
 | date =August 6, 2015
 | website =www.roadandtrack.com
 | publisher =Road & Track
 | access-date =October 5, 2020
 | quote =For a few minutes on a beautiful afternoon in France, Sam Posey "felt the exhilaration of total control in a place where a mistake would be fatal. }}
</ref> He won the 1975 [[12 Hours of Sebring]], teaming with three other drivers.

He participated in two [[Formula One]] world championship events, the [[1971 United States Grand Prix|1971]] and [[1972 United States Grand Prix]], retiring from the first and finishing 12th in the second, thus not scoring any championship points. He drove [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Surtees]] cars on both occasions, but only the first was a works-entered car.

He also competed in a single event in the [[NASCAR]] Grand National Series (now known as the [[NASCAR Cup Series]]), the first race of the [[1970 NASCAR Grand National Series|1970 season]], held on the [[Riverside International Raceway]] road course in [[Riverside, California]].

==Racing analyst==
===ABC===
Posey went on to become an auto racing commentator for [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]]. Posey debuted on ABC for the [[Indianapolis 500]] in 1974, serving as analyst. In subsequent years, he served as a pit reporter but would fill in as analyst when regular analyst [[Jackie Stewart]] was unavailable as Posey was second choice as analyst. Posey returned to the booth starting in 1982 as Stewart reduced his workload. By 1986, Stewart had left and Posey was their first choice as analyst.

While commentating the [[1986 Indianapolis 500]], as there was a yellow flag out very near the end of the race, Posey used a two-way radio to ask an impromptu question to race leader [[Kevin Cogan]]. Posey was trying to ask Cogan about his thoughts in leading the [[Indianapolis 500]] at this stage. Cogan tried to stave off the conversation once, but Posey persisted a second time, at which time Cogan politely replied to Posey that he was "a little busy now," but would talk to him later. Posey understood the circumstances and told the audience if that were he, "I wouldn't want to talk to me either." Moments later, on a restart with two laps remaining, [[Bobby Rahal]] jumped Cogan on the restart and went on to win.

Along with the Indy 500, Posey's [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]] duties included commentary for the [[Champ Car|CART]]/PPG Indy Car World Series with [[Paul Page]] and [[Bobby Unser]], lasting through [[1995 PPG Indy Car World Series|1995]]. Posey also appeared on selected [[NASCAR]] broadcasts on ABC. The three-man booth of Page, Posey, and Unser was a fixture of Indy car racing during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Posey and Bobby Unser were known to engage in friendly, but sometimes heated exchanges on-air. The friction reached a level such that beginning in 1993 at the Indy 500, Unser moved out of the booth and began reporting from a remote location in turn two.

In 1989, Posey was brought in as part of the ABC Sports broadcast team covering the [[1989 Tour de France]]. Many people were surprised by Posey's knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for the sport. ABC would bring him back as the lead anchor for the 1990 and 1991 races.  Posey also worked as the play-by-play announcer for [[luge]] during ABC's coverage of the [[1984 Winter Olympics]] in Sarajevo and the [[1988 Winter Olympics]] in Calgary.

===Speedvision===
Posey moved to [[Speed (TV network)|Speedvision]] (later known as [[Speed (TV network)|SPEED]]) in 1996, covering various races namely sports car racing and Formula One. He also did essay work for the coverage of the [[Tour de France]] on OLN/Versus (later known as [[NBCSN]]), serving as the "Race Historian", and wrote for ''[[Road & Track]]'' magazine.

==Recent years==
Posey is also the author of ''Playing With Trains,'' a book on [[model railroading]] published by [[Random House]] and his layout (the Colorado Midland) was featured in the February 1995 issue of ''[[Model Railroader]]'' Magazine, and ''The Mudge Pond Express'', an autobiography which centers around his personal racing career and love of the sport.

