R.I.P Jerry Karl
Jerry Karl, who started six times in the Indianapolis 500, has died. He was 66.
Karl was a regular at the track between 1970 and 1985, trying to make the Indy lineup. He started six times between 1973 and 1981. His highest finish was 13th in 1975’s rain-shortened race.
Karl, 66, died Saturday from the injuries sustained in an automobile accident in Baltimore County, Md. He is survived by his wife, Linda.
“He came up through racing. From midgets to sprint cars to Indy cars,” said Frank Fiore Jr., the chief mechanic for Karl’s car at the 1978 Indianapolis 500. “Nowadays people don’t do that, and I think that’s probably why he was so good. He knew the car and knew how to drive the car.”
Karl raced for the first time at Indy in 1973 with the help of Henry “Smokey” Yunick, who also had Pennsylvania ties. Yunick grew up in Bucks County, but moved to Florida where he named his Daytona Beach garage “The Best Damned Garage in Town.”
In a driving career spanning over thirty years he won numerous races and set and still holds records in Midgets and Sprint cars. Jerry also competed in a number of road racing divisions, Indy cars, formula 5000, and CanAm setting qualifying records at both the Watkins Glen six hour and the Daytona twenty-four hour races in the Weiss motorsports Porsche.
Even in death, Karl is keeping his ties to racing.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Injured Drivers Fund of York.
Full Throttle sends its condolences to family, friends and former competitors of Jerry Karl.
R.I.P Gerald ‘Jerry’ Karl
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I am so saddened to hear of Jerry’s death. He was such an incredible individual who lived life to the fullest and on the edge. He loved his his family deeply and had to suffer the loss of his oldest son.
Jerry will be very much missed in my heart. My sincere sympathy goes to Linda and his children.
I have a Big Game trolling Lure company here on the Island of kauai Hawaii! I have made lures for Jerry in the Past! He seemed like a Super Guy who Loved to Fish! The Last emails I received from him he was working his tail off to finish his new boat! He Ordered some more lures and He shipped me some Royal Purple in exchange! The package never did arrive! The last Email I received from him was 2/16 11:45AM and that was the last! I emailed him several times with no reply! I couldn’t understand this! and I keep thinking about him! Yesterday 3/16 I sent him another email stating I hope everything is OK But would you Please reply! His son Replied with the sad news! God Bless Him and his Family! Aloha John “Bird” Miner
I was hurt by the loss, I never met Jerry in person. I have talked to him on the phone from time to time. He was a big help for me when my father pasted away two years ago. Jerry was there for me. I wish his family the best. He is a great person!
Few people know what a great driver and great person Jerry was. I was fortunate to have known Jerry. I worked parttime in the office for Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving at Ontario Motor Speedway 1971-1973.
I met Jerry the day he arrived at OMS in 1972 for the California 500 with no ride, no money…That day he managed to get the ride with “Smokey”…
In 1973 Bobby Unser told me that Jerry was just as good a driver as he was. And that if Jerry had the equipment that Bobby had, Jerry would be able to beat him. That same day Vince Granitelli offered Jerry one of the two backup STP rides. Jerry asked me what I thought he should do. I told him I wasn’t qualified to help with that decision. I told him to ask Bobby Unser. Bobby told Jerry that if he was offered the #1 STP car to take it. Bobby felt that the backup cars were not maintained adequately. Bobby said to stay with “Smokey” rather than accept a ride in an unsafe car.
Those that might not recall: Opening day of practice at Indy Art Pollard was killed in one of the backup STP car. Swede Savage died from burns due to an accident during the race in the other backup STP car. And Gordon Johncock won the race in the #1 STP car.
If I have the years wrong, it has been 35+ years…
My sincere sympathy to Linda and Jerry’s Children and grandchildren…I can only imagine how much you miss him.