{{more references needed|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person |name = Jerry Karl |birth_date = {{birth date|1941|4|29|df=y}} |birth_place = Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2008|2|16|1941|4|29|df=y}} |death_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. }} '''Jerry Karl''' (April 29, 1941, Jamaica, Queens, New York - February 16, 2008, Baltimore, Maryland), was an American driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series.
==Biography== Starting out in midget car racing and sprint car racing, Karl made his Champ Car debut in 1969 and qualified for his first Indy 500 in 1973 driving an Eagle chassis powered by a twin-turbo Chevrolet V8 engine fielded by legendary car owner Smokey Yunick.<ref name="rn">Zautke, Steve. [http://www.racingnation.com/story.asp?aid=710 Jerry Karl 1941-2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208025223/http://racingnation.com/story.asp?aid=710 |date=2011-02-08 }}, racingnation.com, February 19, 2008</ref> He raced for another team in 1974, but returned to drive for Yunick in 1974 and finished 13th at Indy.
In 1980, Karl entered the CART series and began modifying his own McLaren chassis that he dubbed the McLaren-Karl. In the final race of the 1980 season at Phoenix International Raceway, Karl and his chassis ran at the front of the field in second place until engine trouble dropped him back to 9th.<ref name="rn" />
In total, Karl raced in the 1969-1984 seasons, with 74 combined career starts, including the 1973–1975, 1978, and 1980-1981 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top-ten eight times. His best finish was in seventh position in 1974 at the Ontario Motor Speedway in a 100-miler.
==Later years== Karl later owned a racing products distributor in Wellsville, Pennsylvania.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}}
==Death== Karl died at the age of 66 due to a road car crash in Baltimore on February 16, 2008.<ref>https://eu.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/york-town-square/2008/02/20/vehicular-crash-ends-life-of-y/31710771/</ref>
==Indianapolis 500 results== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Year ! Chassis ! Engine ! Start ! Finish |- | 1970 | Gerhardt | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1971 | Gerhardt | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1972 | Gerhardt | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1973 | Eagle | Chevrolet | 28th | 26th |- | 1974 | Eagle | Offy | 19th | 19th |- | 1975 | Eagle | Chevrolet | 20th | 13th |- | 1976 | Eagle | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1977 | Vollstedt | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1978 | McLaren | Offy | 28th | 14th |- | 1979 | McLaren | Offy | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1980 | McLaren | Chevrolet | 28th | 21st |- | 1981 | McLaren | Chevrolet | 31st | 15th |- | 1982 | Purcell | Chevrolet | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1983 | Wildcat | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |- | 1984 | Penske | Cosworth | Practice Crash | |- | 1985 | March | Cosworth | Failed to Qualify | |}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.karlracing.com/ Karl Racing Enterprises]
{{Machinists Union Racing}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karl, Jerry}} Category:1941 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Sportspeople from York County, Pennsylvania Category:Racing drivers from Pennsylvania Category:Champ Car drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Road incident deaths in Maryland Category:USAC Silver Crown Series drivers Category:Racing drivers from New York City Category:Sportspeople from Queens, New York Category:People from Jamaica, Queens