Few, if any, individuals have witnessed more USAC events through a camera’s viewfinder, and perhaps nobody has been more adept at snapping an action or candid shot and transforming it into an art form more exquisitely than John Mahoney.

Born in Indianapolis on August 18, 1943, Mahoney was raised in the center of the racing universe, and it wasn’t long before he was hooked.   Mahoney’s earliest racing memories recount visits to the Indianapolis 500 and the Hoosier Hundred during the mid-1950s.  However, it was a USAC Sprint Car race at Terre Haute which laid the foundation for a lifelong addiction to the sport.

Early on, Mahoney took his store-bought box camera into the pits after the races.  With the assistance of his brother, Steve, Mahoney developed the photos for posterity.  At Indiana University, Mahoney met fellow student Gene Crucean, and the instant bond between them forged a lifelong friendship.

The Crucean/Mahoney partnership led to the creation of Sprint Car Pictorial, race promotion and even the ownership of a USAC Midget team.  From 1984-85, Mahoney served as USAC’s Assistant Director of the USAC News Bureau as well as the Silver Crown Series Coordinator.  In 2019, Mahoney was the inaugural recipient of the Dick Jordan Award of Excellence.

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