| Birth name | Gerald Frederick Hoyt |
|---|---|
| Birth date | January 29, 1929 |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death date | July 10, 1955 (aged 26) |
| Death place | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Years | 1950–1951, 1953–1955 |
|---|---|
| Total champ races | 19 |
| Years in champ | 5 |
| Best champ pos | 19th – 1954 |
| First champ race | 1950 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) |
| Last champ race | 1955 Langhorne 100 (Langhorne) |
| Champ wins | 0 |
| Champ podiums | 1 |
| Champ poles | 1 |
| Years | –, – |
|---|---|
| Teams | Kurtis Kraft, Stevens, Ewing |
| Races | 5 (4 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1950 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last race | 1955 Indianapolis 500 |
Gerald Frederick Hoyt[1] (January 29, 1929 – July 11, 1955)[2] was an American racing driver from Chicago, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died on July 11, 1955, after crashing in a sprint car race at Oklahoma City.[3]
Hoyt served in the 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War.
Indy 500
In the 1955 Indianapolis 500, Hoyt surprised many, including himself, by winning the pole (first starting position) in qualifications. His average speed for the run of 140.045 miles per hour was at the time the second fastest ever at the speedway.[4] However an oil leak would force him to retire from the race after 40 laps. As the 500 was part of the FIA World Championship at the time, Hoyt was credited for being the youngest pole sitter in the history of the series to that point. In his four races at the speedway, he would never complete more than 130 laps in the 200 lap race.
Death
On July 11, 1955, two months after winning the pole at Indianapolis, Hoyt was entered into a sprint car race in Oklahoma City. On the first lap, his car made contact with a fence, causing it to overturn. The cars of the time provided little protection for the driver's head, and Hoyt died the next morning of brain injuries. He had been married just two weeks earlier.[5]
Hoyt is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Section 223, Lot 63 at the coordinates 39.8264892°N 86.176888°W in Indianapolis, Indiana.[6]
Indianapolis 500 results
| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 81 | 15 | 129.520 | 31 | 21 | 125 | 0 | Flagged |
| 1953 | 55 | 7 | 135.731 | 24 | 23 | 107 | 0 | Overheating |
| 1954 | 99 | 30 | 137.825 | 27 | 26 | 130 | 0 | Engine |
| 1955 | 23 | 1 | 140.045 | 10 | 31 | 40 | 0 | Oil leak |
| Totals | 402 | 0 | ||||||
| Starts | 4 |
|---|---|
| Poles | 1 |
| Front Row | 1 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 0 |
| Top 10 | 0 |
| Retired | 3 |
- Although Hoyt started the 1955 race from the pole position, his qualifying speed ranked tenth behind fastest qualifier Jack McGrath. This is the lowest speed rank for a pole sitter in the Indianapolis modern era.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Ludson Morris | Kurtis Kraft | Offenhauser L4 | GBR | MON | 500 21 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA | NC | 0 | ||
| 1951 | Pat Clancy | Ewing | Offenhauser L4 | SUI | 500 DNQ | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | ESP | NC | 0 | |
| 1953 | John Zink | Kurtis Kraft | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | 500 23* | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | SUI | ITA | NC | 0 |
| 1954 | Hoosier Racing | Kurtis Kraft | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | 500 8 † | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | NC | 0 | |||
| 1955 | Jim Robbins | Stevens | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | MON | 500 31 | BEL | NED | GBR | ITA | NC | 0 |
- * Indicates shared drive with Andy Linden and Chuck Stevenson
- † Indicates shared drive with Paul Russo
World Championship career summary
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Jerry Hoyt participated in 4 World Championship races, starting on the pole once but scoring no World Championship points.
References
- ^ "Jerry Hoyt". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Jerry Hoyt". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Hoyt Dies Of Injury After Crash In Race". The New York Times. 1955-07-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ Speedway Gamble: Hoyt risked wind, won pole position[dead link] United Press, May 25, 1955. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ^ Jerry Hoyt dies after crash in Oklahoma City Associated Press, July 11, 1955. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ^ "Indianapolis Auto greats". Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill Cemetery. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-09-10.