An accomplished artist, painter and architect,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.automobilemag.com/news/racer-same-posey-shines-bright/|title=The Good Life: Racer Sam Posey Still Shines Bright |date=2017-03-04|work=Automobile Magazine|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-lakefront-home-designed-by-a-race-car-driver-1514475000|title=A Lakefront Home Designed by a Race Car Driver|date=2017-12-28|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> in 1966 he earned his B.F.A. in painting from [[Rhode Island School of Design]].<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://our.risd.edu/post/169268402954/from-race-cars-to-real-estate|title=From Race Cars to Real Estate|website=Our RISD|date=3 January 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> Since 1995, Posey suffers from [[Parkinson's disease]], which has attenuated his activities in recent years.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Donnelly|first=Jim|date=July 2005|title=Renaissance Man|journal=Hemmings Muscle Machines}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Posey was the voice for the pre-race build-up montage slotted between the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Race Show and the actual race coverage for each Formula 1 race shown on the Speed Channel. Posey also comments on recent Formula 1 races and the championship in a segment called "Posey's Perspective" as part of the Formula 1 Debrief show (also featuring [[Bob Varsha]], [[David Hobbs (racing driver)|David Hobbs]], [[Steve Matchett]], and [[Will Buxton]]) on the Speed Channel. Posey narrated F1 montages for the [[NBCSN|NBC Sports Network]] from 2013 to 2017.<ref>DiZinno, Tony (Nov 26, 2017) [https://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2017/11/26/f1-on-nbc-team-signs-off-after-abu-dhabi-broadcast-video/ F1 on NBC team signs off after Abu Dhabi broadcast]. ''NBCSports.com''. Retrieved 2019-12-24.</ref>

==Awards==

He was inducted into the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]] in 2016.<ref name=MSHoF>[http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/sam-posey.html Sam Posey] at the [[Motorsports Hall of Fame of America]]</ref>

==Tribute==

In 2013, the front straight at [[Lime Rock Park]] was renamed the Sam Posey Straight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportscardigest.com/sam-posey-straight-at-lime-rock-park/|title = Sam Posey Straight at Lime Rock Park|date = 13 March 2013}}</ref>

==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! WDC
! Points
|-
| [[1971 Formula One season|1971]]
! [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Team Surtees]]
! [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Surtees]] [[Surtees TS9|TS9]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[1971 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1971 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[1971 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1971 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1971 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1971 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1971 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1971 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
| [[1971 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1971 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1971 United States Grand Prix|USA]]<br />{{small|Ret}}
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [[1972 Formula One season|1972]]
! Champcarr Inc.
! [[Surtees Racing Organisation|Surtees]] [[Surtees TS9|TS9B]]
! [[Cosworth]] [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[1972 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1972 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1972 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[1972 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1972 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1972 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1972 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1972 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1972 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]
| [[1972 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1972 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1972 United States Grand Prix|USA]]<br />{{small|12}}
! NC
! 0
|}

==Complete Indianapolis 500 results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
|-
! Year
! Chassis
! Engine
! Start
! Finish
! Team
! Notes
|-
| [[1969 Indianapolis 500|1969]]
| 
| 
|align=center| –
|align=center| –
| 
| Refused entry due to experience
|-
| [[1970 Indianapolis 500|1970]]
| 
| 
|align=center| –
|align=center| –
| 
| Failed to qualify
|-
| [[1971 Indianapolis 500|1971]]
| Eagle
| Offy
|align=center| –
|align=center| –
| Jerry Grant Racing
| Bumped
|-
| [[1972 Indianapolis 500|1972]]
| Eagle
| Offy
|align=center| 7
|align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 5
| Champ Carr Inc.
|-
| [[1973 Indianapolis 500|1973]]
| Eagle
| Offy 
|align=center| –
|align=center| –
| Champ Carr Inc.
| Bumped

