9 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

Jerry Grant: Jan. 23, 1935-Aug. 12, 2012

[Ron Hershman]

RIP, Jerry... the man in the "Gold" jacket.

[Duffy]

Awwww jeez. Another one to miss.

As it happens, I started this afternoon on a sled to go under this Lotus 19 Noose-painted as Jerry Hansen drove it at Riverside in '65 -



For those just tuning in, this is Jerry Grant's famous "Bardahl Special" that he famously did some "repair" on after it fell off the trailer on the way to some race, and this is why it got the name:



Duffy

[Tex]

RIP, Jerry.

[TSR]

Jerry was a good personal friend for over 40 years, and his passing is a great loss to the whole racing community. Jerry fought cancer for many years but the damage to his body was eventually too great.

He was a very gentle and nice person and a fierce and courageous racer in the vein of the Foyt, Gurney, and Brabham mold. Easy to say that "the mold is broken", but it is in many ways, very true.

CLICK HERE for a pretty decent tribute.

[redbackspyder]

Jerry, my friend, you will be missed... a great man... racer... executive... And the first man at 200 mph at Indy.

[Gary Donahoe]

As part of the sponsorship contract Toyota provided new cars for Dan Gurney. In the early '90s Dan got one of the new twin turbo Supras. Much to Dan's chagrin Jerry Grant had a Suburban with a hot rod 454 cu. in. motor that was quicker than his Supra. Dan insisted that the nice smooth twin turbo system be changed out in favor of a big single turbo that made more power, so he could blow Jerry's doors off. Dan and Jerry were certainly the best of friends, but racers to the end.

Jerry was a very humble and unassuming man, always a pleasure to be around. He will certainly be missed by many.

[TSR]

Indeed.

I just heard from Bill Losee from the RIAM and he talked to Jerry's son today. Jerry's body will be cremated and his ashes sprayed over the Pacific ocean in a private ceremony.

However the RIAM (Riverside International Automobile Museum) will have a celebration of Jerry's life event on October 13 that is being planned now.

I will keep you posted for the ones living in SoCal that would wish to attend.

I will go myself to the RIAM tomorrow with Butch Wilson, one of the "Four Musketeers" of the Eagle Indy team when Jerry drove Dan's spare car, generally with little or no sponsorship. Dan always had a lot of respect (as most racers do) for Jerry Grant, who truly deserved it.

Bless his soul.

[TSR]

From the Dan Gurney crew:

Jerry Grant

The first Indy car racer to top 200 MPH

The summer of goodbyes continues. Our friend, co-driver and AAR racing teammate Jerry Grant, age 77, passed away over the weekend. Battling a variety of health issues over the last months, Jerry joined his friends Colonel Russ Schleeh, Carroll Shelby, and Frank Arciero in the pit-lane in the sky. The ranks of the old guard who have put their stamp on American motor racing in the '60s and '70s are getting ever thinner.

Jerry Grant's career was marked by many highs and lows and a few unforgettable "almosts."

He co-drove a Cobra with Dan Gurney at LeMans and the Targa Florio, where they achieved a class victory in 1964. He was Dan's teammate driving a Ford MkII at LeMans and Sebring in 1966 leading both races for a long time. In Sebring they broke down a few hundred yards before the finish line after 12-hours with a sweet victory in sight. Jerry joined AAR on the Indy car circuit, he drove various Eagles in the Indy 500 as a teammate to Bobby Unser and almost tasted milk in 1972 when he was leading the race in lap 188 but then came into the pits for an unscheduled pit stop with the memorable lilac colored Mystery Eagle No 48. At Ontario Jerry had his star hour; he became the first driver ever to do a lap topping 200 mph. On the USRRC Sports car circuit in 1966 he drove AAR's Cam-Am type Lola garnering four pole positions in seven races and winning the Bridgehampton road race.

Dan Gurney: "Jerry Grant was a natural; he was brave and playful and always could rise to the challenge. Apart from being an excellent racer, he was an accomplished story teller and after-dinner speaker, an ability which served him well in his business career after his retirement from active driving. In the middle '60s we shared many adventures on and off the track here in the US and in Europe. We stayed friends ever since and many Sundays went riding our motorcycles in the Southern California countryside. We extend our condolences to his wife Sandy and his family. Farewell, Jerry, we will miss you."

Also see Robin Miller's post from August 13, 2012, on Speedtv.com: INDYCAR: Ten-time Indy 500 Starter Jerry Grant Passes Away

[Steve Deiters]

I was always a big fan of Jerry Grant. I always looked to see where he and Dan Gurney finished at wheatever endurance race they had competed in back in the day. It was always buried back in the stats section of the sports page because that is how little coverage the local paper gave auto racing.

I spoke to him once at the PRI show a number of years ago. He was working in the Prolong booth. We chatted briefly about Indy racing and seemed genuinely touched that someone would stop by and talk about those days as he nudged someone in the booth and said, "See?" because most people just walked by not knowing who he was.

He talked about how he roomed with Dave MacDonald in 1964 and he said they "argued" at night on who had the worst handling car. Grant was driving the MG Liquid Suspension Special that year and failed to qualify. A car that David Hobbs (I think) latter said could understeer and oversteer at the same time - the worst handling car he had ever driven. Grant ended the story with "... and you saw what happened," referencing Dave MacDonald's tragic accident.

I'm glad it didn't deter Grant from continuing his career because he brought so much to an era of auto racing we likely will never see again. In ending our conversation I had a copy of the official qualifying photo for the 1972 "Mystery Eagle" in my briefcase because I knew he would be there that I asked him to sign. He did so gladly, signing it "Jerry Grant... Winner of the 1972 Indy 500". A signature from an extra-special racer with some unique commentary on a memorable Indy 500 from a bygone era.