Indianapolis 500 driver Jerry Grant dies at 77

ORANGE, Calif. – Jerry Grant, a race driver who made history by breaking 200 mph in an Indianapolis 500-style car, has died.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway says in a statement that Grand died Aug. 12 at age 77. Family friend Gary Bryson tells the Los Angeles Times (lat.ms/TZDCmt) that Grant died from liver failure and diabetes at a hospital in Orange, Calif.

Grant was in 10 Indy 500s in the 1960s and '70s. His best finish was seventh place.

His second-place finish behind Mark Donohue in 1972 was thrown out because he used gas from another driver's supply after pulling into Bobby Unser's pit. Grant's final 12 laps weren't counted and he fell to 12th place.

Three months later Grant set a record when his Indy-style car topped 200 mph at Ontario Motor Speedway.