|}

==Complete 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}}
|-
! [[1966 24 Hours of Le Mans|1966]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Bizzarrini|Prototipi Bizzarrini]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Massimo Natili]]
|align="left"| [[Bizzarrini P538|Bizzarrini P538 Super America]]
| P +5.0
| 39
| style="background:#000000; color:white"| DSQ
| style="background:#000000; color:white"| DSQ
|-
! [[1969 24 Hours of Le Mans|1969]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[North American Racing Team]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|ITA}} Teodoro Zeccoli
|align="left"| [[Ferrari P|Ferrari 275LM]]
| S 5.0
| 329
| 8th
| 4th
|-
! [[1970 24 Hours of Le Mans|1970]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[North American Racing Team]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ronnie Bucknum]]
|align="left"| [[Ferrari 512]]S
| S 5.0
| 313
| 4th
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
|-
! [[1971 24 Hours of Le Mans|1971]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[North American Racing Team]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tony Adamowicz]]
|align="left"| [[Ferrari 512]]M
| S 5.0
| 366
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
|-
! [[1972 24 Hours of Le Mans|1972]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[North American Racing Team]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tony Adamowicz]]
|align="left"| [[Ferrari Daytona|Ferrari 365 GTB/4]]
| GTS 5.0
| 304
| 6th
| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''2nd'''
|-
! [[1973 24 Hours of Le Mans|1973]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[North American Racing Team]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} Milt Minter
|align="left"| [[Ferrari Daytona|Ferrari 365 GTB/4]]
| GTS 5.0
| 254
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1975 24 Hours of Le Mans|1975]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Hervé Poulain
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean Guichet]]<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} Hervé Poulain
|align="left"| [[BMW E9|BMW 3.0 CSL]]
| TS
| 73
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! [[1976 24 Hours of Le Mans|1976]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|DEU}} [[BMW Motorsport]] GmbH<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Alpina|Alpina-Faltz]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|BEL}} Baron Hughes de Fierlandt<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Harald Grohs]]
|align="left"| [[BMW E9|BMW 3.0 CSL]]
| Gr.5<br />SP
| 299
| 10th
| 4th
|-
! [[1977 24 Hours of Le Mans|1977]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Wyer|Grand Touring Cars Inc.]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Michel Leclère]]
|align="left"| [[Mirage (race car)|Mirage M8]]-[[Renault]]
| Gr.6<br />S 3.0
| 58
| DNF
| DNF
|-
! rowspan=2| [[1978 24 Hours of Le Mans|1978]]
|align=left rowspan=2| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Wyer|Grand Touring Cars Inc.]]
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Michel Leclère]]
|align="left"| [[Mirage (race car)|Mirage M9]]-[[Renault]]
| Gr. 6<br />S 3.0
| 33
| DNF
| DNF
|-
|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jacques Laffite]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Vern Schuppan]]
|align="left"| [[Mirage (race car)|Mirage M9]]-[[Renault]]
| Gr.6<br />S 3.0
| 293
| 10th
| 5th
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://nga.gov.au/InternationalPrints/Tyler/Default.cfm?MnuID=3&ArtistIRN=10487&List=True&CREIRN=10487&ORDER_SELECT=13&VIEW_SELECT=5&GrpNam=13&TNOTES=TRUE  Sam Posey in the National Gallery of Australia's Kenneth Tyler Collection] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222020842/http://nga.gov.au/InternationalPrints/Tyler/Default.cfm?MnuID=3&ArtistIRN=10487&List=True&CREIRN=10487&ORDER_SELECT=13&VIEW_SELECT=5&GrpNam=13&TNOTES=TRUE |date=2014-02-22 }}
*{{Racing-Reference driver|Sam_Posey}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Formula One drivers from the United States}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}
{{NASCAR on ESPN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Posey, Sam}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:People from Sharon, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Litchfield County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from New York City]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Connecticut]]
[[Category:The Frederick Gunn School alumni]]
[[Category:American Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Surtees Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Champ Car drivers]]
[[Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers]]
[[Category:Tasman Series drivers]]
[[Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers]]
[[Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:NASCAR drivers]]
[[Category:Trans-Am Series drivers]]
[[Category:Motorsport announcers]]
[[Category:Cycling announcers]]
[[Category:Olympic Games broadcasters]]
[[Category:People with Parkinson's disease]]
[[Category:Rhode Island School of Design alumni]]
[[Category:12 Hours of Sebring drivers]]
[[Category:BMW M drivers]]